The exhibition train which has been touring Britain in celebration of Railway 200 is nearing the end of the line, as its last few calling points are announced.

The ‘Inspiration’ train started its tour last summer at the Severn Valley Railway, and has since welcomed thousands of visitors. It is currently at Minehead station on the West Somerset Railway and will then visit Cornwall for the only time by going to Newquay between 6 and 11 April.

The last few stops will be at the East Somerset Railway, Hull station, the Weardale Railway, Rail Live at Long Marston and finally Scarborough station, where the train can be visited between 20 and 22 June. 

Organising the visits to more than 50 places has proved complex, because only locations with a spare platform of sufficient length could be considered. In Cornwall, for example, the only candidates on National Rail were Newquay and possibly Penzance, and even these stations would have been out of the question during the summer, when more platform capacity is needed for seasonal trains.

The exhibition coaches tell the story of the first two centuries of the railway, with the help of the National Railway Museum, explain how the railway works now and also describe the many career opportunities the industry offers in a wide range of trades and professions. The project was supported with a grant of £250,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The festival itself was named in recognition of the first steam-hauled train to carry fare-paying passengers on a public railway, when the Stockton & Darlington Railway was opened in September 1825.

Railway 200 Programme Manager Emma Roberts said: ‘It’s been incredible seeing the fantastic welcome Inspiration gets in towns and cities all over Britain.

‘Not only has the railway family supported the train every step of the way, but tens of thousands of new people have discovered how rail travel changed our world. Many visitors don’t regularly use the railway, some have never been on a train, so it’s been really special to share the story of rail and how it’s shaped our lives.

‘Thank you to everyone who has visited, volunteered or helped organise this remarkable journey. We hope to see some of you at the final stop in Scarborough!’

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