Welcome on board! In 1825 the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened in the North East of England – a journey that changed the world forever. In 2025 Railway 200 is commemorating this anniversary in a year-long celebration of the modern railway.
The Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, 1825
1949
Terence Tenison Cuneo (1907–1996) 
The railway has often inspired artists – and to celebrate this enduring connection, Art UK and its museum partners have compiled a long list of 200 artworks featuring the UK railway.
Norman Wilkinson (1878–1971) 
You can now choose your favourite artworks, as part of a unique partnership between Art UK and Railway 200, at railway200.artuk.org
Vote for your three favourites from the selection of 200 to narrow it down to 20 top artworks. The deadline for voting is midnight on Friday 11th April 2025. You will need to register to vote.
Artworks in the long list include Passenger Express: The Symbol of Comfortable Travel (London, Midland and Scottish Railway poster artwork) by Norman Wilkinson (1878–1971), Liverpool Street Station by Edward Bawden (1903–1989) and Euston Station: Loading the Travelling Post Office by Grace Lydia Golden (1904–1993).
Euston Station: Loading the Travelling Post Office
1948
Grace Lydia Golden (1904–1993) 
Art lovers across the world can choose their favourite UK railway-themed artworks from the long list of 200 compiled by Art UK and its museum partners. The artworks have been chosen from 94 public collections across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and include works dating from the 1830s to the twenty-first century.
Naming of the Intercity 125 Engine
1987
Clara Vulliamy (b.1962) 
Artists featured in the Railway 200 gallery include renowned railway painters such as Terence Cuneo and Norman Wilkinson, alongside famous names such as Lucien Pissarro and J. M. W. Turner.
Wells Farm Railway Bridge, Acton, London
1907
Lucien Pissarro (1863–1944) 
Rain, Steam, and Speed - The Great Western Railway
1844
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) 
The subjects include many themes linked to railways, from Anthony Stones' sculpture of a Victorian Railway Navvy to William Powell Frith's oil painting The Railway Station and illustrator Clara Vulliamy's work depicting the official naming of a train.
Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: 'From the first puff of smoke from a locomotive the railway and its stations have captured the imagination of artists. Through this wonderful array of artworks, Art UK has shown the true cultural and historical significance of the rail industry. I encourage everyone to vote for their favourite pieces and I hope these celebrations will help more people to be inspired by our beloved railways.'
Alan Hyde from Railway 200 said: 'The railway has shaped our cultural landscape and long inspired artists down the ages. It continues to be a source of artistic inspiration across the globe. We hope that, in rail's bicentenary year, more people will appreciate the cultural contribution of the railway and travel by train to enjoy at first hand the amazing work of talented artists who have enriched our lives. We're delighted to team up with Art UK to showcase the best of railway-inspired art and engage with a wide range of art and rail lovers.'
Andrew Ellis, Chief Executive of Art UK, said: 'We are thrilled to be giving the public the chance to vote for their favourite railway artwork. The long list of artworks shows the wide range of artists who have been inspired by train travel and gives an insight into the wonderful richness of the UK's collections of publicly owned art. There are 132 named artists and 94 collections represented in The Railway 200 Gallery and we hope that people from across the world will enjoy exploring these artworks and voting for their favourites.'
What happens next
On World Art Day, 15th April 2025, the 20 most popular artworks will be unveiled as part of a curated online exhibition on Art UK, until 31st December 2025. At that point, you can vote for an outright winner from the top 20 artworks. The winning artwork will be announced on 9th June 2025 – the birthday of rail pioneer George Stephenson.
Information about the Railway 200 artworks
The 200 artworks are held in 94 collections across the UK. There are also two public sculptures on the list. The collection with the most artworks on the list is the National Railway Museum, with 48 artworks.
Breakdown of artworks and collections by UK nation:
- England – 174 artworks in 78 collections and two public sculptures
- Wales – 11 artworks in 6 collections
- Scotland – 8 artworks in 7 collections
- Northern Ireland – 7 artworks in 3 collections
The artworks are held in a variety of collections:
- Railway Museums – 71 artworks in 9 collections. The largest collection is the National Railway Museum, but some smaller railway museums are represented in the list, including Crewe Heritage Centre, Midland Railway Trust, Museum of Island Railway History, Head of Steam – Darlington Railway Museum, STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway, Newton Abbot Town & GWR Museum, Churnet Valley Railway and Oswestry Railway Museum.
- National Museums and Libraries – 18 artworks in 10 collections, including Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Library of Wales, Museum of Science and Industry, IWM (Imperial War Museums), Museum of Liverpool, National Gallery, London, Science Museum, Tate, National Museums NI, National Galleries of Scotland and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales.
- Museums and Art Galleries – 56 artworks in 56 collections. These range in size from large collections, such as Manchester Art Gallery, Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums and The Courtauld, to smaller museums, such as Bovey Tracey Heritage Trust, Island Arts Centre and Biggar Museum Trust.
- Councils – 19 artworks in 9 collections, including South Somerset District Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Dundee Art Galleries and Museums Collection (Dundee City Council) and Cardiff Council.
- Hospitals – 5 artworks in 4 hospitals, including Imperial Health Charity Art Collection, Royal Free Hospital, Princess of Wales Community Hospital and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
- Universities – 7 artworks in 7 universities or educational institutions, including Coventry University, University of Essex, Royal College of Art and Royal Holloway, University of London.
For media enquiries and images please contact Gemma Briggs, Director of Marketing & Communications, Art UK on gemma.briggs@artuk.org
