National Railway Museum

National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum was established in 1975 and is located in North Yorkshire, England. As part of the Science Museum Group, the museum's main collections focus on the development and history of British railways, including exhibits that explore the impact of British railways on the country’s modern industrial development and society. The museum has also received many accolades, including the title of European Museum of the Year in 2001.

The National Railway Museum houses over 100 locomotives and nearly 200 other types of railway vehicles, most of which were built or operated in the UK, making the collection predominantly British. These vehicles span various eras, from 19th-century steam locomotives to mid-to-late 20th-century electric trains, as well as two high-speed rail research projects: the British APT (a commercial failure) and the world’s first high-speed train, the Japanese Shinkansen Series 0.

Within three large exhibition halls covering a total of 20 acres, more than 10,000 other exhibits and displays related to the social, historical, technological, and industrial impacts of railways are showcased. Notably, these three halls were formerly part of a railway workshop located near York Station on the East Coast Main Line. Additionally, the National Railway Museum is the largest of its kind in the world and is the most visited museum in the UK outside of London.

National Railway Museum

Must-visit reason: The world’s largest railway museum

Continent: Europe

Country/Region: Britain

Province/State: North Yorkshire