Prince Edward to join Stockton and Darlington Railway celebrations

The Duke of Edinburgh will today (September 26) visit the region as it celebrates the bicentenary of a rail journey that changed the world.

Details regarding his engagements for the day - which will mark the dawn of the passenger railway back in 1825 - remain under wraps at this time.

The Duke of Edinburgh(Image: Stefan Rousseau / PA)

The story of the rail journey is rooted in the towns of Shildon, Darlington and Stockton where the journey's legacy will be marked across the weekend.

On September 27, 1825, Locomotion No.1 - built by George and Robert Stephenson - was the first steam locomotive to haul a passenger-carrying train on a public railway.

And rail fans will be treated to a replica of Locomotion No.1 this weekend, which will retrace part of that historic route.

Thousands of people are expected to line the route, gather at viewing points and before big screens to watch the journey.

The famous painting of the original passenger railway journey of the Locomotion No 1

Sarah Price, head of the Locomotion museum, told the PA news agency: “There’s a real buzz in the air. People can get a sense of what it was like 200 years ago.”

The replica is “as close to the original as we can possibly make it”, she added.

“If somebody was able to time travel, they would recognise that train from something they saw.”

Yesterday's events set the stage for the weekend with the replica train completing a test run at Locomotion in Shildon.

A parcel sealed in 1925 and buried during the 100-year anniversary celebrations was opened revealing how The Northern Echo reported on events a century ago .

Driver Chris Cubit on the restored replica of Locomotion No.1 at Locomotion, Shildon

Schoolchildren waved flags as they got to see the replica locomotive up close.

School children see the replica of Locomotion No.1 at Locomotion, Shildon

The journey will begin at the Locomotion Museum this morning, passing through Newton Aycliffe and on to Darlington.

Celebrations continue on Saturday with entertainment in Darlington Market Place and the spectacle of the locomotive arriving at the historic Skerne Bridge.

On Sunday the engine moves north into Teesside with early morning stops at Dinsdale Station and the A67 before reaching Stockton Station. Crowds will be able to watch from Hartburn Fields and Rochester Road while a giant screen in Stockton town centre captures the arrival at the station.

Some events are ticketed and sold out but many viewing points remain open.