What is Railway 200?

Railway 200 is a year-long nationwide campaign celebrating 200 years of the modern railway. The first public railway service, the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened on September 27, 1825, connecting places, people, communities and ideas and ultimately transforming the world.

Communities and groups across the country are getting involved throughout the year in a wide variety of activities and events to celebrate their own railways, past and present.

Whitchurch Railway Station Birthday event 3rd July 10.30 – 11.30

Whitchurch railway station was officially opened on the 3rd July 1845 and this 3rd July, several of the town’s groups and the Montessori Nursery will come together with Whitchurch Mayor and senior representatives of South Western Railways to mark this event at the station; we invite residents to come along and join in and please feel free to dress up for the occasion.

Participating Groups

Whitchurch Walkers are Welcome – event organisers, logistics and publicity.

Whitchurch Association – Two representatives of the Association will be dressed in full Victorian costume.

Whitchurch History Society will have exhibition stands with an introduction to rail travel written by John Mariner and accompanied by History Society archives images of Whitchurch Station. Following this event, the display will transfer to the Gill Nethercott Centre where an expanded exhibition to include the Didcot-Newbury-Southampton line, will be on display in the lobby for two weeks… opening times to follow.

Whitchurch in Bloom are baking a very special birthday cake to mark the occasion and have commissioned fabulous Railway 200 plaques for their planters, designed by a Whitchurch resident.

Montessori Nursery – The children have been busy producing an art/craft display featuring a steam train; each carriage will accommodate passengers from a different period of the Didcot-Newbury-Southampton railway. This will be on display at the event and will then transfer to the waiting room on the up platform, so that Friday morning commuters get the opportunity to admire the work. The display will then transfer to the GNC to be included in the wider Railway exhibition. The children attending have also been making station master hats and have ‘special permission’ to blow their whistles as the Salisbury bound train leaves the station.

This event builds on the efforts of Whitchurch groups to improve the overall appearance and signage at the station and the recent joint working with South Western Railways to promote Whitchurch tourism; Whitchurch Conservation Group new trail interpretation panels, Whitchurch Walkers are Welcome working with the rail company to develop the Whitchurch ‘Top Destination’ entry and Whitchurch in Bloom who have ‘Adopted’ the station and are working so hard to make it an attractive gateway point to the town.