Some in our area may have managed to jump on board the Inspiration train when it came to Crewe and Stockport during its journey around the country as part of the Railway 200 celebrations.
The interactive exhibition train has now made the final stop in Scarborough on 22 June, with an official celebration to mark the end of this historic event. Read more about it on the Railway 200 website.
What are the stats?
Railway 200 has shared a Commemorative Review of Inspiration’s adventures. It has undertaken a journey of over 12,000 miles, stopping 65 times to host over 104,000 visitors across 250 events.
More widely, 1.4m people attended the various Railway 200-related events and activities. Over 100,000 young people engaged with careers and STEM-based activities. Over 40,000 people attended the world’s largest rail festival in Derby. The rail industry hosted seven family friendly open days, raising thousands of pounds for charity, while Community Rail delivered 300 events attended by 50,000 people (of which 12,000 were young people).
What’s happening to Inspiration now?
This isn’t the end for Inspiration’s exhibition carriages: Railway 200 has confirmed that the ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’ carriage is heading to Locomotion railway museum in Shildon, County Durham. The ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’ contains interactive engineering challenges designed by the National Railway Museum and will become a popular addition to the museum.
The ‘Your Railway Future’ carriage, which showcased some of the hidden roles in the railway system, is being retained by Network Rail. This will be housed at Network Rail’s Test Track facility in Melton, an innovation hub, where it will help visitors consider the opportunities and careers that will shape the future of the railway.
Keep listening!
Another great part of Railway 200 that can still be enjoyed are the ‘Great Rail Tales’ podcasts, which remain available to listen to online. This collection of podcasts are seen as the celebration of the people who worked the railways, via their own stories told in their own words, or by family and friends.
Friends of Goostrey Station were delighted when the story of a former porter at the station was shared as one of the podcasts. Read more about it and access the recording via our news story: Audio snapshot of Goostrey station’s past – Crewe to Manchester Community Rail Partnership
There is also a blog, to share some of the stories through written content.
What’s next?
Next up – and of particular significance for our area, is Rocket: All Aboard which will celebrate 200 years of the Liverpool and Manchester railway! This isn’t until 2030 so there is lots of time to plan activities and events to mark the big anniversary. Read more about it here: Rocket: All Aboard – Manchester Histories