An exhibition inside a train that’s packed with amazing stories and interactive fun is heading to the Weardale Railway – and it’s completely free to visit.
More than 80,000 people have explored the Railway 200 exhibition trainon its 60-stop, year-long tour of Britain, and 9 in 10 would recommend it to a friend.
Co-curated with the National Railway Museum and called Inspiration, it uses rare artefacts and fascinating facts to explore how railways transformed the world. It includes hands-on engineering challenges and a whistle-stop tour of interesting – and lesser-known – careers on the railways.
The next stops on its tour were announced today, and excitingly it will be at Weardale Railway’s Stanhope station from Monday 8 June to Sunday 14 June. Tickets are free but availability it limited. Book here.
As one of the final stops on Inspiration’s tour, this could be locals’ last chance to see it.
The exhibition train was visited by thousands of people during stops at Darlington, Locomotion museum in Shildon and Hitachi Rail’s sold-out open day in Newton Aycliffe.
Visitors have described Inspiration as “unique”, “extremely interesting” and “really well curated”.
Tara Jones Ulla was one of 2,000 visitors to Inspiration at the West Somerset Railway in November 2025. She described it as “brilliant”, adding: “It was so informative without being overwhelming, with lots of interactive and hands on exhibits. I came away so happy!”
Michael Wilson, who visited in London Paddington, said: “The whole thing was well thought out. The interactive exhibits were brilliant and my children loved it.”
Local schools will be invited for bespoke tours.
Inspiration is part of Railway 200, the national celebration marking two centuries of the modern railway. Thousands of events during 2025 celebrated a British innovation that revolutionised travel, supercharged economies and enabled mass tourism, sports leagues and the standardisation of time.
Claire Gibbons, General Manager at Weardale Railway, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Inspiration exhibition train to Weardale Railway for what will be one of its final stops.
“As a railway rooted in our community and ongoing development – whether that be volunteering opportunities, career progression or training – this is a fantastic opportunity to connect people of all ages with the story of rail in a fun and interactive way, and to inspire future generations across Weardale and beyond.”
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said: “Railways are one of history’s most important inventions and inside this train you can explore the story of rail in a fun and family-friendly environment.
“Inspiration has already travelled thousands of miles across Britain – from Scotland to Southampton – and we are hugely excited to welcome locals aboard on the Weardale Railway.
“Inspiration’s tour is coming to an end in June and this will be one of your last opportunities to see it – so make sure you don’t miss out!”
Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “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.”
Inspiration tours until June 2026. It was supported by a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Porterbrook funded its eye-catching livery.
South West Durham News covering news across County Durham.
