A
year-long
festival
of
railways
has
started,
to
coincide
with
the
200th
anniversary
of
the
first
passenger
train
to
be
hauled
by
a
locomotive
on
the
Stockton
and
Darlington
Railway.
This
historic
journey
was
made
on
27
September
1825.
The
S&D
also
employed
horses,
but
in
1830
the
Liverpool
&
Manchester
Railway
was
opened,
using
only
locomotives.
The
era
of
horse-drawn
trains
was
coming
to
an
end,
and
the
Railway
Age
had
begun.
Railway
200
will
celebrate
this
anniversary
with
events
throughout
the
United
Kingdom.
A
nine-month
international
festival
starting
in
March
will
also
run
alongside
Railway
200
in
north
east
England,
to
mark
the
Stockton
and
Darlington
anniversary.
Entitled
S&DR200,
this
will
involve
events
in
County
Durham
and
Tees
Valley.
The
Royal
Mint
has
unveiled
a
commemorative
£2
coin,
while
more
than
100
events
have
already
been
announced.
Railnews
will
be
launching
its
own
celebrations
with
special
features
and
R200
news
through
the
year,
including
podcast
items.
There
will
also
be
an
online
exhibition
recalling
key
events
on
the
history
of
the
railways,
including
many
historic
posters
and
other
documents.
Trains
and
locomotives
in
Britain
and
many
other
countries
sounded
their
whistles
and
horns
at
midday
yesterday
to
mark
the
launch
of
Railway
200.
The
‘whistle
off’
included
locomotives
on
dozens
of
heritage
railways
as
well
as
many
at
National
Rail
stations.
Train
operator
LNER
is
among
those
supporting
both
festivals.
Managing
director
David
Horne
said:
‘We
have
an
exciting
year
ahead,
from
celebrations
marking
two
hundred
years
of
the
modern
railway
to
launching
our
additional
direct
services
between
Bradford,
the
UK
City
of
Culture
in
2025,
and
London.
We
look
forward
to
supporting
these
celebrations,
and
to
welcoming
even
more
customers
as
our
new,
transformational
timetable
is
introduced
in
December
2025.’
The
heritage
Swanage
Railway
joined
the
celebrations
at
12.00
on
New
Year’s
Day,
when
the
whistle
of
a
Victorian
T3
class
locomotive
was
sounded
as
it
departed
from
Swanage
with
a
passenger
train.
Volunteer
fireman
Aidan
Strand
said:
‘It
was
great
to
participate
in
the
Railway
200
whistle
off
as
was
being
a
part
of
history
and
the
legacy
of
railways
as
a
whole.
I
doubt
that
two
centuries
ago
those
initial
entrepreneurs,
or
the
public,
would
have
even
considered
railways
powered
by
steam
locomotives
still
being
around
200
years
on.’
Meanwhile,
the
Railway
Industry
Association
celebrates
its
own
special
anniversary
this
year,
because
its
original
predecessor
the
Locomotive
Manufacturers’
Association
was
founded
in
1875.
RIA
said
it
is
looking
forward
to
launching
its
own
‘Future
of
Rail’
series
this
year.
This
will
include
a
programme
of
interactive
events
to
lead
and
shape
some
of
the
national
discussions
on
the
future
of
the
railways.