Join North Staffs Community Rail Partnership and partners for a series of guided walks, talks and exhibitions celebrating Railway 200 and taking place during Heritage Open Days.
Join Mark Smith, Chair of the North Staffs Rail Study Group, for a guided walking tour of the history of the North Staffordshire Railway's headquarters station, covering key features of the public areas. These include Winton Square, the hotel and main front, the scene from the north and south ends of the platforms, and the WW1 memorial arch. Attendees will be able to compare historic views of Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station with the Grade 2 listed building that remains today.
Unfortunately, we are not on this occasion able to venture into the non-public areas like the NSR Boardroom, but it is hoped that participants will learn something of the history of this outstanding architectural gem of the Potteries.
The tours will take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on Saturday 13th and Monday 15th September 2025 and will last approximately 50 minutes. The tours involve standing and walking throughout, with steps in the subway, and are not suitable for children under 12.
Places are free but admission is by ticket only as numbers are limited.
These tours were first offered as part of 'Knotty100' in 2023 to celebrate Staffordshire's railway history and mark the centenary of the end of the Potteries' own independent railway company, the North Staffordshire Railway, which was absorbed into the London Midland & Scottish Railway on 1 July 1923. This year they are part of the national Heritage Open Days, Railway 200 and the City of Stoke-on-Trent Centenary, the city being effectively named after its principal railway station.
Tracks Through Time Exhibition
From 13th to 19th September Stoke-on-Trent station will also host a Tracks Through Time exhibition sharing real stories of women, disabled workers, and diverse heritage staff, past and present in shaping the railway over the last 200 years.
The exhibition, led by New Vic Borderlines and funded by Avanti West Coast, will be drop-in and will show some of the hidden or less known contributions to 200 years of the railway in the local area.
On the launch day audiences will be able to move through the exhibition with short scenes built from interviews and archival sources. Professional actors and community performers will share stories from historical insight and oral histories. The exhibition will also have a costumed person in attendance throughout the week to encourage visitors to engage in the exhibition and to add their own thoughts and experiences of how the railway has shaped the way that we live in Britain today.
Please do visit the exhibition either before or after your station tour.
This event is supported by North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership and Avanti West Coast.
