Railway Family Celebrates 200 Years of Rail at Durham Cathedral

Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham, David Gray, Mayor of Durham, Councillor Gary Hutchinson, and Chair of Durham County Council, Councillor Robbie Rodiss were among the invited guests. They joined representatives from LNER, Network Rail, Northern Trains, TransPennine Express, Grand Central Rail, British Transport Police, as well as young people from the Stockton and Darlington Railway Youth Team and members of the local community to give thanks for 200 years of the railway.

In a poignant service lead by the Very Revd Dr. Philip Plyming, Dean of Durham, the ingenuity and innovation of the North East was celebrated and prayers of thanks offered for the profound effect the railway has had on the world.

Ed Turner, Senior Public Affairs Manager for LNER, said: “It was an honour to be able to host a very special Evensong celebration in the stunning surroundings of Durham Cathedral. The history of LNER is intertwined with the past 200 years of the railway. So to come together with other industry colleagues and offer thanks for everything the railway has made possible, and to celebrate the possibility and promise of the next 200 years, was very special.”

Dr. Philip Plyming, added: “As a historic centre of pilgrimage Durham Cathedral knows all about the importance of journeys in people’s lives, and so it was very good to come together and give thanks to God for the journeys railways have made possible over the last 200 years."

The Dean's sermon can be found on the Durham Cathedral website here: https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/explore/faith-and-worship/sermon-archive/address-for-choral-evensong-on-the-200th-anniversary-of-the-railways-philip-plyming