Railway 200’s exhibition train, Inspiration, is set to embark on a national tour over the next twelve months as Railway 200 celebrations get underway.
Tour dates are available over the next six months, with Inspiration set to visit 27 locations across England, Scotland and Wales, beginning at the Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire on 27 June.
Tickets for the experience are available free of charge, and can be booked between 27 June and 17 August, with a waiting list for registrations of interest open for visits from 23 August to 20 December 2025.
The train, which comprises of four carriages, showcases a number of on-board exhibits aimed at educating the public on the modern railway’s 200 year journey.
Each carriage houses a unique exhibit, including a ‘Railway Firsts’ coach highlighting landmark moments in the history of rail, a carriage referred to as a ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’, which will invite visitors to test their engineering skills with hands-on exhibits, a carriage named ‘Your Railway Future’ showcasing hidden roles in rail and, finally, the ‘Partner Zone’ carriage, which offers a free, flexible space for those looking to exhibit their own material.
Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, the cross-sector, Government-backed bicentenary campaign, said:This special exhibition train is set to become a new, national visitor attraction, providing an unforgettable experience for hundreds of thousands of people across Britain, including many schoolchildren.
It will excite, enlighten, entertain and inspire them to take a fresh look at the railway, as part of its anniversary celebration.
Each booked visit will take place between 10:00 and 17:00, with the on-train experience expected to last up to an hour. Last entry is at 16:00, and a virtual tour of the exhibition experience will be made available for those who are unable to visit in person.
The fit-out of the train carriages is nearing completion, following a 250,000 GBP funding grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as a contribution from Porterbrook to cover the eternal livery (which is yet to be revealed).
The train is expected to receive more than 200,000 visitors during the course of its tour across the UK, with further tour dates for 2026 are set to be announced later this year.
Inspiration will visit the following locations during the next six months of 2025:
- Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster, Worcestershire: 27 June – 6 July
- Birmingham Moor Street station: 8 – 10 July
- London Euston station: 12 – 15 July
- London Waterloo station: 18 – 19 July
- Margate station, Kent: 20 – 21 July
- Bluebell Railway, Sussex: 23 – 29 July
- Alstom’s Litchurch Lane site, Derby (for The Greatest Gathering): 1 – 3 August
- Norwich station, Norfolk: 7 – 10 August
- Lowestoft station, Suffolk: 11 – 14 August
- Freightliner Doncaster Railport, South Yorkshire: 16 – 17 August
- National Railway Museum, York (as part of the NRM’s 50th birthday): 23 – 31 August
- Darlington station, County Durham (as part of S&DR200): 10 – 17 Sept
- Locomotion museum, Shildon, County Durham (as part of S&DR200): 20 Sept – 1 Oct
- Hitachi Open Day, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham: 4 October
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Grosmont: 5 – 7 October
- Glasgow Central station: 11 – 12 October
- Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway: 13 – 14 October
- Strathspey Railway: 16 – 17 October
- Aberdeen station: 19 – 20 October
- Edinburgh Waverley station: 22 – 23 October
- Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, West Yorkshire (as part of Bradford UK City of Culture): 25 Oct – 2 Nov
- Blackpool North station, Lancashire: 4 -7 November
- West Somerset Railway, Bishops Lydeard: 24 – 29 November
- London Paddington station: 8 – 13 December
- Southampton station: 14 -16 December
- London Victoria station: 18 – 20 December
An additional stop in Llandudno, North Wales will be added to the tour in November once dates are confirmed.
Charlotte Kingston from the National Railway Museum said:The National Railway Museum is a proud partner of Railway 200 and we’re thrilled that ‘Inspiration’ will be touring the country, sharing our stories with so many people. Railways have shaped our world in so many ways, from what we eat to where we go on holiday, and to inspire people with that epic narrative and give them a chance to get involved in this celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
