Historic first journey set to be re-enacted two centuries later

A “ONCE in a lifetime” journey will mark 200 years of passenger train travel on the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) - with a reenactment of its first trip.

- By LORNA HUGHES

The S&DR was the world’s first passenger railway. The inaugural journey of the aptly-named Locomotion No.1 took place on September 27, 1825 and covered a 26-mile journey between Shildon and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington.

The historic journey transformed how the world traded, travelled and communicated. The anniversary is being celebrated with a programme of large-scale events and railway inspired activities over the last weekend of September - with Stockton town centre taking centre stage for the reenactment.

The anniversary journey will start at Locomotion, Shildon on September 26, Darlington on September 27 and will arrive at Stockton Station on September 28.

Spectators will be able to watch a newly restored replica pulling the passenger carriage “Experiment” and goods waggons along sections of the original line.

Travelling between five and ten miles per hour, there will be official viewing points along the 26-mile route, over the three days, where visitors can see Locomotion No. 1 — described by organisers as a “once in a lifetime” reenactment of the first journey.

Also on September 28, there will be performances and food and drink in Stockton town centre culminating in Ghost Train: The Arrival, an outdoor show of “epic scale and innovation” taking place on Stockton Riverside.