MORE than 2,000 visitors flocked to Southampton Central this week to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Britain’s railway.
South Western Railway (SWR) were honoured to host the Railway 200 Inspiration train between Sunday 14 and Tuesday 16 December when it visited the flagship station, itself a hotbed of railway history.
Curated in partnership with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration is an exhibition train that aims to attract the next generation of pioneering talent to the railway. An incredible 2,263 visitors attended Southampton Central across the three days, making it one of the most visited stops of the train’s nationwide tour.
The train of four eye-catching coaches contain several different attractions, starting with the ‘Railway Firsts’ coach, which explores the railway's pioneering pedigree and highlights landmark moments in the railway's development.
The second coach, ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’, challenges visitors to test their engineering skills with hands-on exhibits. School children and younger visitors were inspired by the third carriage, ‘Your Railway Future’, which showcases hidden roles in rail and encourages future generations to join the railway, helping to shape the next 200 years. The fourth coach, the ‘Partner Zone’, included a SWR Virtual Reality experience on Sunday and Monday, with an exhibition from the University of Portsmouth and Brickworks displayed on Tuesday.
To celebrate the train’s arrival, two new murals were unveiled at the station (above), followed by a special performance by the Steam Town Shanty Crew, an a cappella sea shanty group from Eastleigh, singing traditional songs of the sea.
The railway in Southampton has a unique link to the sea. Southampton Central was opened as ‘Southampton West’ in 1895 by the London & South Western Railway, which later became part of the Southern Railway, who owned and operated Southampton Docks. The former Southampton Terminus station in Southampton City Centre also served the Port of Southampton between 1840 and 1966.
Visitors described the exhibition train as “brilliant”, “fascinating” and “a great experience”. Mags and Richard Wylie came to visit the train from Fareham (above), said “What better way to look at the heritage and future of the railway and the impact it has had on peoples lives”
Phil Dominey, South Western Railway's Senior Regional Development Manager (above), said:
"It was such a joy to welcome the Inspiration Train back to the SWR network following its visit to London Waterloo in July.
“The visit to Southampton was very special, as it is a city where countless journeys have begun, connecting rail and sea. The event was a fitting celebration in the railway's 200th year.
“So many people took the opportunity to step on board to explore the past, present and future of the railway. We would like to thank everyone who helped make this such a successful event including the volunteers and stakeholders, including GO! Southampton and Winchester Railway Modellers”
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, said:
“From the striking mural and the sea shanties to the more than 2,000 happy visitors who flocked to Southampton station, it’s been a stop to remember on Inspiration’s tour.
“Inspiration continues travelling Britain until June 2026. If you missed out this time, it’s visiting Swanage, Salisbury and The Watercress Line near Winchester in February.”
The train first opened to the public on Friday 27 June at the Severn Valley Railway in Worcestershire and has since visited several locations all around Britain.
Tens of thousands of people have visited Inspiration on its tour so far, making it a must see. For anyone unable to catch the train at Southampton Central, Inspiration will be returning to the SWR network in February 2026, when it is set to visit Salisbury and Kingston. More information about these future visits can be found at www.railway200.co.uk/inspiration.
