TV star Steph McGovern unveils exciting plans for festival to celebrate birth of the British railway

A nine-month festival to mark the bicentenary begins in March next year.

TV star Steph McGovern has unveiled exciting plans for a festival to celebrate the birth of the modern railway in Britain. The 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) will see cut-price train travel across the country. It falls on Sept 27, 2025.

But a nine-month festival to mark the bicentenary begins in March next year. Free, large-scale outdoor events will take place along with exhibitions.

There will be art commissions in public spaces, libraries and museums. 'S&DR 200' will also re-enact the 26-mile mainline journey which 'changed the world'.

The first steam locomotive to run on the line, named Locomotion No 1, pulled waggons of coal and goods, and a carriage of fare-paying passengers, from the mines of south Durham to the River Tees, via Darlington, Shildon and Yarm.

Middlesbrough-born Steph, 42, said it was an opportunity to showcase our engineering heritage to visitors from abroad.

"Being Northerners, I don't think we shout enough about what we have achieved in the world," said Steph, who now lives in Newcastle.

"It is really good to be able to shout about it. I remember when I started at the BBC. I went from Middlesbrough to London in the days when they had more money and they paid for me to go down.

"Before I got there, there was a guy at Radio Four - literally the poshest place on Earth. He said 'we have this girl coming down, she is really unusual, she is Northern. Maybe we can take her to the theatre because she won't have been before and I wouldn't cross her because she will probably be really good in a fight'.

"There is this sense that we are different but we have so much to be proud of, and we have to show people that they can be part of this, in every sense."

S&DR 200 festival director Niccy Hallifax (c) promised 'jaw-dropping' performances for the public, with a 'terracotta army' of tiny art works planned with the help of everyone from schoolchildren to elderly people in care homes.

"Local authorities and town councils will galvanise thousands to take part," she said. "We want everyone to understand the legacy of the railway and bring together the past and present."

The key figures of the S&DR included investors Edward Pease, a retired wool merchant, his son Joseph Pease and leading engineers of the time George Stephenson and Timothy Hackworth.

Speaking at the launch in Darlington, Co Durham, organiser Alison Clark said: "The opening of S&DR led to the birth of the modern railways which went on to change the world.

"We want to deliver a festival that will spark renewed local, regional, national and international interest in the pioneering story, providing unforgettable experiences for all our visitors."

Details of the discounted rail tickets are due to be revealed by the Government early next year.