Read 1      "The railway that got the world on track." On the 27 September 1825, crowds gathered in a small market town in north-east England to witness something that had not been seen before – a train carrying passengers for the first time. It had taken eight hours to travel 48km – around the speed of an average cyclist – but this steam locomotive was a pioneer in the development of modern railways and changed the world forever as rail spread across the globe.2      2025 marks 200 years of passenger trains, and the UK is celebrating this milestone with Railway 200 – a year-long programme of events. From guided walking tours along old, abandoned rail routes, to competitions and careers events. Railway 200 organisers have also designed a travelling exhibition on a special train that will criss-cross the UK for 12 months. Admission to the train is free and there are four carriages, each with a different theme. These include a carriage with hands-on, interactive activities which invite people to test their engineering skills. Emma Roberts, Railway 200 organiser, said it is an "unforgettable experience" for visitors.3  Also celebrating this bicentennial is Tom Chesshyre, train enthusiast and author of 'Slow Trains Around Britain'. Among what attracts him to train travel is that you can see places off the beaten track out the train window, and you can relax and read a book without worrying about traffic jams. Tom's favourite slow train ride is from Inverness, in the middle of Scotland, to the most northerly station in the whole of the UK in Thurso through "a kind of desolate landscape". Tom says, "You feel like you're taking a train and disappearing from modern life, leaving it behind." The route Tom crowned 'most picturesque' was a short journey from St Erth in Cornwall to St Ives which travels along a clifftop with the beach down below.4  Train travel has come a long way since 1825. Today, trains are more efficient and better connected than ever. From the Eurostar, which connects London to mainland Europe through a tunnel under the English Channel, to high-speed routes in Japan and China, the world is on the move.🇺🇦 @abitenglish 🇺🇦 @abitblog