Part celebration, part education, part recruitment campaign, Inspiration is a moving experience – literally. Forget dusty, hushed museums and glass cabinets. Imagine boarding a train and stepping into the past and the future. Inspiration is a fully transformed quartet of train carriages reimagined as a mobile exhibition, travelling the nation, packed with nearly 30 individually curated displays offering hands-on installations, interactive labs, and time-travel storytelling.
The train was created for Railway 200, the year-long bicentenary campaign curated by the National Railway Museum and crafted by Leith. It combines next-gen storytelling with hands-on interactivity, intuitive design, and a commitment to accessibility, ensuring that every visitor, regardless of age or ability, feels welcomed and inspired. Visitors may ride Inspiration at 60 destinations, watch online via the virtual tour, or track the journey. https://railway200.co.uk/inspiration/
The experience includes:
Railway Firsts, where 30 curated displays chart the most pivotal, and often overlooked, innovations in British rail from Stephenson’s Rocket to high-speed sustainability. The journey blends replica artefacts with layered storytelling and interactive displays, inviting visitors to discover how rail has shaped everything from industry to identity over the past 200 years.
In the Wonderlab on Wheels carriage, children and grown-ups get hands-on with the science of movement. Interactive engineering challenges, tactile exhibits and playful problem-solving stations are designed to spark discovery, proving that curiosity is the true engine of progress.
Your Railway Future Carriage flips the script on what a life in rail looks like. Ten visually striking exhibits spotlight real, surprising roles in today’s rail industry, from drone operators to environmental strategists. The experience ends with an interactive quiz, matching visitors with one of a multitude of possible pathways into the sector.
Finally, the Partner Zone offers a flexible collaboration space that evolves as the exhibition rolls on. The hub includes pop-up talks, think-ins and displays from local communities and national partners around the design and bold ideas shaping the next chapter of rail’s revolutionary story.
Accessibility has underpinned every design decision. The Leith team worked with Railway 200, Network Rail and the National Railway Museum, to transform the carriages’ compact footprint into a layered experience through thoughtful storytelling, inclusive tech and human-centred design.
Ed Brooke, partner at Leith, stated, “Britain’s railway history has powered everything from poetry to pioneering and progress, but it’s never had its own exhibition on rails. Until now. Alongside Network Rail, we wanted to build something that celebrates 200 years of engineering wonder in a way that moves you – literally and emotionally.”
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager at Railway 200, added, “Railways are woven into the fabric of Britain, connecting communities, fuelling innovation, and shaping who we are as a nation. With Inspiration, we wanted to celebrate not just the last 200 years, but the stories, people, career opportunities and progress that keep rail moving forward.”
Credits:
Brand: Railway 200
Client Team: Emma Robert & Kat Edwards
The National Railway Museum Lead Curator: Rob Scargill
Creative Agency: The Leith Agency
Designers: Rob Petrie & Scott Dawson
In-house Producer: Grant Byrne
Artwork: Steve Milne, Stuart Whibley & Claire Lovie
Client Services: Lucy Allison, Stephanie Hunter & Jess Thompson
Editors: Dan Austin, Kyle Gaffney, Johnny Shephard & Jordan Painter
Technical Design: DG8
Exhibition Build: Derby Engineering Unit
Vinyl: Aura Brand Solutions
AV: Fusion
