04 February 2026 •
Local rail operator c2c Railway has announced that the arrival of ‘Inspiration’ proved to be a huge success, with thousands of school children and hundreds of members of the public visiting the iconic industry train last week in Upminster.
Last week (26 – 30 January), c2c was honoured to host the industry’s iconic exhibition train, Inspiration, at its Upminster station.
Created to celebrate ‘Railway 200’ – the bicentenary of the modern railway era which began in September 1825 – Inspiration provided a unique opportunity to educate and engage with younger generations on the history of the railways, while also providing an overview of the important role it plays in shaping and supporting society and local communities.
Commenting on Inspiration’s stay at Upminster, c2c’s Operations & Safety Director, Stu Browning, said:
“Standing alongside Councillor Sue Ospreay, Madam Mayor of Havering and Jamie Burles, the Managing Director of Anglia Railway, it was an honour and a privilege to officially welcome and launch Inspiration to c2c and Upminster station last week.
“Inspiration was hugely popular with both the people of Upminster and those from further afield in east London and south Essex, and the event allowed us to rightly honour the history of our route and the many generations of people that have contributed to its success.
“We welcomed thousands of school children and hundreds of public visitors over the course of last week, and I know that their visits will live long in the memory.”
Emma Roberts, Programme Manager at Railway 200, said:
“Thank you to everyone who made Inspiration’s visit to Upminster so special.
“It was fantastic to see so many people, including hundreds of school children, exploring the train and learning about how the railways transformed the world.”
Inspiration spent the week on platform 1a at Upminster station, welcoming thousands of school children and members of the general public from across the borough of Havering, east London and south Essex.
Tricia Cowdrey, Chair of the East Beach Residents Association (Shoeburyness) and one of the first visitors onboard Inspiration, said:
“I had a really interesting afternoon visiting the Inspiration train at Upminster.
“As well as the historical information, it was good to learn about some of the engineering aspects, including the tunnel digger and other equipment.
“All four carriages included a range of interactive activities, and I’m quite proud of my bridge building skills.
“I was also really interested to learn that I should be a train driver trainer – and if I was a few years younger, then that would be great.”
Inspiration is currently visiting Colchester (03/02 – 04/02), before moving on to Clacton-on-Sea (05/02 – 06/02).
Abu Siddeeq, c2c’s Customer Experience Director, said:
“I would like to thank Network Rail, Railway 200, the National Railway Museum and the team at c2c who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for many months, and also volunteered onboard the train, to ensure that Inspiration was a huge success.”
To find out more about Inspiration and to book tickets for the next leg of the tour visit the Railway 200 website.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- c2c is the award-winning train operator running services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, serving 26 stations in East London and South Essex.
- c2c is one of the UK’s most punctual and popular train operators and nearly 37.3 million journeys are made on its services every year.
- The operation of all c2c services transferred into public ownership on Sunday 20 July 2025 and is managed by DFTO (DfT Operator Ltd).
Images
Featured Image – Inspiration Train at Upminster Station
Second – (l-r) Jamie Burles, Madam Mayor of Havering, Mayoress of Havering and Stu Browning
Third – Madam Mayor of Havering on board
Fourth – Madam Mayor of Havering, Stu Browning and Jamie Burles
Fifth – On Board Inspiration