Organising a Railway 200 event
If you haven’t already got your plans for 2025 firmed up – now’s the time.
What might a Railway 200 event look like?
You may only be able to hold one ‘Railway 200’ event or you may be planning a whole series – either way you can take part.
Our top tips when thinking about a Railway 200 event:
- Keep it simple and deliverable ... Don’t think you have to re-enact a version of the 1975 cavalcade to have an impact.
- Link it to your own heritage, your own railway and your own region.
- Don’t focus solely on railway enthusiasts, Railway 200 is intended to engage with a huge variety of audiences – many of who might not be regular rail users or heritage railway visitors.
- Think about the news value of your event – how will you excite the local press, your followers on social media and your neighbours?
- Consider variations on existing events as well as things you wouldn’t normally do
- How can you use the event to educate people about railway history – and your railway.
Your Railway 200 event could be a book festival or a series of talks, a steam gala or a model railway exhibition, a film show or even a drama. The only limitation is your creativeness!
Key points to think about
1. Railway 200 is about commemorating all the milestones in railway history that created the modern world that we live in.
2. From package holidays to commuting and even standardised time, the railways gave birth to them all – this is the year to celebrate all the achievements of the railways.
3. This a once in a generation opportunity to enthuse people about railways; their history, their future and to celebrate the people who’ve made it all happen over the last two centuries.
4. Railway 200 is designed to give opportunities for every business, organisation, town, village and even church hall with a connection to railway history to come together and make sure that Railway 200 is an event worthy of such a momentous point in world history.
