The visit of a special exhibition train to the Bluebell Railway is expected to see over 2,000 people during its seven-day stopover, showcasing the jobs and careers that the railway can offer, as well as the social purpose that has driven it for two centuries, connecting people and goods with places across the country.

At an event at the station on Thursday, special guests arrived on a magnificent 1920s Pullman train to mark the official opening of the new platform 1 – which had previously been disused for over a century – and a chance to look around a special train that provides the centrepiece for the Railway 200 celebrations.

Inspiration – as the train is known – is open to visitors at Horsted Keynes station on the Bluebell Railway until 29 July, and entry is free with a valid Bluebell Railway ticket.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s Sussex route director said: “For 200 years, our railway has played a crucial role in supporting access to employment, education and leisure. We are now moving towards a new era of integration as we move towards Great British Railways, and our work to support thriving communities through increased access to opportunities has never been more important.

“Looking to the future, we want to attract a whole new generation of talent to consider a career in railway. On board Inspiration, visitors are already seeing how young people are already building exciting careers in rail whether you’re interested in cyber security, sustainability or piloting a drone. Not all careers on the railway are what you might expect.”

Neil Glaskin for the Bluebell Railway said: “We’re delighted to have Inspiration with us for a week at the start of the school holidays, the best chance for people in Sussex and Surrey to see it in 2025. If you’re wondering what to do with the kids at the start of the holidays, then this is the answer.

“We have lots of other activities going on too, including the chance to try out a full-specification train driving simulator thanks to Govia Thameslink Railway, and the opportunity to have a go at Eggsperiment! - a fun and educational activity loaned to us by the London Transport Museum. There will also be lots of steam trains in operation.”

“We would like to thank our partners in the rail industry and throughout Sussex for helping us to put on our Railway 200 event, which has already seen thousands of school children, Scouts and members of Girlguiding visit the Bluebell Railway. The celebrations continue all through the summer.”

Angie Doll, Chief Executive Officer of Govia Thameslink Railway that runs Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern services, said: "Here at Southern and Thameslink, with our services to East Grinstead, we help thousands of people visit the Bluebell Railway. It’s a fabulous visitor attraction and the perfect partner to celebrate our 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

“Last month we started giving away 9,000 free rail tickets for schoolchildren, Scouts and Guides to visit. This month and throughout August, visitors will be able to glimpse the future by ‘driving’ one of our trains on a simulator using the very latest digital signalling. Please come and visit!"

Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200, a cross-sector, Government-backed bicentenary campaign, said: “This special exhibition train is set to become a new, national visitor attraction, providing an unforgettable experience for hundreds of thousands of people across Britain, including many schoolchildren. It will excite, enlighten, entertain and inspire them to take a fresh look at the railway, as part of its anniversary celebrations.”

Curated in partnership with the National Railway Museum, Inspiration is the only exhibition train on the rail network and will help to attract the next generation of pioneering talent to the railway. The train opened to the public at the end of June and will criss-cross Britain for 12 months, visiting 60 locations and showcasing rail’s past, present and future.

Over 200,000 people are expected to visit the train this year, with Inspiration having begun its tour of the south east with sold out visits to London Waterloo before heading to Margate and the Bluebell Railway, where it will be stationed between 23 and 29 July. The train will also visit London Victoria between 18-20 December, and it is hoped to confirm further dates in the south east for 2026 later this year.