“We should be proud of how our railways have evolved and where we are now.”

23 January 2026

In celebration of nearly 3,000 people visiting Railway 200’s ‘Inspiration’ train during its stop at Crewe last week, Avanti West Coast Customer Service Assistants Niki Abnett and Ashley Hooker, talk about the past, present and future of rail and what collaboration within the industry means to them.

Niki, who works at Crewe station and volunteered during Inspiration’s visit, said: “It was an honour to have Railway 200’s ‘Inspiration’ train at my place of work for a full five days. It was even better to see visitors were not only our customers, but young people and schools from around the country to Crewe – a proud railway town – eager to learn about the past, present and future of rail.

“To me, the Inspiration train illustrates the importance of our railway heritage. Over 200 years of the UK’s rail network exhibited in a touring museum, educating people on the importance of rail and how we keep people moving – this is what the railway is all about. The train raises awareness of what we do and the career paths possible for young people.

“We should be proud of how our railways have evolved and where we are now. Rail gave us independence and the ability to travel and explore. The future of rail promises to bring more of those possibilities with new innovations.

“Events like this illustrate the many different teams, organisations and people who operate the railway – it’s one big family.”

“The event at Crewe was a great collaboration of organisations and industry partners. – We all have the same objective - to keep our customers safe as they travel from A to B.”

Ashley, who is based at Milton Keynes Central station and also volunteered during the event at Crewe, said: “I’ve adored trains since I was a child. It was heartwarming to be part of a free day out for families, to not only show adults and children some railway history but inspire them for the future, as well as encourage them to take an interest in this great industry.

“It’s not always possible for people to see as much of the rail network as they would like to, but this event allowed them to do just that. It also gave them an opportunity to understand how they could be involved in the railway in the future. It is possible to achieve our dreams, and I think that's a message that should be highlighted not just as part of this touring exhibition train, but for every day.

“Collaboration was an important message throughout the five days at Crewe. Railway partners and charities came together to talk about how things have changed over the years and what the future of rail could look like. Events like this illustrate the many different teams, organisations and people who operate the railway – it’s one big family.”

Pictures:

Main image - Niki Abnett in front of the Inspiration train during its visit at Crewe station.

Second image - Niki Abnett on board the Inspiration train. 

Third and forth image - Local schools invited to board the Inspiration train explore its Past, Present and Future carriages. 

Fifth image - Inspiration train platformed at Crewe station.