Looking forward to next year, 2025 is the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. Whilst not the earliest of railways, its opening has remained in the collective minds of the British people as being the first public railway. In the past, there has been a number of celebrations at each milestone year, with the NER celebrating the fiftieth anniversary in 1875, and the railways, in whatever form they have taken at the time, have continued to mark key dates along the way. Under the title of Railway 200, there will be a year-long celebration, involving Network Railway, the train operators and the heritage sector.

Starting in January 2025, a wide variety of activities and events is being planned to celebrate our railways remarkable past, its role today, and its importance to a sustainable future. However, not a lot has been announced about any particular format (or at least any I could find) but we are promised an exhibition train to tour Britain, in conjunction with the NRM and Porterbrook, the vehicle leasing company. There will be different exhibitions, but in the main, will concentrate on presenting the opportunities that a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can offer.

The heritage sector seems to be heavily involved as well, aiming to make more people aware of heritage railways and railway heritage in general, promoting a greater understanding in the role that railways played in the shaping of lives, communities and landscapes.

No doubt we will hear more about what is intended to take place, but I would hope we can keep our members aware of what is happening within our publications.

Following hard on the heels of Railway 200, the Cumbrian Railways Association will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2026. We will, of course, be pushing the boat out to record the last fifty years in a number of forms, but if you can suggest anything we should include, please get in touch. It’s interesting to note that the CRA has been around for almost a quarter of the life of our railways.