All Aboard! Fantastic Train Exhibition Celebrating 200 Years of Modern Railway Comes To Upminster.

A free, family-friendly exhibition train celebrating 200 years of the modern railway is heading to Upminster, it has been announced. 

More than 40,000 have already visited Inspiration on its 60-stop, year-long tour of Britain – and it has received rave reviews, with 9 in 10 saying they would recommend it to a friend. 

The next stops on its tour were announced today, and excitingly it will be hosted by c2c Rail at Upminster railway station from Monday 26 January 2026 until Friday 30 January 2026. Tickets are free but availability is limited. Book here. Local schools around Upminster will be invited for special tours of Inspiration. Pupils can travel for £2 through c2c’s large group bookings offer. 

Co-curated with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration reveals how railways transformed the UK – and ultimately the world. It includes a fascinating look at railway firsts, hands-on engineering challenges and a whistle-stop tour of interesting – and lesser-known – careers on the railways. 
Inspiration has been described as “brilliant” and “fascinating”. One recent visitor said they “loved that it was interactive. I visited with people from age 18 to 85 and there was something for everyone”.  
Another said: “I loved everything as soon as I got on board. The displays and history of the railways to the interactive stuff was all brilliant in my eyes, even my five-year-old daughter absolutely loved it.”  
Inspiration is part of Railway 200, the national campaign celebrating two centuries of the modern railway. Thousands of events across the UK and the world have celebrated a British innovation that revolutionised travel, supercharged economies and enabled mass tourism, sports leagues and the standardisation of time. 

c2c have marked Railway 200 in a number of ways, including free events, videos and a depot opening. 
Stuart Browning, Operations & Safety Director at c2c Rail, said: “We’re really excited to be hosting the Railway 200 Inspiration exhibition train in Upminster early next year. This is a great opportunity to see the past, present and future of our railways up close and we hope that our community get a great deal of inspiration from their visit!” 

Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said: “Inspiration is a fun, free and fascinating way to learn about the past, present and future of rail. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a rail enthusiast or simply curious about a British innovation that changed the world. 
“We’re excited to bring Inspiration to Upminster and we look forward to welcoming you aboard!” 
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.” 

Railway 200 celebrates two centuries since Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 steamed along the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The bicentenary kicked off on New Year’s Day 2025 with a ‘whistle-up’ of more than 200 locomotives across five continents. The year has included a replica journey of Locomotion No. 1 watched by 100,000, commemorative poems, coins and stamps, the world’s biggest rail festival, and much more. 
Inspiration was supported by a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Porterbrook funded its eye-catching livery. 
Book tickets and find out more here. 

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