To kick off a year of celebrations, LNER has unveiled a commemorative livery on one of its Azuma trains to mark 200 years since the first passenger journey on the world-famous Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR).
‘Darlington’ has been designed to hail the town’s world-changing contribution to the railway throughout the years and showcases significant events and landmarks from its history.
Included on the striking livery is Locomotion No.1, the first locomotive to haul passengers on the S&DR, the first edition of the Northern Echo, published in Darlington and the UK’s first truly national newspaper, Hopetown, the Darlington railway museum located on the grounds of the former S&DR works; capped off with an LNER Azuma train and the design of the new entrance to the station.
In a special event at Darlington station, the train’s livery was unveiled with help from Voices of Darlington Choir and Durham singer-songwriter Sam Slatcher who performed his composition inspired by the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
The station, which is managed by LNER, has also been decorated to remind the millions of customers that pass through it each year of this special anniversary.
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “This is an exciting year for the rail industry as we mark the bicentenary of the mammoth impact from the first passenger journey on the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
“LNER is delighted to play its own part in celebrating this huge milestone by dedicating the livery of one of our Azuma trains to the town of Darlington, its history and heritage.
“200 years ago, this railway line sparked a world-wide change, and we feel proud and privileged that, today, LNER connects millions of customers to Darlington and over 50 other destinations across the East Coast Main Line and beyond.”
The S&DR Rail Heritage Partnership Chair, Reuben Kench said: “I’m thrilled that this new livery will be seen by thousands of people as the train passes through many destinations along LNER’s East Coast route, including Darlington.
“We are proud to be working with LNER throughout this momentous year and the design on their Azuma train is a great way of highlighting the Stockton & Darlington Railway bicentenary. LNER are a major partner in our 9-month celebration of the role the region played in the birth of modern railways.
The new livery has been applied to unit 801207 and will operate its first passenger service from King’s Cross to Edinburgh on Tuesday evening (14 January).
S&DR200 Festival runs between March and November 2025 at various locations across County Durham and Tees Valley in 2025.
S&DR200 is delivered by Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. www.sdr200.co.uk
