The first public railway to use steam locomotives was opened between Stockton and Darlington in September 1825. The year 2025 therefore marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. Please see the website Railway 200 for information about how this anniversary is being commemorated nationwide.
The Friends of Handforth Station have developed several events to help celebrate Railway 200. These are described in detail below. For more information about any of these events, contact us.
Donations received by FoHS at the below events have gone / will go to Alzheimers Research UK, the official charity of Railway 200.
The Rail Ale Trail – March onwards
A “Rail Ale Trail” is being planned in conjunction with other Station Friends groups. This will encourage people to use the train to visit various towns and villages between Handforth and Crewe and sample their local attractions and their cask-conditioned beers. We expect that this Trail will open in the Autumn, and will become a regular fixture over the years.
“Poems Down The Line” – April onwards
The FoHS have mounted an exhibition of rail-related poems on the concourse of Handforth Station. These have been on display since April 2025 (formally launched in May !), and we plan that at least one of the poems penned by a member of FoHS will be displayed at a number of stations on the Crewe to Manchester line.
VE Day Celebrations Sat 10th May
FoHS ran a stall at Handforth’s VE day celebrations on Saturday 10th May. It included a display entitled “The Role of Handforth’s Military Railways During World War Two”, and focussed on RAF 61MU and the army branch line to Hall Road.
HMES “Open Day” Sat 17th May
The following Saturday, 17th May, FoHS volunteers hosted a joint “Open Day” with Handforth Model Engineering Society who run the miniature railway in Handforth’s Meriton Road Park. HMES generously donated the profits made from running their miniature train rides to the Railway 200 charity (Alzheimers Research). We hope to run another session at the end of Summer 2025.
First time on a train – June
In the middle of June, FoHS talked to a very excited group of four and five year olds (and school staff) from St Benedict’s Primary School Reception class about trains and railways. This included pictures of Handforth and its station, emphasised how to stay safe around rail travel, and opened their eyes to to what life must have been like before trains. The following day, armed with their new knowledge, the pupils took a train journey from Handforth to visit Alderley Edge. For many of the children, this was their first time ever on a train.
A Commemorative Screen
FoHS are planning a new stainless-steel “Railway 200 screen” to match the current “Millennium Screen”. It is hoped that the pupils in local schools will help with the design of this screen.
