Railway 200 Inspiration Train Visit

A family-friendly exhibition train celebrating 200 years of the modern railway is heading to Preston!
More than 40,000 have already visited Inspiration on its 60-stop, year-long tour of Britain – and it has received rave reviews, with 9 in 10 saying they would recommend it to a friend.
Co-curated with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration reveals how railways transformed the UK – and ultimately the world. It includes a fascinating look at railway firsts, hands-on engineering challenges and a whistle-stop tour of interesting – and lesser-known – careers on our railways.

The train will be calling at Preston Riverside station at Ribble Steam Railway from Tuesday 6th  January 2026 until Friday 9th January 2026.

Admission to the Ribble Steam Railway Museum has been especially reduced for this occasion to a cost of £2 for adults and £1 for children.  Your ticket includes a specific timeslot to visit Inspiration to ensure the train is not overcrowded.  Once you have completed your tour of Inspiration, you are welcome to look around the Ribble Steam Railway museum, showcasing a selection of full size exhibits from the North West industrial railway’s heritage.

This reduced price includes access to the railway’s museum. Car parking is free and the shop and café will be open.

Inspiration has been described as “brilliant” and “fascinating”. One recent visitor said they “loved that it was interactive. I visited with people from age 18 to 85 and there was something for everyone”.
Another said: “I loved everything as soon as I got on board. The displays and history of the railways to the interactive stuff was all brilliant in my eyes, even my five-year-old daughter absolutely loved it.”

Inspiration is part of Railway 200, the national campaign marking two centuries of the modern railway. Thousands of events across the UK and the world have celebrated a British innovation that revolutionised travel, supercharged economies and enabled mass tourism, sports leagues and the standardisation of time.