The nation’s one and only exhibition train is going to be arriving into Crewe in January on it’s year-long tour of Britain.
Inspiration is a free, family-friendly exhibition train created as part of Railway 200 to explore the past, present and future of the railways. It was launched at London Paddington station before first opening to the public on 26 June at Severn Trent Valley in Worcestershire.
What’s happening in Crewe?
The train is being hosted by Avanti West Coast at Crewe station from 15-19 January. Tickets are free but availability is limited; visitors are required to book tickets via this website: Welcome to Inspiration – Railway 200.
In addition to the train exhibition, there will be various stalls and displays to enjoy. Crewe Heritage Centre will be selling railway merchandise, as will the Rail Riders fan group. Both groups will also be able to share information on how to get involved with their activities.
There will be stands from the Railway Children, Railway Mission, Alstom Crewe and the Railway Benefit Fund stand, where Pete Waterman will be in attendance all day on Saturday.
An interactive exhibition of Crewe’s railway history will be on display, while any children who have a ticket for Inspiration will be able to get free entry to the Crewe Alex v Barrow game next door at 3pm on Saturday, upon presenting their ticket at the turnstiles.
What to expect from Inspiration?
The exhibition was designed and created in partnership with Network Rail and the National Railway Museum in York, part of the Science Museum Group. The train is supported by a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with the train’s livery funded by Porterbrook.
There are four distinctive carriages that visitors can explore. Firstly, the ‘Railway Firsts’ coach highlights landmark moments in rail’s development, while the ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’ has hands-on exhibits to test your engineering skills. There is also the ‘Your Railway Future’ carriage, showcasing some of the more hidden roles in rail, while the final coach is a ‘Partner Zone’, offering free, flexible exhibition space.
Find out more about Inspiration on the Railway 200 website (Unique exhibition train starts year-long tour of Britain as part of rail bicentenary – Railway 200), where you can also find the dates and locations for the remainder of the nationwide tour over the coming months.
Photo credit: Railway 200