After launching yesterday (26th June), the Railway 200 exhibition train ‘Inspiration’ is now open.

The train starts its year-long tour at the Severn Valley Railway today. From there, it will visit 60 locations to celebrate 200 years.

The family-friendly exhibition will be promoting railway careers and innovation, and celebrating an invention that changed the world.

Over 160 people joined an event at London Paddington to signal the start of the tour.

The Inspiration train is the only exhibition train on the UK rail network and was designed in partnership with Network Rail and the National Railway Museum in York.

It features a blue livery with the words ‘Past, Present, Future and Together’ across four distinctive carriages. Each carriage has its own theme, including ‘Railway Firsts’, ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’, ‘Your Railway Future’, and ‘Partner Zone’.

The train has been supported by a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and further funding from Porterbrook.

Over 200,000 are expected to visit the free-to-enter train; however, charges may apply at private sites and railways where it is being held.

Further information on its stops over the next year can be found here.

Booking is still available at some of its stops, and can be booked online.

“I’m proud to be celebrating our heritage as the birthplace of the modern railway; to this day our railway network is the backbone of our economy, driving economic growth, jobs and homes.

“With this train, we’re not just looking to the past, we are inspiring the diverse next generation of engineers, drivers, conductors and technicians, and shining a light on what the railway is delivering today and what it can do in future, alongside bringing services back into public ownership, laying the foundations for Great British Railways, and building a railway we can all be proud of.”

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy