As part of the Railway 200 campaign celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway, an interactive tour has been launched that gives an insight into the past, present, and future of railways.

Developed with assistance from the National Railway Museum, the timeline features maps, audio, explanatory videos, and more.

It also links to external sources of information that have been integrated into the timeline so that visitors can study featured events in more detail.

Captured in the timeline are 65 moments in time, from the 1700s when wooden tracks were used by horses to haul coal across the North East of England to the present day with the passing of legislation to renationalise most of the railway network.

Many historic developments are featured, including:

• A map of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825, divided into seven key points each with a brief description.
• Songs about a journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
• A video showing how Stephenson’s Rocket changed the world.
• Turner’s painting Rain, Steam and Speed, with an explanation about the painting and a chance for visitors to vote for their favourite railway art.
• A video of the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, with a description of Britain’s first sleeping carriages in trains in the 1880s.
• A sliding image showing the Forth Bridge during construction and how it is now.
• The British Film Institute’s official film celebrating the centenary of the Railway.
• A video providing a tour of a Eurostar train and an explanation of how to drive it.
• Video from DB Cargo showing how freight trains which help cut carbon emissions by reducing the number of lorries on the road.

To ensure as many people as possible can view the timeline, Railway 200’s website lead, Martyn Pennell commissioned experts at Accessibility Made Easy to review its accessibility for disabled users.

That involved understanding how disabled users can navigate and interpret the material and reviewing the content and structure against global standards.

Disabled users of assistive technology on different devices were also interviewed, and feedback sought from users with learning disabilities.

Railway 200’s new timeline is available to view online at www.railway200.co.uk/timeline/

In August, ‘The Greatest Gathering’ will be held at Alstom’s Derby Works to celebrate Railway 200.

“It is important that we remember the story of the railway and its impact on British life, and the world. Not only does this new timeline capture and explain some great examples of British ingenuity through the ages, but it also shines a light on the social and economic changes made possible by the journeys and connections people made. We hope the addition of music, videos, maps, and links to explore subjects in more depth help to intrigue and inspire people of all ages to find out more about the game-changing impact of rail on our lives. We would love more young people to consider how they can play their part in the future of our railways.”

Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200