The Railway 200 exhibition train ‘Inspiration’ is going west this spring, because some of the latest dates announced for visits include stations in Devon and Cornwall for the first time since Inspiration’s nationwide tour began last summer at the Severn Valley Railway.
Since then it has visited stations and heritage railways in most parts of Britain, and welcomed 60,000 visitors to see a celebration of the railway industry’s 200-year heritage while also finding out what the railway offers today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on the many careers which the industry offers.
Now Inspiration is to pay calls in March and early April at four more National Rail stations and two heritage railways.
The National Rail stations are Bognor Regis on 2 and 3 March, Lewes on 5 and 6 March, Bristol Temple Meads from 23 to 29 March and Newquay from 6 to 11 April.
The two heritage railways are the West Somerset Railway, which has already welcomed Inspiration to Bishops Lydeard near Taunton and will now be inviting visitors to see the train on the Somerset coast at Minehead from 30 March to 4 April, and the South Devon Railway, which will be hosting the train at Totnes Riverside station from 17 to 22 March.
Tara Jones Ulla was among the 2,000 people who visited the train when it called at Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway in November. 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!’
Railway 200 programme manager Emma Roberts said: ‘‘Inspiration has already travelled thousands of miles across Britain – from Scotland to Southampton – and we are hugely excited to welcome even more people aboard in these six fantastic destinations.’
Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy added: ‘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.’
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