A replica of the world’s first passenger railway journey will roll through north east England to celebrate its 200th anniversary this weekend.
From Friday (26 September), the bicentenary event will celebrate the milestone in the development of the modern railway.
Locomotion No.1 first ran on the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) on 27 September 1825.
A newly-renovated replica of the engine and passenger carriage “Experiment” will travel along sections of the original line, starting at the Locomotion rail museum in Shildon on Friday and ending in Stockton on Sunday.
As part of the “Anniversary Journey”, rail fans will be able to watch as it passes through Shildon, Darlington and Stockton from free ticketed viewing areas, including Spout Lane and Skerne Bridge.
There will be no public viewing areas at railway stations during the event, apart from the ticketed area at Stockton station.
Some spectator zones at Preston Road, Darlington Market Place and Hartburn Fields do not require tickets.
Replacement buses will run at short intervals this weekend to “allow the replica of Locomotion No. 1 to run”, said Northern, which operates on parts of the historic line.
The Anniversary Journey is part of a nine-month festival by S&DR designed to celebrate the bicentenary of the modern railway. Other events include a virtual reality game, a photography competition and a series of guided walks.
Hundreds of other celebrations are also taking place nationally, arranged by Railway 200.
For more details and ticketing information, visit the Anniversary Journey website.
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