S&DR200 Festival
County Durham
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
Book Tickets
TripAdvisor
Opening Times
2025 (1 Mar 2025 - 30 Nov 2025) |
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Map & Directions
Highlights...
Friday, 4th April 2025 - Sunday, 22nd June 2025
S&DR200: Railway PioneersAn exhibition looking at the engineering innovation that inspired Stephenson, the father of the railways, leading to the opening of Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825.
- more info
Sunday, 1st June 2025 - Tuesday, 30th September 2025
S&DR200: Tracks of ChangeFollowing a major redevelopment, Preston Park will open its new exhibition space with Tracks of Change, a series of exhibitions exploring the impact and legacy of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
- more info
Sunday, 25th May 2025 - Monday, 26th January 2026
S&DR200 - All ChangeThrough authentic voices from letters, diaries, court papers, and other day-to-day records from their collections, The Story will uncover the impact of the Stockton & Darlington Railway on the socio-economic fabric of the region.
- more info
Friday, 17th October 2025 - Saturday, 18th October 2025
S&DR200 Presents WOW North East (Women of the World) International FestivalThe first ever WOW Festival in the north-east of England will be packed with unmissable talks and performances, celebrating achievements and stories from women, girls, and non-binary people from the region and beyond.
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Saturday, 1st March 2025 - Sunday, 31st August 2025
S&DR200 - Memory of a JourneyVarious locations throughout March to August 2025 S&DR200 Presents: Trains have been part of our lives for 200 years. This project is a participation project that encourages visitors to reminisce about a journey that they remember.
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Saturday, 1st March 2025 - Sunday, 30th November 2025
S&DR200 - Festival FringeThe Fringe Festival will include events created by community organisations, local businesses and heritage partners.
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Saturday, 20th September 2025 - Saturday, 20th September 2025
Sunday, 28th September 2025 - Sunday, 28th September 2025
S&DR200 - Ghost TrainTwo major outdoor events inspired by the Stockton and Darlington Railway story.
- more info
Friday, 26th September 2025 - Sunday, 28th September 2025
S&DR200 - Anniversary Journey 1825-2025: Shildon, Darlington and StocktonA newly renovated replica of Locomotion No. 1, the passenger carriage 'Experiment' and coal waggons will run on sections of the original S&DR line over three days.
- more info
Saturday, 15th February 2025 - Wednesday, 31st December 2025
S&DR200 - Railway Firsts at LocomotionHome to one of largest collections of historic rail vehicles in the world, Locomotion is pulling out all the stops to commemorate S&DR200.
- more info
Tuesday, 25th March 2025 - Tuesday, 25th November 2025
S&DR200 - The Whistle StopThis bespoke touring library exhibition will travel round the region and showcases the Stockton and Darlington Railway's history using high-quality reproductions of important artefacts and documents found and brought together from archives across the UK.
- more info
Tuesday, 1st April 2025 - Wednesday, 30th April 2025
S&DR200 - Model Railway Show at LocomotionIn April, Locomotion, in partnership with Shildon Model Railway Club, will host a model railways show featuring a range of different layouts and displays.
- more info
Saturday, 24th May 2025 - Sunday, 1st June 2025
S&DR200 - Celebrating our Railway Heritage at LocomotionA week-long celebration of the history of railways featuring a line-up of steam locomotives that were built or worked in the North East, as well as family activities and steam train rides.
- more info
Sunday, 1st June 2025 - Tuesday, 30th September 2025
S&DR200 Public Art Commissions at LocomotionAs part of the S&DR200 celebrations, two special public art installations will be unveiled in 2025, each capturing a unique story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway’s legacy and its connection to the community.
- more info
Friday, 27th June 2025 - Sunday, 21st December 2025
S&DR200 - Fuelling the Railway RevolutionThis special exhibition explores the inextricable link between coal mining and the railways.
- more info
Sunday, 1st June 2025 - Wednesday, 31st December 2025
S&DR200 - Young Railway Photographer of the Year exhibition at LocomotionThe exhibition will feature the winning entries from a competition to find the UK’s most promising young railway photographers.
- more info
Friday, 11th July 2025 - Sunday, 5th October 2025
S&DR200 - STEAM to the FutureAn exhibition reflecting on the history of steam railways and how the rail industry is gearing up for a second revolution driven by the growing green technologies sector in Teesside.
- more info
Saturday, 19th July 2025 - Sunday, 31st August 2025
S&DR200 - Summer Festival at LocomotionHead down to Locomotion for a summer of fun.
- more info
Thursday, 25th September 2025 - Monday, 26th January 2026
S&DR200 - Dressed for Departure: Fashion in the Age of RailAn exhibition showcasing historic fashion, toys and artworks that reflect on how the railway reshaped lives and culture.
- more info
Thursday, 18th September 2025 - Wednesday, 1st October 2025
S&DR200 - Rail Futures at LocomotionA chance to visit a mobile exhibition train that looks at the railway and freight industry, showcasing how rail transport can help address future challenges.
- more info
Sunday, 1st June 2025 - Sunday, 30th November 2025
S&DR200: Coal, Canals and Carriages: The Story of Raby and the RailwaysRaby Castle will celebrate the year with stories associated with 19th-century inventions, including the reactions of landowners and farmers to trains, as well as how travel evolved into a privilege for the upper classes from their collections.
- more info
Monday, 10th February 2025 - Thursday, 31st July 2025
S&DR200 - Invention ChallengeS&DR200 and Little Inventors are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway with the S&DR Invention Challenge, inviting Year 5–8 students from Stockton, Darlington, and Durham to reimagine the 4,000 miles of disused train tracks in the UK.
- more info
Saturday, 12th April 2025 - Sunday, 27th April 2025
S&DR200 - Easter Holidays: Movement and Journeys at LocomotionTo celebrate the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1825, we're exploring themes of journeys, movement and forces through free, fun, family activities through the Easter holidays.
- more info
Monday, 1st September 2025 - Wednesday, 31st December 2025
S&DR200 Celebrating Railways: Past, Present and Future at LocomotionThe highlight of the anniversary year will be Rail Futures, a celebratory festival taking place in late September and early October.
- more info
Saturday, 3rd May 2025 - Monday, 5th May 2025
Saturday, 10th May 2025 - Sunday, 11th May 2025
Saturday, 17th May 2025 - Sunday, 18th May 2025
Saturday, 24th May 2025 - Monday, 26th May 2025
Railway 200: Great North Festival of Railways at Tanfield RailwayCelebrate Tanfield Railway’s 300th Anniversary with a Month-Long Festival!
- more info
Friday, 20th June 2025 - Sunday, 22nd June 2025
Railway 200: Legends of Industry Gala at Tanfield RailwayJoin us this June for the Legends of Industry Gala, one of the premier industrial railway events in the calendar and a highlight of our Tanfield300 celebrations!
- more info
Saturday, 20th September 2025 - Sunday, 21st September 2025
Railway 200: Diesel Pioneers Gala at Tanfield RailwayJoin us this September for the Diesel Pioneers Gala, a standout event in our Tanfield300 celebrations! Taking place on the 20th and 21st of September 2025, this gala is a tribute to the industrial diesel locomotives that played a vital role in Britain’s railway heritage.
- more info
Sunday, 11th May 2025 - Sunday, 11th May 2025
Railway 200: Weardale Railway Big Spring CleanJoin us on our Litter pick train. We aim to collect 200 bags of litter during the big spring clean. Departs from Bishop Auckland West at 11am on Sunday 11th May.
- more info
Sunday, 21st September 2025 - Tuesday, 23rd September 2025
S&DR200 - STEAM, WHEELS n’ RAILS at Locomotion‘STEAM, WHEELS n’ RAILS’ is a new period costume drama, telling the extraordinary story of the birth of the railways.
- more info
Sunday, 25th May 2025 - Sunday, 25th May 2025
Railway 200: All to Build a Railway – in-person live song event at LocomotionA free in-person live song event, open to all singers who would like to sing a song in celebration of 200 years of railways. Sunday 25 May 2025 at 1pm. The event is also open to anyone who would like to join to listen.
- more info
Saturday, 10th May 2025 - Saturday, 10th May 2025
Railway 200: Railway Bicentenary Tea Dance – with the Little Big BandFrom the 1840s onward, Tea Dances have been a traditional way for Shildon to celebrate major milestones since the opening of the famous Stockton & Darlington Railway.
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Wednesday, 18th June 2025 - Wednesday, 18th June 2025
Railway 200 Talk: “Three Greeners of Etherley and a Model Steam Engine” with Tom WalkerTom Walker is descended from the Greener family who played an important part in the operation of the S&DR at the Etherley engine house.
- more info
Thursday, 26th June 2025 - Saturday, 28th June 2025
Railway 200 Exhibition: Blood, Bone & MuscleShildon didn’t have the money or influence to feature in the name of the Stockton & Darlington Railway – but it was in exactly the right place to become its industrial operating powerhouse.
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Wednesday, 20th August 2025 - Wednesday, 20th August 2025
Railway 200 Talk: “Timothy Hackworth – The Man who Engineered a Future for the Locomotive” – with Mike NormanAs we’re into the Stockton & Darlington Railway Bicentenary year, we’re teaming up with the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Jane Hackworth-Young to present a series of talks at Timothy Hackworth’s own Institute.
- more info
Wednesday, 16th July 2025 - Wednesday, 16th July 2025
Railway 200 Talk: “Teesdale Tracks and Derailing Dukes” – with Chris LloydAs we’re into the Stockton & Darlington Railway Bicentenary year, we’re teaming up with the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Jane Hackworth-Young to present a series of talks at Timothy Hackworth’s own Institute.
- more info
Wednesday, 17th September 2025 - Wednesday, 17th September 2025
Railway 200 Talk: “The Stockton & Darlington Railway – Getting America on Track” – with Jonathan RatcliffeAs we’re into the Stockton & Darlington Railway Bicentenary year, we’re teaming up with the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Jane Hackworth-Young to present a series of talks at Timothy Hackworth’s own Institute.
- more info
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