College receives time capsule to mark 200 years of rail

A time capsule has been tucked away at Derby College Group as part of a national campaign to celebrate 200 years of the modern railway.

The Railway 200 capsule was recently handed over by programme manager Emma Roberts to Heather Kelly, deputy chief executive at Derby College Group.

It will be stored in the college’s Roundhouse to mark this year’s bicentenary – and will remain unopened for 50 years until the railway’s 250th anniversary in 2075.

Jack Rhodes, 19, a rail apprentice at Derby College Group who works for city train-maker Alstom, attended the event.

He said: “As the railway looks towards its next 200 years, it will demand new skills and fresh thinking, and I’m ready to embrace that challenge.

“Railway 200 has shown me that this industry never stands still and I’m truly proud to be part of its next chapter.”

Derby was selected as the preferred UK location for the historic capsule as the city represents the future of rail, after being chosen as the HQ for Great British Railways.

The Roundhouse is the world’s oldest rail roundhouse, built around a central turntable for locomotives, and is now part of the Derby College campus.

The rail-related contents of the time capsule include letters, a commemorative coin, pin badges, a newspaper, a commemorative poem from the Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage CBE , a train ticket, illustrations, posters, photographs and a contribution from The Greatest Gathering, the world’s biggest rail festival, hosted by Alstom at its historic Litchurch Lane site in Derby.

Railway 200 is a national cross-sector celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.

Since kicking off on New Year’s Day with a ‘whistle-up’ of 200 locomotives across five continents, more than 10,000 activities and events have engaged with millions of people to celebrate the role of the railway in their lives.

Emma said: “In time-honoured fashion the capsule captures the essence of what has been an amazing celebration of rail’s transformative impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

“We’re delighted that it will rest in an iconic building in the new home of the railway, as the city helps to shape the future of a British invention that changed the world.

“When opened, in 50 years’ time, the Railway 200 capsule will be a poignant reminder of a landmark year in rail’s continuing development.”

Heather said: “It is an honour for Derby College Group to safeguard this time capsule at the heart of the world’s oldest rail roundhouse.

“As we mark 200 years of modern rail, we are not only celebrating a remarkable past, but we are also empowering the next generation who will shape its future.

“Our students, apprentices and industry partners are driving innovation every day, and this capsule is a powerful symbol of their ambition.

“When it is opened in 2075, I hope it shows how today’s commitment to learning, skills and collaboration laid the foundations for a greener, smarter and even more inclusive railway for generations to come.”