About

Rocket: All Aboard is a bold, multi-year programme (2029–2030) celebrating 200 years since the Rainhill Trials and the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway — the world’s first inter-city passenger line.

This revolutionary railway didn’t just change travel, it transformed how people lived, worked and connected, reshaping communities and redefining the modern world.

Rocket: All Aboard will bring stories to life through exhibitions, live events, research, and creative heritage and community projects along the route, across the North West and beyond.

The programme will shine a light on the railway’s power to connect people and places, spark conversations about sustainability and innovation, and invite audiences of all ages to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of mobility, heritage, and progress, showing how this story can inspire new journeys for the future.

'This isn’t simply a story about railways, it’s about a moment that reshaped the world. From powering the Industrial Revolution to transforming global travel, it changed how we live, work and connect. It came with challenges as well as progress, and this project brings that full story to life, beyond tracks and stations, focusing on the people, places and impact that still shape our world today.'

Laura Pye. Director, National Museums Liverpool & member of the Rocket: All Board Executive Steering Group.