Free Railway Exhibition Train to Visit Newquay in April

An exhibition inside a train packed with interactive exhibits and stories from railway history is set to make its first ever stop in Cornwall, with Newquay railway station welcoming the Railway 200 exhibition train this April.

More than 60,000 people have already visited the travelling attraction during its year-long tour of Britain, with nine in ten saying they would recommend it to a friend..

First Cornwall Stop Announced

The exhibition train, called Inspiration, will be at Newquay railway station from Monday 6th April until Saturday 11th April. Hosted by Great Western Railway, this marks the first time the attraction has visited Cornwall.

The announcement was made today as part of the next phase of the tour, which includes earlier stops at South Devon Railway’s Totnes Riverside station from 17th to 22nd March and West Somerset Railway’s Minehead station from 30th March to 4th April.

Tickets are free, although availability is limited. Local schools will also be invited to attend free, bespoke tours. Book tickets here – https://railway200.co.uk/inspiration/

What Visitors Can Expect On Board

Co-curated with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration explores how railways transformed the world. Inside the train are rare artefacts, fascinating facts and hands-on engineering challenges, alongside features highlighting a wide range of railway careers, including some lesser-known roles.

Visitors to earlier stops have described the exhibition as “unique”, “extremely interesting” and “really well curated”.

What People Are Saying

Tara Jones Ulla, who was among 2,000 visitors at West Somerset Railway in November 2025, said:
“It was so informative without being overwhelming, with lots of interactive and hands on exhibits. I came away so happy!”

Michael Wilson, who visited the exhibition at London Paddington, said:
“The whole thing was well thought out. The interactive exhibits were brilliant and my children loved it.”

Part Of A National Celebration

Inspiration forms part of Railway 200, marking two centuries since the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. Thousands of events during 2025 celebrated how railways revolutionised travel, economies, tourism, sport and even the standardisation of time.

Lee Goodson, GWR station manager for West Cornwall, said:
“We’re excited to be hosting the Railway 200 Inspiration train at Newquay station in April. It’s obvious it has really captured the imagination since the beginning of its tour and we look forward to welcoming it to Cornwall for the first time.”

Emma Roberts, Programme Manager for Railway 200, added:
“Railways are one of history’s most important inventions and inside this train you can explore the story of rail in a fun and family-friendly environment.

“Inspiration has already travelled thousands of miles across Britain – from Scotland to Southampton – and we are hugely excited to welcome locals aboard in Newquay during its first stop in Cornwall.”

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said:
“I’m proud to be celebrating our heritage as the birthplace of the modern railway; to this day our railway network is the backbone of our economy, driving economic growth, jobs and homes.

“With this train, we’re not just looking to the past, we are inspiring the diverse next generation of engineers, drivers, conductors and technicians, and shining a light on what the railway is delivering today.”

Tour Continues Until 2026

The Inspiration exhibition train will continue touring Britain until June 2026. The project received £250,000 in funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with Porterbrook funding the train’s livery.