The recently launched Railway 200 National Exhibition train Inspiration visited the Bluebell Railway in Sussex at the start of a two-year national tour, marking 200 years of trains
00:00Thank you very much for coming and joining us this morning at the Bluebell Railway.
00:05We're here this morning to mark a number of notable events.
00:12First of all is the official opening of Railway 200 at the Bluebell Railway.
00:18We're now into the public phase of our celebration of Railway 200.
00:24We're also looking at the official opening of our new Platform 1, which is behind us here, where the inspiration train is sat.
00:37Platform 1 was in almost derelict condition.
00:42We've not been able to operate trains for it until very recently.
00:47So through the hard work of a number of volunteers and staff at the Railway, we've restored that.
00:53So we'll be looking for both of that.
00:55And what we want to do very much today is to thank all of you who've supported us with our Railway 200 project and the restoration of Platform 1.
01:06The Bluebell Railway, like many places, particularly in the tourist industry, has struggled over the last few years to recover since COVID.
01:20We're hoping to very much change our Bluebell business plan and the way we run the railway.
01:28And Railway 200 has come at a good time for the railway industry and particularly the heritage railway industry.
01:35It's given us an opportunity to promote railways to a new market and people that maybe don't think will travel as often don't consider the railway as both a means of transport, as a heritage and a leisure interest.
01:53So we're really grateful for all of you who've been part of the project to support Railway 200.
01:58Railway 200 is a national project and the inspiration trade is a key part of that.
02:09And we're very grateful to Network Rail for making the inspiration trade available to us and to come to us very early in its tour around the country.
02:18We've also now, we've just concluded the education phase of Railway 200.
02:25And over this time, many thousands of school children have come and visited the Bluebell Railway.
02:31Many of them, we know from things that were said during the time, hadn't travelled on trains before.
02:36So hopefully it's been a way of educating them that rail travel is a good way to go.
02:45We've been particularly grateful to GTR for their support in this.
02:50They've made 9,000 travel tickets available to schools to travel to the Bluebell.
02:57And this has also been extended to guide and scout groups.
03:02And that made the event possible for a lot of people that wouldn't have travelled on a train before.
03:07Not only did they get to travel on our steam train, they got to travel on GTR's train.
03:11And hopefully that will then get into their speed.
03:14And what I'd like to do is to invite Angie Doll from GTR to come and say a few words.
03:27It's a very precarious box with a hole in it.
03:29Let's see if I can help if I'm healing it.
03:31Good morning, everybody.
03:32And thank you very much for inviting me along today.
03:35I have to say, it's been an absolute pleasure coming today.
03:39I've been excited about doing this for a couple of weeks.
03:42And what a way to arrive at an event.
03:44Truly great.
03:46If you haven't met me before, my name is Angie Doll.
03:48And I'm the CEO for Govia Temptleck Railway.
03:51We run Southern Gatwick Express, Temptleck and Great Northern.
03:54So pretty much all of the services in Sussex, obviously, apart from this one.
03:58I don't know where we are.
03:59Leave that to Lucy.
04:00Capable hands.
04:02We've been a partner with Blue World Railway for a number of years now.
04:05And I'm really delighted that in the year of 200 of celebration, we can help continue with that partnership.
04:11As we've just heard, we've given 9,000 tickets so children can come.
04:14I have to say, that was one of the easiest and nice decisions that I've had to make in the job that I do on a daily basis.
04:21And also, we've got our bus here looking at digital signals, so looking at what the future of rail looks like.
04:28On Monday, we were actually with the Rail Minister, and we were showing how digital signal is working on the Northern City line now,
04:35which is the first commuter talk in the UK to use that.
04:38So, you know, the heritage of the railway and the Bluebell Railway and the other heritage railways are absolutely vital.
04:45They don't just preserve our history.
04:47They're also showing us the way ahead and what we've got to come.
04:51And at GTR, as I've said, we're absolutely looking forward to what's to come ahead and how we mark the remarkable years of 200 of railways.
04:59We've been involved in the 175-year anniversary of Rye.
05:04We'll be doing lots of events on the actual date of the anniversary,
05:08and also we will be doing events around calling and the Signal Box Preservation Society.
05:15However, as I've said, it's not just about looking back.
05:19It's about looking forward, what the future has to hold, where we are going over the next 200 years,
05:25and also thinking about the people that we bring to the railway,
05:28which is why making that decision for 9,000 schoolchildren to come here was really easy,
05:33about investing in the generation of the future and promoting the different jobs that exist in our railway.
05:38So, we've also worked with our community partners, with our community rail partnership,
05:44and Tracy is here if you need any help with that,
05:47and also encouraging people to come through our Blue Plaque programme as well.
05:52So, it's an exciting time to be working in the railway.
05:55I'd really like to thank everybody and all the volunteers at the Blue Bell Railway for everything you do.
05:59You are absolutely amazing, and you really do need a round of applause.
06:03Thank you very much for today, and I just have to say, I am so proud to work in the railway.
06:12Who doesn't want to work in an industry with great heritage, great progress, and a great future?
06:18Thank you very much.
06:26As I said, this is the official, this is Platform 1, our official opening today.
06:36And Platform 1 was part of Horses de Cain station that fell into disuse as long ago as 1920, I believe,
06:47when they scaled back.
06:49As you can see, Horses de Cain is a very grand station.
06:51The people that promoted the line had huge aspirations for traffic that never arrived.
06:58It's the jewel in the crown of the Blue Bell Railway.
07:02And we had launched a project a couple of years ago to restore the station to its beauty and rebuild Platform 1.
07:13We're really grateful to the support we've had in this, what has been a huge infrastructure project.
07:19We're particularly grateful to HS2, who supplied us with 4,000 tonnes of ballast.
07:27To L&W, who supplied us with the plant.
07:33And the National Lottery Heritage Fund for their funding.
07:37But it also wouldn't have been possible without the support of Network Rail,
07:41who have supplied us with track and ballast to make this done.
07:45We've also, as many of you will be aware, we signed a first of its type agreement with Network Rail
07:52on a partnership earlier this year.
07:58And Network Rail will be using the Blue Bell Railway as a training facility for their staff.
08:03And in return, they are helping us with getting the right materials to help us restore and maintain our railway.
08:13So I'd like to ask Lucy McCauley from Network Rail to come and join us.
08:18And to officially open Platform 1.
08:22Thank you very much for starting to stay stable in the box.
08:30So, good morning, everybody.
08:32So, thank you, Neil.
08:33And, yeah, real pleasure to be here.
08:34And the sun is shining, which is lifting everybody's spirits and is what we need.
08:38So, thank you so much for the warm welcome.
08:41And for those of you who don't know me, I'm Lucy McCauley.
08:43I'm the Network Rail route director for Sussex.
08:45This really is a momentous day for the railway in Sussex.
08:48So, to have the Inspiration Train visit the Blue Bell really does showcase the significance of the Heritage Railway
08:54that you see around you today, but also the work that the team here at the Blue Bell carried out to make all this happen.
09:00So, a huge well-done to everybody for all the hard work in delivering this event today
09:05and also across the summer.
09:07And on behalf of Network Rail, thank you for inviting us to be part of the celebrations.
09:11It's great to see so many familiar faces and wider industry colleagues today.
09:15But even more exciting to see new faces and wider interest that today's event and the Inspiration Train will provoke.
09:22It really is inspiring to see it being so well-received by visitors young and older,
09:27not only here at the Blue Bell Railway, but also at other Railway 200 events across the country.
09:33Railway 200 celebrations have been taking place since January.
09:36From Stockton to Darlington, all the way down here at Horsted Canes,
09:42the railway has been connecting people and goods to where they need to be for 200 years.
09:47A lot of that history is on display for you here today,
09:50so please do enjoy all that the Blue Bell has to offer.
09:54Myself, along with my colleagues, are no strangers to the Blue Bell.
09:56Many of you will be aware, as Neil has just said,
10:00that we co-signed a landmark agreement between Network Rail and the Blue Bell Railway
10:04to bring us closer together.
10:06This agreement was created to protect the history of the railway in Sussex
10:09while looking forward with training opportunities
10:12and ways to enthuse future generations of railway employees.
10:17This training is focused on drainage and earthwork inspections,
10:20as well as vegetation management.
10:22The Blue Bell provides us with a safe and, in many instances,
10:26almost identical railway environment to what we see on the wider network.
10:31Our teams are really benefiting from being able to call the Blue Bell home
10:35for this vital training and development.
10:37And I'm really looking forward to seeing the partnership grow in the future,
10:40building on the great work that is already taking place between our two organisations.
10:45So it is an honour to be able to officially open the restored platform here at Horsted Canes,
10:49with some of the components behind the rebuild coming from Network Rail.
10:54A huge thank you to all the industry partners who have also supported the Blue Bell Railway
10:58with this impressive piece of work, which has enabled these celebrations to take place.
11:03Enjoy the day, and here's to the next 200 years of the railway in Sussex.
