Museum of Science and Industry

The Liverpool & Manchester Railway, the world’s first inter-city passenger railway, is 180 on 15 September this year, and to celebrate there are events going on along this historic railway line.

Replicas of Rocket and Planet, the steam locomotives which originally worked on the railway, will run at MOSI on 11-12, 15 and 18-19 September. The Museum is based on the site of the original Liverpool Road railway station (the end of the line when it opened in 1830). The station closed to passengers in 1844 but continued as a goods station until 1975.

As part of the anniversary celebrations there will also be an exhibition by Arts Group Metal on 15 September-23 October at Edgehill station, which is the oldest passenger railway station in the world still in use. It includes a series of large-scale works which reflect on time, routine, repetition, direction and discipline and is part of the Liverpool Biennial Independents strand.

On 11 September, there will be an open day at Eccles Station, organised by the Friends of Eccles Station, with street theatre, a brass band, family activities, refreshments and free return trips from Eccles to Patricroft. Eccles was the station to which William Huskisson MP was transported when he was fatally injured. He had the misfortune to become the world’s first railway casualty, on 15 September 1830 - the opening day of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway.

Tony Hill, Director of MOSI, said: “The 1830 Liverpool and Manchester Railway was an incredible achievement and marked the start of the railway age, which changed the world forever. This is a fantastic and rare opportunity to see both Planet and Rocket operating on the original railway, so please do come along and join in the celebrations at MOSI, and elsewhere along the route.”

Lee Wasnidge, Area Director West for Northern Rail: "The Liverpool & Manchester Railway transformed the economy of the North West and today it remains an important link between the two cities. Northern are proud to serve these great cities by operating trains between them on this historic line and to play our part in strengthening their economies.”

The Liverpool & Manchester Railway was built by George Stephenson in 1830 and ran from Edgehill Station in Liverpool to Liverpool Road station in Manchester. Stephenson had many engineering challenges in design and construction of the railway, including 64 bridges and viaducts, as well as how to design track which could pass over Chat Moss peat bog.

Stephenson and his son Robert also designed Rocket, which in 1829 was voted the favourite locomotive to run on the line, as well as Planet, which was built in 1830. The railway, which had been controversial before it opened, quickly became popular as people realised they could travel between Liverpool and Manchester twice as fast as by coach, at half the price. Before the railway opened there were 29 horse drawn carriages operating daily between the two cities, but by 1831 there were only four.

Today the railway is known as the ‘Chat Moss Route’ and is run by Northern Rail. Celebrations for the 180^th anniversary of the railway are organised by MOSI, Network rail, Northern Rail, Mersey Travel, the Greater Manchester Public Transport Group, Friends of Eccles Station and Arts Group Metal.

For more information look up www.mosi.org.uk or www.freccles.org.uk or http://www.metalculture.com/liverpool/dream-machine.html

For media enquiries or photos of Rocket and Planet please contact: Sarah Roe, MOSI press and publicity officer on Tel: 0161 606 0176, m: 07847 372647

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