To mark the 50th anniversary of the National Railway Museum (NRM), a grade II listed gallery which closed in recent years for a major transformation, has reopened with newly reimagined displays.
Station Hall , which closed in 2023, opened its doors once again on Friday 26 September enabling visitors to explore over a century of railway life, from historic vehicles and original station signage to the luxury of royal carriages, including Queen Victoria's ornate coach and King Edward VII's saloon.
As part of the celebrations, the Museum is highlighting long-standing collaborations such as the ' Railway Work, Life & Death ' project, which includes research from the University of Portsmouth that uncovers the stories of more than 115,000 railway workers from Britain and Ireland.
The project, co-led by Dr Mike Esbester , Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with the National Railway Museum, has created the largest database of its kind, documenting accidents to railway staff between 1855 and 1939. The research now features prominently in the museum's new permanent displays.
Dr Esbester said: "Our research has directly shaped the new permanent interpretation panels in the Museum's refreshed displays, particularly the health and safety content, where the project has enabled the production of an infographic to help people understand the risks of railway work.
"For nearly 10 years, dedicated NRM volunteers have given thousands of hours to transcribing staff accident records, forming the heart of our project database. With over 115,000 cases from 1855-1939 now available online, the database offers a unique insight into the working lives and personal stories of railway staff - ordinary people who might otherwise have been forgotten."
The collaboration between the University and the National Railway Museum spans 15 years, with the last decade focusing intensively on the 'Railway Work, Life & Death' project. Over nine years, museum volunteers have contributed thousands of hours transcribing historical accident records, creating a unique window into working life on Britain's railways.
Karen Baker, Curator of Libraries and Railway Research, said: "The partnership with the University of Portsmouth has been extremely valuable in recording and collecting the information and new insights into railway safety. It has been extremely rewarding to be able to include this in our new Station Hall exhibition and share these stories with the wider public."
Dr Esbester added: "The database , which is at the heart of this project, has already been downloaded nearly 20,000 times worldwide, showing the real appetite for this kind of history, and we're looking forward to continuing to develop this collaboration in the years ahead.
