News

Railway 200 Passes the Legacy Forward to Rocket: All Aboard at the Houses of Parliament

four people holding a large ticket with handover from Railway 200 to Rocket: All Board on it. They are standing infront of a large TV
From left, Rob Lowe, Emma Roberts, Elena Metcalf, Laura Pye and Karen Shannon. Photo by Downtown in Business

The next chapter in the story of the world’s first inter-city railway begins!

The legacy of Railway 200 was officially passed to Rocket: All Aboard (RAA) at a Liverpool City Region, Downtown in Business, Parliamentary Reception held at the House of Commons, Houses of Parliament, London, signalling the start of the journey towards the bicentenary celebrations of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 2030.

The symbolic handover took place before parliamentarians, civic leaders, railway representatives, business leaders and cultural partners, recognising the success of Railway 200 and the opportunity to build on its achievements through Rocket: All Aboard – a major cultural, heritage and community programme connecting people and places across the Liverpool–Manchester corridor.

Representing Railway 200 at the handover were Emma Roberts, Programme Manager, Elena Metcalf, Project Manager and Rob Lowe representing Network Rail’s chair’s office. Receiving the official legacy ticket on behalf of Rocket: All Aboard were Karen Shannon, CEO of Manchester Histories and Development & Delivery partner for Rocket: All Aboard, and Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool.

The handover follows the success of Railway 200, the national celebration marking 200 years of the modern railway. The partnership campaign became the world’s largest rail celebration, delivering thousands of events and activities attended by over 1.4million people, inspiring more than 100,000 young people to consider careers in rail, and engaging audiences in five continents. The centre piece of the anniversary celebrations was Inspiration, a touring multimedia exhibition train. Over 100,000 visited during its 65-stop year-long tour of England, Scotland and Wales, including 6,000 schools who enjoyed bespoke tours. Railway 200 related projects also received £1m in grants from the National Heritage Lottery Fund and five agreements were signed between heritage and mainline railways.

Emma Roberts, Programme Manager, Railway 200, said:

“Railway 200 demonstrated the power of partnership, heritage and community engagement to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Thousands of events and activities celebrated the remarkable story of the railway and its continuing impact on our lives. We are delighted to pass this legacy forward to Rocket: All Aboard, a programme that will build on that success and shine a spotlight on the railway that changed the world.”

Throughout the development of Rocket: All Aboard, the Railway 200 team has worked closely with partners, sharing knowledge, expertise and lessons learned from delivering the national bicentenary programme. This support has helped shape the vision and ambition of the project as it prepares for the celebrations of 2029 and 2030.

Rocket: All Aboard will use the bicentenary of the Rainhill Trials in 2029 and the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 2030 as a catalyst for large-scale community participation, heritage engagement, artistic commissions, learning programmes and celebrations across the route and beyond.

Karen Shannon, CEO of Manchester Histories and Delivery partner for Rocket: All Aboard, said:

“We are honoured to receive this symbolic handover from Railway 200. Over the past few years, the Railway 200 team has been incredibly supportive, generously sharing their experience, insight and learning as we have developed Rocket: All Aboard.

Their work has inspired communities across the country to discover and celebrate the extraordinary impact of the railway. We look forward to building on that legacy by bringing together people, places and partners across Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester to celebrate the world-changing story of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and what it means for future generations.”

Rocket: All Aboard will bring together partners from the cultural, heritage, transport, tourism, education and business sectors to celebrate the railway’s enduring impact on society. Through major events, creative commissions, community participation, learning programmes and visitor experiences, the programme will explore how the Liverpool and Manchester Railway transformed the world and continues to influence life today.

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool and member of the Rocket: All Aboard Executive Steering Group, said:

“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, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway changed how we live, work and connect.

It came with challenges as well as progress, and Rocket: All Aboard will bring that full story to life. Beyond tracks and stations, we will focus on the people, places and impact that continue to shape our communities today.

By bringing together culture, heritage, education, tourism, transport and business partners across Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, we have an opportunity to create a programme that celebrates our shared past while inspiring future generations.”

The handover ticket carried the message “Passing the Legacy Forward – The Journey Continues”, reflecting the shared ambition to ensure the story of the railway continues to inspire future generations.

Rocket: All Aboard is being developed through a cross-sector partnership spanning culture, heritage, transport, education, tourism, business and communities across Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester. Manchester Histories acts as the programme’s Development & Delivery Partner, managing the development and delivery of the programme on behalf of the partnership.

The programme will culminate in a series of major celebrations in 2029 and 2030, marking both the Rainhill Trials bicentenary and 200 years since the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway – the railway that changed the world.

More about Railway 200 HERE.

Explore related content