In response to COVID-19, the exhibition will be closed until further notice.
2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. A British innovation that’s continued its journey across the globe. Through a year-long series of activities and events, Railway 200 will explore how rail shaped Britain and the world.
And, as today’s railway modernises and gears up for growth, Railway 200 will also look to the future, encouraging more people to take the train and inviting the next generation of pioneering talent to join the railway and become the history-makers of tomorrow.
We've come a long way since the first passenger railway, Stockton and Darlington, opened in 1825.
Learn about some of the most impressive examples of rail projects in the timeline.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was the first passenger railway to use steam trains to transport passengers.
The railway was the first to carry mail, the first to have a signalling system and the first to be fully timetabled.
The Tube, launched in 1863 as the Metropolitan Railway, ran 3 miles between Paddington and Farringdon - marking the world's first underground railway with stations at each end.
The Canadian Pacific Railway was a major infrastructure project to connect east and west. Although initially intended to carry freight, it was for decades the only practical way to travel across Canada
The Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world at 31.5 miles long of which, 23.5miles are under the English Channel.
High Speed 1 was the first new railway to be built in England for over 100 years. Trains reach speeds of up to 185mph on the line.
Sydney Metro is Australia's biggest public transport project. Currently under construction, it will be a 66km fully-automated railway system with 31 stations.
Linking 40 stations the line provided the biggest increase in central London’s train capacity ever delivered by a single engineering project.
Since the first passenger railway in 1825, railways have become an important part of life throughout the world. Explore railway projects from around the world to see how they have connected communities and helped transform our lives.
Hear first-hand stories about how civil engineers built the first railways.
... and from current civil engineers on how the railway industry has helped to change people's lives.
Join one of our events and support Railway 200.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was the first public railway intended for steam locomotive use, operating across north east England from 1825 to 1863. The S&DR’s first line connected coal mines at Shildon in County Durham to Darlington.
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If Railway 200 has inspired you to explore careers in the rail industry, start your journey into the industry, here
