Tees Valley and County Durham events happening in 2025 to celebrate 200 years of modern railway

Locomotion in Shildon
-Credit: (Image: S&D200)


September 27, 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the Teesside opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), which gave birth to the modern railway.

To celebrate the landmark anniversary, a nine-month S&DR200 Festival is set to take place across Tees Valley and County Durham andfrom March to November 2025. Ahead of its launch, the programme of events has now been unveiled.

The Festival will celebrate Teesside and the North East's pioneering past while looking to its future with a series of free large-scale outdoor events, exhibitions and new art commissions in its public spaces, libraries and museums.

It will be delivered by Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, as well as major funders including Arts Council England, Tees Valley Combined Authority, The National Heritage Lottery Fund and Network Rail.

Inspired by the first journey on the S&DR, a newly renovated replica of Locomotion No. 1, the passenger carriage Experiment and coal waggons will run on sections of the original line over a three-day period to celebrate the anniversary in September 2025.

The Centenary Procession in 1925, Train hauled by Locomotion No.1
The Centenary Procession in 1925, Train hauled by Locomotion No.1 -Credit:British Rail

Alison Clark, Head of Culture, Leisure, Sport and Tourism at Durham County Council, representing the S&DR200 Board said: "We want to deliver a festival that will accelerate the ongoing transformation across the region, and will spark renewed local, regional, national and international interest in the pioneering story of the S&DR, as well as providing unforgettable experiences for all our visitors."

Niccy Hallifax, S&DR200 Festival Director, added: "The festival programme will cater for all visitors including the railway enthusiasts as well as engage a younger generation, by finding new and inventive ways to tell the pioneering S&DR story."

"We will create magical moments using art, creativity and culture to show international audiences and young people how science, technology, engineering, arts and maths can not only change your own life but transform the world.”

S&DR200 is also a major partner of Railway 200, a year-long campaign celebrating 200 years of rail travel. The programme of events for the international S&DR200 Festival can be explored in full on the website, but below is a run down of some of the events taking place in County Durham :

Opening event

The festival opens with a large-scale outdoor visual spectacle in Bishop Auckland on March 29, 2025, featuring a light projection and drone show. This unique show will travel through time and place, as imitating the dog and SKYMAGIC bring a combination of technology, live performance and drone show to a celebration of bold innovation, creative thinking and ingenuity.

Locomotion

From April 2025, Locomotion, an exhibition highlighting railway, will be on display in Shildon, featuring three line-ups of iconic locomotives and rail vehicles. The Young Railway Photographer of The Year exhibition will also feature, plus talks and lectures aimed at railway enthusiasts, and every weekend and throughout the school holidays there will be activities for families on offer.

The Story Durham Museum exhibitions

Throughout 2025, an exhibition exploring two centuries of transformation following the opening of the S&DR will be told at Durham's new cultural heritage venue, The Story. Using The Story’s collections of letters, diaries, court papers and other records, authentic voices will uncover the impact of the Stockton & Darlington Railway on the socio-economic fabric of the region.

The Art of Rail Design exhibition will tour several libraries, and will feature original historic artefacts including maps, blueprints, and letters. Other museums and galleries in the North East will present S&DR-related exhibitions and displays including an exhibition at the Mining Art Gallery at the Auckland Project in Bishop Auckland, the Bowes Museum and Raby Castle.

Learning and skills

This is a nationwide challenge for primary and secondary aged children. The S&DR Invention Challenge from Little Inventors invites children to use their creativity and imagination to invent a new and innovative vision of future rail travel.

The S&DR Young Producers Programme for 16 to 24 years olds will give the opportunity to further skills in a range of areas including creative producing, curating, marketing and projects with Tees Valley Museum Group.

A Memorable Journey

A mass-participation art project for visitors to festival venues, school children, care home residents and communities across the region. The public will be asked to reflect on a personal memorable journey and use that as inspiration to decorate a small wooden doll. These will be installed at a venue at the end of the festival and photographed, digitised, and archived, to represent a snapshot of travel memories.

Women of the World (WOW)

The first WOW event in the North East will take place during October 2025 at the Durham Gala Theatre. Packed with talks and performances, the line-up will take a look at women’s roles in the history of S&DR, as well as celebrating achievements and stories from women, girls and non-binary people past and present from the region and beyond.

Following in the footsteps of WOW Festivals that have taken place around the world in 45 locations, there will be a special programme for local schools on Friday October 17, followed by a day-long WOW Festival on Saturday October 18, featuring big ideas from incredible women and family fun events.