The special Railway 200 Exhibition Train ‘Inspiration’ has arrived at London Waterloo as part of its year-long tour across Britain.
Waterloo, Britain’s biggest station, welcomed the train when it pulled into Platform 19 late last night (Thursday 17 July). Steam was in the air at London Waterloo as it was preceded by the Merchant Navy Class Clan Line No. 35028, which will form the head of the train.
Earlier today (Friday 18 July), representatives from Network Rail and South Western Railway, and VIPs including Rail Minister Lord Hendy formally welcomed the train to Waterloo prior to it opening to the public.
Over the course of its year-long tour, more than 200,000 visitors—including numerous schoolchildren—are anticipated to visit the train as it travels to 60 locations throughout Britain, presenting the history and future of rail in informative and engaging ways.
This train serves as a centrepiece of a year-long celebration marking two centuries of British railways and aims to encourage interest in railway careers by showcasing the industry’s diverse range of roles and opportunities.
Curated in partnership with the National Railway Museum, the four carriages include a ‘Railway Firsts’ coach, which highlights significant moments in the development of the railway; a ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’ coach that allows visitors to test their engineering skills with various interactive exhibits; a carriage called ‘Your Railway Future,’ which showcases less visible roles in rail and encourages consideration of careers in the industry for the future; and a ‘Partner Zone,’ which will change as the train travels across Britain and stops at different locations.
Tom Desmond, Operations Director for Network Rail, said: “We are honoured to welcome Inspiration, the Railway 200 Exhibition train, to London Waterloo, the London terminal of the South Western Railway network and the third busiest station in the country. The railway is a fantastic industry to work in and this train is a wonderful way of inspiring the next generation. Demand at Waterloo has been fantastic with all tickets snapped up but future opportunities will arise in the coming months when it returns to the south of England.”
Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, said: “This special exhibition train is a new, free national visitor attraction, offering an unforgettable experience for hundreds of thousands of people across Britain, including many schoolchildren. It will excite, enlighten, entertain and inspire them to take a fresh look at the railway, as part of its anniversary celebrations.”
Lyndsey Robson-Malone, Service Delivery Director for South Western Railway, commented: “Across the SWR network, the last seven months have been packed with events marking special anniversaries, station birthdays and more for Railway 200, celebrating the countless big and small ways the railway shapes and supports our region.
“As we host the Inspiration train at the country’s biggest station, we hope it will encourage the next generation to take our great industry forward in the decades and centuries ahead.
“Alongside many more Railway 200 activities planned for the rest of the year, we look forward to welcoming the Inspiration back to the SWR network at Southampton Central in December.”
James Cousins, Press and Communications Officer for Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society, said: “We are delighted to support the Inspiration Train at London Waterloo for Railway 200 and promote railways, past, present and future for all ages and to help inspire the next generation in railways. Given the location which is greatly associated with Clan Line’s rich history being ‘London’s Locomotive’, its fitting to see our engine back at this historic station for this extra special event”
Booked visits at London Waterloo on 18 and 19 July will occur between 10am and 5pm, with an on-train experience lasting up to an hour. A virtual tour is available for those unable to visit.
Tickets are sold out for London Waterloo, but the train will return to the Capital later this year: at Paddington from 8-13 December and Victoria from 18-20 December. The train will also visit Southampton Central from 14-16 December. Admission is free but tickets must be booked in advance. Normal entry charges to heritage railways and private sites apply.
Book tickets and learn more about Inspiration at www.railway200.co.uk/inspiration. For additional information on Railway 200 and participation, visit www.railway200.co.uk.
While at London Waterloo, you can view Nancy Zhang’s winning image in the Southern Renewals Enterpise’s Railway 200 future train competition. Nancy, a Year 7 pupil from Thorndean School in Hampshire, saw her work adorned to the glass wall at the top of the Orchestra Pit.
Image credit: Network Rail
