In ten years the world will look to the North-East to celebrate the start of mass passenger transit and the birth of the Industrial Revolution. What can we expect to mark the bi-centenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway? Vicki Henderson reports

“THE Stockton and Darlington Railway changed the world.

“We use that phrase a lot these days, not always correctly, but the invention of the railways really did change the world.”

Those words from Reuben Kench, head of culture and leisure for Stockton Borough Council, sum up the feelings about the importance of the world’s first passenger railway.

No-one appears to be in dispute that the 200th anniversary of that first journey between Shildon and Stockton should be celebrated in ten years time. The big question is, how?

To kickstart the organisation of those celebrations representatives from Darlington, Stockton and County Durham councils, each of which have a section of the original route running through their respective territories, held a press conference to talk about what the next ten years might hold.

Joining them at Darlington’s Head of Steam Railway Museum was Paul Kirkman, director of the National Railway Museum, which has thrown its weight behind the 200th anniversary proposals.

“We couldn’t not be involved in this,” said Mr Kirkman. “The National Railway Museum’s entire mission is to celebrate the way the railways have changed the world.

“This is something that we have to be part of.”

Councillor Nick Wallis, cabinet member for culture at Darlington Borough Council, told the meeting that the people of the North East could expect “a substantial celebration”.

“We are planning ahead. This won’t just be done locally, regionally or even nationally – it has the potential to be an international event,” he said.

“This year is the 190th anniversary, for which events are being planned, and there is a sense of momentum as we approach 2025 so that people from across the region but also across the world can come together to celebrate.”

With the plans at the very earliest of stages, each of the assembled representatives were keen to stress that nothing has yet been named as a firm proposal, nor have the financial side of things been determined.

Mr Kench stressed: “We have not yet nailed down what the events will be because it will likely be lots of events with something big at the centre of it.

“We want there to be a legacy beyond 2025.

“Although the name of Stockton and Darlington Railway is recognisable and powerful the original line itself is not present in any coherent and accessible way. Could we extend access to the line along the original route?

“Are there buildings or marks on the landscape or items that can go on display to help us tell the story that we don’t know about?

“It’s not an untold story but one with a lot more potential than we’ve been able to exploit.

“2025 will form part of a programme of large scale events. We are mapping out what the big events will be in the next decade for the whole of the region and the bi-centenary is one of the big ones.

“There is a recognised desire to celebrate the industrial heritage of this region and it could be a foundation for the continued economic and social growth of the North East.”

The global reach of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the rest of the region’s railway and industrial heritage is something that all sides acknowledge has not been properly exploited.

If the 200th anniversary celebrations are done well, tourists from Japan, China, the USA, Canada and beyond could flock to the North East.

Councillor Wallis added: “There are some real opportunities to do something different. With the internet we have global reach, giving us a chance to maximise the interest.”

On the sticky question of how a celebration on the scale the partners are suggesting might be financed, Mr Kench was forthright, saying it would be premature is speculate.

“We are at the investigation stage but we [Stockton Borough Council] had no difficulty committing resources because there is no doubt about the significance of the anniversary,” he added.

“We are talking about a ten year timeframe until the anniversary but that is the beginning of an even longer term programme of creating a coherent visitor programme.

“We will be seeking to create or enhance visitor attractions that have a commercial element and provide a return to investors.

“Not all the funding is going to come out of the public purse – we can be confident about that.”

The partners have made a “call to arms” – for businesses, heritage enthusiasts and organisations and indeed ordinary members of the public – to come forward and make the 200th celebrations a once in a generation event.

As Mr Kirkman says: “The industrial revolution was the biggest thing that happened in the history of mankind.

“The railways were central to that and they were born here, in the North East of England.”