S&DR200 Festival

About

All Aboard for a year to remember! Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR).

On the 27 September 1825, hundreds of people gathered in Shildon for an event that would change the world. A small steam locomotive, now known as Locomotion No 1, was about to embark on a momentous journey to Stockton.

Having started out earlier that day in Witton Park with 12 wagons brimming with coal, the locomotive stopped at St Helen Auckland to collect a wagon of flour sacks before arriving at Shildon. Here a purpose-built passenger carriage called Experiment, and 21 coal wagons fitted with seats, joined the convoy, carrying up to 600 people.  There was a sense of excitement in the air, and it is believed up to 10,0000 people lined the route to welcome Locomotion No. 1 into its next stop, Darlington.

This was the world’s first steam hauled passenger railway – a feat that would revolutionise the rail industry and the way people travelled for work and leisure on a global scale.

To mark the 200th anniversary of that historic day, a nine-month international festival is taking place across County Durham and Tees Valley.

Festival museum partners Locomotion, Hopetown Darlington, Preston Park Museum & Grounds and The Story will be presenting S&DR exhibitions in 2025, including several line-ups of iconic locomotives, and new contemporary art installations and interactive displays.

Other museums and galleries in the region will present S&DR-related exhibitions and displays including an exhibition at the Mining Art Gallery at the Auckland Project in Bishop Auckland, The Bowes Museum and Raby Castle.

Whether you are a railway buff, someone who loves getting creative, a history enthusiast, or someone enjoys new cultural experiences - there will be something for you at the S&DR200 Festival.

Visit the S&DR200 website for full programme information