Rocket All Aboard Public Programme Overview

Public Programme Overview

Rocket: All Aboard Celebrating People, Places & Railways Rocket: All Aboard is a bold, multi-year programme (2029–2030) marking 200 years since the opening of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway — the world’s first inter-city passenger line. This ground-breaking railway transformed how we travel, trade, and connect, reshaping communities and daily life forever.

Public Programme Overview

Now, Rocket: All Aboard will bring that story to life through exhibitions, live cultural events, research, and creative community and heritage projects across the North West and beyond.

The programme will shine a light on the railway’s power to connect people and places, spark conversations about sustainability and innovation, and invite audiences of all ages to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of movement, heritage, and progress, showing how this story can inspire new journeys for the future.

Purpose & Vision • To celebrate a world-changing moment in transport and industrial history, showing how it continues to inspire creativity, innovation, and pride in our communities.

• To build a lasting legacy through culture, learning, skills, and community collaboration that brings people together.

• To explore how the railway transformed the way we live and how it still connects and shapes communities today.

• To spark bold ideas for the future, reimagining travel, infrastructure, and climate action to create a better world for everyone.

Rocket: All Aboard will deliver world class events and experiences, acting as an engine for connection and inspiring people locally, nationally, and internationally. In partnership with transport bodies, local authorities, city-region agencies, and organisations across culture, heritage, education and communities and working hand in hand with a new Community Rail Partnership it will champion creativity, skills, and pride in place, building a legacy that lasts beyond the celebrations.

Museums National Museums Liverpool

Science & Industry Museum

Will support this momentous occasion by connecting people and place through story telling, exciting experiences and events taking place across Liverpool and along the line to Manchester.

Will bring stories to life of innovation, experimentation and engineering and look at how events in Manchester and Liverpool shaped global trade and the movement of people and ideas.

People’s History Museum

Public Programme Overview

Will explore the histories and impact of unions on the rail and its people through stories banners and objects from their collections.

National Football Museum Will develop activities that explore how train travel changed the beautiful game in 'My Match Day'.

Public Programme This programme has been shaped by listening to people’s ideas and ambitions, with elements named after the pioneering Rainhill Trials locomotives, celebrating the spirit of innovation that started there and continues today.

Novelty

Public Programme Overview

• We Can Be Heroes Schools-focused Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math project exploring soft robotics and creative learning kits.

Constructing Giant inflatables that will tour schools, museums and community venues.

• Rail in Libraries Mobile exhibitions, creative writing, storytelling sessions, reading rooms along the route, artists interventions. Improving literacy.

• Digital Game Adventure Interactive heritage game along the Chat Moss railway line. Aimed at younger audiences exploring built heritage, stories & music.

Cyclopede • Complex histories exploring global trade of railways, migration, transatlantic slave trade.

• Films, debates, research, talks that reveal more hidden, erased, or censored histories.

Perseverance • Ticket to Ride • A hop on hop off rail pass linking towns through curated daytrips and experiences.

• Commissioned artist-led station and train takeovers.

• Greening & improving the route.

• A large taking part art programme focused on creating a parade and banners for the final event and to exhibit along the route.

Sans Pareil The Great Big Digital Archive will: • Capture the railway’s anniversary for future generations to look back on.

• Link collections and historic assets & stories along the route.

• Work alongside historians & artists to bring collections to life.

Major Events Programme Rocket • Opening Event (2029)

Public Programme Overview

The Rainhill Trials. Liverpool Biennial & Factory International hope to come together for the first time to produce an opening event for Rocket: All Aboard.

• The Big Gathering (Summer 2030) Multi-site international summit on rail, steam and transport with a cultural programme of activity. Large scale marketplace/activities for railway enthusiast's, families and steam lovers.

Visitor Economy Rocket: All Aboard want audiences to have an unforgettable experience in 2029/30. That means working with partners such as Marketing Manchester, Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership, and all local authorities along the route to deliver world-class marketing and communications, attracting people from across the globe to be part of it.

Our Railway Pot

• The Finale (2030) A significant commissioned international finale event. A thrilling, interactive festival event with relevant, diverse, inclusive content for people to feel personally connected to their heritage.

Skills, Experience & Innovation • Linking young people to the rail sector and creative industries.

• Volunteer programme.

• Learning programmes around carbon literacy training, oral histories, customer services.

• Working alongside our Universities – innovation labs/research/future skills/AI.

Supporting people and communities to lead their own heritage and cultural activities through a flexible, accessible community funding pot.

Community Rail Partnership Community rail is a thriving grassroots movement that helps communities get the most from their local stations, and the partnership between the Liverpool–Manchester CRP and Rocket: All Aboard amplifies this impact by strengthening one another and delivering greater benefits together than either could achieve alone.

To partner up or to explore opportunities please contact: info@rocketallaboard.co.uk rocketallaboard.co.uk Rocket: All Aboard is supported by a number of different partners and is managed by an Executive Steering Group.

The details outlined are subject to funding and ongoing development, with additional projects and partners expected to join as the programme progresses toward the main celebrations.

With thanks to National Lottery players.