A free exhibition train celebrating 200 years of the modern railway has added 16 new dates to its year-long tour.
Inspiration will make visits to cities including Preston, Colchester, Cambridge, Worthing, and Crewe in 2026.
More than 40,000 have already visited the exhibition train on its 60-stop tour of Britain.
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Co-curated with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration is part of Railway 200, the year-long celebration of two hundred years of the modern railway.
The free exhibition train reveals the story of how railways transformed the UK.
In 2026, it will visit:
| Destination | Dates | Host |
| Preston | 6 Jan – 9 Jan | Ribble Steam Railway |
| Southport | 10 Jan – 13 Jan | Merseyrail |
| Crewe | 15 Jan – 19 Jan | Avanti West Coast |
| Bury | 21 Jan – 24 Jan | East Lancashire Railway |
| Upminster | 26 Jan – 30 Jan | c2c Rail |
| Cambridge | 31 Jan – 1 Feb | Greater Anglia |
| Colchester | 3 Feb – 4 Feb | Greater Anglia |
| Clacton | 5 Feb – 6 Feb | Greater Anglia |
| Hertford | 7 Feb – 8 Feb | Greater Anglia |
| Swanage | 16 Feb – 18 Feb | Swanage Railway |
| Winchester | 19 Feb – 20 Feb | The Watercress Line |
| Salisbury | 21 Feb – 23 Feb | South Western Railway |
| Kingston | 25 Feb – 26 Feb | South Western Railway |
| Worthing | 27 Feb – 28 Feb | Southern |
| Epsom | 9 Mar – 11 Mar | Southern |
| Hastings | 12 Mar – 15 Mar | Southeastern |
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.
“Inspiration is heading to so many fantastic places in 2026 – we can’t wait to welcome 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 livery.
