Porterbrook has announced significant support for the National Railway Museum with a £2.5m sponsorship agreement for the new ‘Railway Futures Gallery’ – a key component of the museum’s Vision 2025 masterplan.
The gallery will be a multi-dimensional and interactive experience which explores and imagines the role of the railways in the transport system of tomorrow.
Planned to open in 2025 to coincide with the museum’s 50th birthday, the Railway Futures Gallery will be a key feature of Central Hall – a new building and welcome space located between the museum’s Great Hall and Station Hall.
Central Hall will be a cornerstone of Vision 2025 – the museum’s journey to transform its offer to become the World’s Railway Museum and to attract up to 1.2m visitors each year.
Porterbrook owns almost a quarter of the national passenger rail fleet, and has an established reputation for delivering new technologies, such as battery, hybrid and hydrogen powered trains. These innovations support the UK’s Net Zero ambitions, improve air quality, reduce emissions, and enhance network resilience.
The partnership builds on a decade long relationship and reflects a shared vision between the National Railway Museum and Porterbrook in areas such as sustainability and how innovation and digital technologies can and will shape the railway of the future.
In addition, both organisations are strongly committed to promoting the STEM agenda and helping empower future generations through science, technology, engineering and mathematics to grow a dynamic railway for the 21st century.
Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook said: “The National Railway Museum plays a hugely important role in curating rail’s history and heritage while articulating a vision and ambition for its future. Porterbrook is at the forefront of innovations which are shaping the railway and we are delighted to support the museum’s Railway Future’s Gallery to help inspire the railwaymen and railwaywomen of tomorrow.”
Judith McNicol, Director of the National Railway Museum said: “The new Railway Futures Gallery is a key part of the museum’s Vision 2025 masterplan and through a mix of fixed and changing displays, an immersive media-led experience and on-gallery programming, we will showcase the most exciting engineering projects and highlight the role of innovation on the railway. Thank you to Porterbrook for its generous support.”
The final gallery name will be confirmed at a later date once a process of audience testing has been complete. ‘Railway Futures: The Porterbrook Gallery’ is the current full working title. The National Railway Museum is seeking additional funding to complete the Vision 2025 project.
