Event Details

To mark the bicentenary of the birth of the railway (1825), and the 150th anniversary of the Midland Railway's new main line from London to Scotland via the Settle and Carlisle, the Regional Heritage Centre and the Midland Railway Society are co-hosting a study day on Saturday 21 November 2026.

Railways changed far more than Britain's transport system. They reshaped where people lived, how they travelled, what they read, how businesses were regulated and how workers experienced the modern world. Join leading historians, literary scholars and digital researchers to explore how railways transformed British life. The conference will also showcase new research by Lancaster postgraduates in a poster session.

The conference is open to all and no specialist knowledge is required. There will be opportunities to ask questions of speakers.

Venue

Lancaster University Management School Lecture Theatre 1. This on Floor B of the Management School, accessed from the building’s main entrance on South Drive. View the building’s location via the University’s Maze Map at https://link.mazemap.com/qdBAI7F5.

Programme:

9.00 -9.45 Registration (tea/coffee is served at beginning of the day during registration)

9.45 – 10.00 Welcome remarks – Dr Sophie Ambler

10.00 – 11.00 Professor Ian Gregory: 'Railways and Population Change in England & Wales, 1851-1911: A Digital Analysis'

11.00 – 11.45 Coffee/tea & biscuits, PG poster session

11.45 – 12.45 Professor Michael Greaney,'"Nobody’s Fault": Railway Accidents in Victorian Fiction'

12.45 – 14.00 Lunch

14.00 – 15.00 Professor James Taylor, 'The Railway King on Trial: George Hudson and the Limits of Criminal Law in Victorian Britain'

15.00 – 15.45 Tea/coffee & biscuits, PG poster session

15.45 – 16.45 Dr Michael Brown and Professor Joanne Begiato, 'Railway hands: moving through modernity in Britain 1850-1960'

Talk Outlines and Speaker Biographies

The full programme - including talk outlines and speaker biographies - can be downloaded here.

What is Included

Ticket prices for in-person attendance include lunch, and tea and coffee on arrival and at morning and afternoon breaks. When booking via the online store, please specify any dietary requirements. Booking closes at midday 13 November.

Student tickets are offered at a discounted rate, without lunch. For students attending the conference, The Midland Railway Society is offering an introductory digital membership at 50% of the usual rate: £15 instead of £30. Details mare available on the Society’s website: midlandrailwaysociety.org.uk.

Standard ticket: £40

RHC Patrons and Friends: £36

Students: £20 (lunch not included)

Online attendance: £20

Online attendance

The conference will be live streamed via Microsoft Teams; a joining link will be shared with online attendees in advance. The full programme – including access to the postgraduate research poster showcase – will be available to those joining online.

The conference will not be recorded.

Booking

To book tickets for this event, visit https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/regional-heritage-centre/events/railways-200-years-that-transformed-britain/

To enquire about this event, please contact rhc@lancaster.ac.uk

Parking

Parking is available close to the venue entrance on South Drive and elsewhere across the Main Campus. Payment for parking is either via payment machines (card only) or the RingGo app (Main Campus code 46240). If you are new to RingGo, it may be helpful to download the app and fill out your details in advance.

Public Transport

14 buses per hour run between Lancaster city centre and campus. Lancaster Bus Station is located on Damside Street in the city centre and most bus services also stop at Common Garden Street. Service 1/1A provides a direct connection to the University every 10 minutes, and services 100, 4, 4X, 40, 41 and 42 also serve the University. Ask the driver for the stop closest to South Drive/Management School.

Accessibility

Accessibility information is available via the following link on AccessAble: https://www.accessable.co.uk/lancaster-university/access-guides/management-school-lancaster