Tracks Through Time: The Railway200 Special

On The Rails

In this episode of “On The Rails”, host Sophie takes you on a journey through time to celebrate Railway 200 – a national campaign recognising 200 years since the first passenger train journey in 1825.

You’ll get to hear from Felicity McWilliams, curator of science and industry at Birmingham Museum’s Trust, as she discusses the impact of the railway on society. She also recounts the tale of how the renowned LMS Princess locomotive, aptly named ‘City of Birmingham’, came to be at Birmingham’s Science Museum, ThinkTank.

Also on the episode, West Coventry Academy teacher Jo Kerr, talks about the school’s exciting project – Visit 200. Run by sixth formers at the school, Visit 200 encourages students from across Solihull and Warwickshire to try out train travel and visit stations across the UK, with the aim of collectively ticking off 200 outings by the end of 2025.

The podcast also dives into the lives of London Northwestern & West Midlands Railway staff members who have family trees that are deeply rooted in the railway industry. Uncover the family history of members of station staff, Chris, Eileen and Alan.

And looking ahead to the future of the railway, West Midlands Railway’s apprentices discuss their engineering role and what they anticipate will be next for the industry.

For more information about Railway 200, visit https://railway200.co.uk/