Tours International - Railway 200 Anniversary Group Tour

Railway 200 Anniversary Group Tour

2025 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway and marks a year-long celebration of rail. The first passenger railway to use steam power - the Stockton & Darlington Railway - opened in September 1825 and after that, rail travel never looked back. Take a journey through the history of rail up to the modern age. Travel along the original Stockton & Darlington Railway line to the museum. Visit other vintage steam lines across the UK, each with their own incredible story. Explore the National Railway Museum in York, home to the largest collection of railway objects in the world and see the Museum's grand Station Hall, reopening after major refurbishment. Visit Locomotion in Shildon, the birthplace of railways. Take a group tour around the London Transport Museum's Depot, see London's magnificent train station facades and buildings, discover disused London Underground tunnels and stations and enjoy afternoon tea in a traditional station hotel.

Tour Highlights

Visit the National Railway Museum in York and see the Museum's grand Station Hall as it reopens after major refurbishment and the world's largest collection of railway objects. See railway legends up close, including the Mallard, Eurostar power car, Duchess of Hamilton and Shinkansen bullet train. Try the Flying Scotsman VR Experience.
Visit Locomotion in Shildon, the birthplace of railways. See a special anniversary exhibition, Railway Firsts, showcasing well-known and unexpected stories that have shaped the railways. See the Rocket, Locomotion and Sans Pareil and the very first railway bridge to use an iron truss.
Visit the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first steam-powered passenger railway. See the world's oldest railway station. Either walk the line or travel along the original line.
Hopetown Darlington Museum on the Stockton and Darlington Railway line. Listen to a railway history talk by the Curator or enjoy a Curator Tour. 3 iconic railway pioneers will be on display for a limited time during the anniversary year: the Locomotion No 1, the Pen-y-Darren and Steam Elephant. Enter through the 1833 Goods Shed and enjoy the new railway-themed digital media experience.
Panoramic tour of London to see some of the most iconic station frontages such as Waterloo, King’s Cross, St Pancras, Euston and Victoria.
Enjoy a historical journey through the world's first underground station, from the Victorian steam age through to the busy station it is today.
Discover disused London Underground tube stations, including the station used by Churchill during the war and an old station which gave shelter to Londoners during the Blitz and is now used for film and TV shoots and training London’s emergency services.
London Transport Museum with its world-famous galleries and exhibits, including 19th Century and Victorian Transport and the World's First Undergound, the Metropolitan Line.
Go behind the scenes at the London Transport Museum’s Depot and explore historic vehicles or vintage posters on a heritage tour. See original works of art used for the Museum’s celebrated poster collection, signs, models, photographs, engineering drawings and uniforms.
Take a ride on the London Transport Miniature Railway, a working miniature railway based on real London Underground locomotives, carriages, signals and signs.
Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at an original railway hotel located next to a major London station.
Take a trip on the Bluebell Railway, one of the first preserved heritage lines in the country, boasting an impressive collection of vintage steam locomotives and carriages. 2 exhibitions will mark Railway 200. Rail Past, a celebration of Britain’s railway history and at Horsted Keynes - the largest preserved railway station in the country - Rail Present and Future, an exciting exploration of rail since 1960 with an emphasis on the future of guided transport systems.
Visit Bekonscot Model Village, comprising seven towns in 1930's rural England and the gauge 1 Bekonsot Model Railway, a fascinating collection of historic equipment for any railway enthusiast. There are almost 10 scale miles of main line, branch line and off shoots to sidings, with up to ten passenger and goods trains criss-crossing the landscape of the village.
Explore Midland Railway Butterley and the Railway Museum, home to two 1930's LMS Stanier Pacific locomotives, as well as Winston Churchill's Royal Saloon, a restored Dynamometer Car and gauge locomotives built for Butlin’s Holiday Camps. Also, heritage train rides, a demonstration signal box, Victorian railwayman’s church and miniature railway.
Take a trip on one of the many heritage railways across the UK (please note, some lines only operate in the summer and some only on specific week days):
- Spa Valley Railway, in the beautiful Kent countryside. Enjoy fish and chips or afternoon tea.
- Royal Windsor Steam Express (summer months only). Travel from London to Windsor and enjoy afternoon tea before visiting Windsor Castle, the oldest inhabited castle in the world.
- Swanage Railway, Dorset. Follow the same journey as Enid Blyton.
- West Somerset Railway. Take a trip through cider orchard and church steeple country and stop at the pretty medieval village and castle of Dunster.
- Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway along the Kent coast. Learn about the railway during wartime.
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway, used as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films. It has one of the longest stretches of private track - 17 miles from Pickering to Grosmont - with some departures continuing another seven miles to the popular seaside resort of Whitby.
- Ffestiniog Railway in Wales and enjoy the stunning scenery of Snowdonia.
- Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire. The stations and railway were used as filming locations for 'The Railway Children'. Stops include Haworth, home of the Brontës.
- Churnet Valley Railway. Enjoy a nostalgic steam train ride through the Staffordshire Moorlands, on the outskirts of the Peak District.
Voyage back to a more elegant era of railway travel with luxurious day trips from London on the British Pullman. Experience 1920's style opulence as we navigate through the glorious British countryside, all the while enjoying the best fine dining.
Travel overnight from London on sleeper trains to Scotland or Cornwall.

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What Our Clients Say

I was very fortunate to be on their 70th and 75th D-Day celebration tours. The service and attention to details was exceptional. It was very moving to go back.

As a Jane Austen enthusiast, this tour was perfect - and the Jane Austen Festival in Bath was just fabulous to see!

Words fail me...The Downton Abbey was a perfectly wonderful travel experience! We did not know we would be the ONLY guests at the Abbey. When we realised how truly exclusive our tour was we were speechless! Surreal being there and actually meeting Lady Carnarvon.

Railway 200 Anniversary Group Tour

Railway 200 Anniversary Group Tour

Tour Highlights

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What Our Clients Say

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