Global ‘whistle-up’ on New Year’s Day signals start of rail’s 200th anniversary

- Biggest railway heritage mass participation event ever - more than 50 railways and up to 200 locos to sound off with whistles and horns to start year-long celebration.

- Overseas railways, train modellers Hornby, commemorative loco 910 and Thomas & Friends™ to join in.

- Public invited to get involved and share activity on social media.


A celebratory cacophony of train locomotive whistles and horns at midday on 1 January 2025 will signal the start of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

The Railway 200 Whistle-Up, spearheaded by the Heritage Railway Association (HRA), will involve more than 50 heritage railways in the UK and abroad blowing the whistles of nearly 200 vintage steam and diesel locomotives to herald a year-long celebration.  Railways in other countries, including Holland, South Africa and Sierra Leone, will be taking part, some with British-built locos.  The HRA claims it will be the biggest railway heritage mass participation event ever.

Train engine horns at mainline stations will also sound off at the appointed hour to welcome in the anniversary year.

At the other end of the scale, train modellers Hornby will be getting a variety of model trains to toot and whistle on their track layouts.  There will also be a special appearance on social media from everyone's favourite blue engine, Thomas the Tank Engine.

Railway 200 is a year-long celebration of 200 years of the modern railway. It will explore how rail has shaped national life and encourage more people to consider a career in the railway.  The anniversary commemorates the launch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) in 1825, a journey that changed the world forever. In tribute, at the adjoining Locomotion museum in Shildon, County Durham, the whistle of the North Eastern Railway’s locomotive 910 will be sounded once more.  The 910 is currently undergoing restoration, ahead of its display next year, and is the only locomotive to have appeared in all three of the previous S&DR anniversaries, in 1875, 1925 and 1975.

Community rail groups will be participating in the Whistle-Up too.

Everyone is invited to join in by recording themselves, family and friends blowing whistles, sounding horns or ringing bells at noon on New Year’s Day and posting on social media, using #Railway200 and #WhistleUp200.  If no whistles, horns or bells are to hand, try a Christmas party blower or popper, or just pucker your lips and whistle!

Welcoming the start of Railway 200, Rail Minister Lord Hendy said:

"The world changed forever in 1825 with the birth of the modern railway in Britain, and rolled out across the globe. Railway 200’s celebrations are a unique opportunity to honour a groundbreaking moment in our history while looking boldly towards the future. The Whistle-Up event marks the start of a year that will showcase how the railway continues to transform lives, connect communities, and create growth, jobs, housing and tourism.

This milestone reminds us of the integral role rail plays in a sustainable future and is our chance to present the railway as a forward thinking, digital industry with vibrant and diverse career paths for a new generation. Together, let us celebrate this extraordinary British achievement and inspire a shared vision for the next century of railway progress."

Alan Hyde from Railway 200 said:

"The 200th anniversary of the modern railway marks a major milestone in our national life.  In time-honoured fashion, the Whistle-Up fanfare launches what promises to be a memorable year with lots of exciting activities and events planned to celebrate the past, present and future of rail."

Steve Oates, chief executive of the Heritage Railway Association, added:

"The railways made so much of the world we now live in possible. From package holidays to commuting and even the concept of standardised time, it was the coming of the railways that kickstarted it all and transformed communities across the globe. It’s important that we don’t let the landmark 200th anniversary go without a sizeable celebration.

The whistle-up is a great chance for everyone involved in railways, big and small across the world, to join in the celebrations and see in 2025 in style by reviving a tradition from the age of steam. And, unlike in decades past, we’ll be able to join it all up thanks to the power of social media by using #WhistleUp200."

In 1804, a 500-guinea (worth around £21,000 in today’s money) bet between two industrialists prompted Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick to create the Penydarren locomotive in South Wales, proving that steam could be used to haul coal. Four years later, Trevithick ran a steam engine on a circular track but the groundbreaking proposition failed to attract money from investors.

Trevithick’s ingenuity paved the way for the journey of Locomotion No. 1, which ran on the world’s first public steam railway, heralding the beginning of the world’s public railway system. Since then, rail travel has undergone vast technological and engineering advancements – influencing tourism, cuisine, trade, law and order, post, art and even football – and continues to evolve for a simpler, better and greener future.