Railway 200

2025 saw a year-long nationwide celebration, Railway 200, marking 200 years of the modern railway since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.^[1] This article gives details of the Severn Valley Railway's involvement.

January 2025[edit | edit source]

At midday on New Year's Day a nationwide 'whistle-up' took place to mark the start of Railway 200, involving up to 200 locomotives at more than 50 UK heritage railways.^[2] 75069 took part at Bridgnorth on behalf of the SVR, and also carried a headboard to mark the occasion.

Railway 200 headboard

July 2025[edit | edit source]

On 5-6 July the SVR held a Railway 200: Trains through the Ages event. Guest locomotive 46115 Scots Guardsman made a rare appearance on a heritage railway, while the Railway 200 Exhibition train 'Inspiration' and the HydroFLEX prototype bi-mode multiple unit appeared as static exhibits at Kidderminster.

46115 Scots Guardsman
'Inspiration' Exhibition train
HydroFLEX units

August 2025[edit | edit source]

Between Friday 1 and Sunday 3 August, Alstom's Derby Litchurch Lane Works (formerly Derby Carriage and Wagon Works) staged The Greatest Gathering, billed as " the world's largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains and rail-related exhibits".^[3] The event featured many items of rolling stock normally resident on the SVR:

Steam locomotives:

Diesel locomotives:

DMU:

Carriages:

Class 20189 Limited's Class 20 20007 and Class 20 20205 also took part. BR Class 52 D1062 Western Courier was advertised, but did not attend.^{[note 1]}

Four of the exhibits travelled to The Greatest Gathering by road; BR 3MT 82045, Class 11 12099 and Clayton Class 17 D8568 and H3802. The others travelled by rail in various convoys, some of which are pictured below:

25 July: 50049, 40106, 4930, 13268, 4 carriages and 2 DMU units leaving Kidderminster
30 July: 50007, 50033 and 46045 passing Stourbridge