Exhibition train Inspiration welcomes 50,000th visitor on nationwide tour
A travelling exhibition housed inside a train has welcomed its 50,000th visitor, reaching what organisers have described as a major landmark during its year-long tour of Britain.
The exhibition, known as Inspiration, charts the story of the railways and their global impact, highlighting a British invention that reshaped transport and society. Launched in June 2025, the project is due to visit 60 locations nationwide before concluding in June 2026.
The milestone visitor stepped on board during the train’s latest stop in Southampton, its 28th destination so far. Visitors explore four carriages filled with hands-on displays, immersive features and stories spanning two centuries of railway history.
Inspiration has been developed in partnership with the National Railway Museum and forms part of Railway 200, a nationwide programme marking 200 years since the birth of the modern railway. Designed with families and schools in mind, the exhibition aims to make rail history accessible and engaging for all ages.
Since setting off, the train has covered more than 6,000 miles, reaching from the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands to the south coast of England. Its arrival in Southampton was marked with sea shanties and a specially created mural celebrating the visit. Lowestoft represents the exhibition’s most easterly stop so far, while Llandudno in North Wales is its most westerly.
Among other notable appearances, Inspiration has been showcased at the largest rail festival ever held in Derby and has visited Shildon, widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern railway. The exhibition is free to attend and has been powered using 22,660 litres of HVO, a lower-carbon fuel derived from used vegetable oil.
Plans for 2026 are already taking shape, with early tour dates announced for cities including Preston, Cambridge and Salisbury. Further locations are expected to be confirmed in the coming months.
Feedback from visitors has been strongly positive, with nine out of ten saying they would recommend the exhibition to others. Many have praised it as “fascinating”, “brilliant” and “interactive”.
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said:
“We are hugely proud to reach a major milestone for this travelling attraction: 50,000 happy visitors! We are truly thankful to everyone who’s visited so far, and we cannot wait to welcome even more people in 2026, including thousands more schoolchildren. It’s remarkable to think that railways, an invention dreamt up by brilliant British engineers 200 years ago, continue to connect communities across the UK and the world today.”
Image: Network Rail