Celebrate 200 Years of Railway History!
In 1825, the Stockton & Darlington Railway opened the world’s first passenger railway station on Tuesday 27th September — a milestone that transformed travel forever. Steam locomotives carried passengers and goods at unprecedented speed, sparking a transport revolution that connected towns, boosted industry, and shaped modern Britain.
This special SideTracked Railway 200 event at Ebchester is part of a nationwide celebration running from Wednesday 24th to Tuesday 30th September 2025. All finds and hides from this event count towards your SideTracked statistics, and a unique profile badge will be created especially for this event. Whether your chosen location is old, disused, miniature, or still bustling today, it’s part of a railway story that’s been 200 years in the making.
COMMUNITY CELEBRATION EVENT (CCE) - RAILWAYS 200
Date Saturday 27th September 2025.
TIME: 12.00 to 14.00 hrs.
Reason: To celebrate 200 years of British railways.
Venue The old Ebchester railway station area on the now disused Swalwell to Consett railway line.
The railway line from Swalwell to Consett was opened in 1867 by the North Eastern Railway to serve the Nearby village of Ebchester. There was a large station yard and some workers cottages. The station closed for passengers in September 1953 and the line itself closed to freight traffic in Movember 1963.
The railway track was removed in 1964, and nothing was done for a few years until Durham County Councildeveloped it as a country park. The path extends from Consett to Swalwell, a peaceful walk of about 12 miles.
Community Celebration Events - 2025
This Event is part of a limited release of Community Celebration Events to celebrate 25 years of geocaching. Geocachers hosted events between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. Learn more about Community Celebration Events on the Geocaching Blog.