Come and celebrate 200 years of railway history at Milton Keynes Central on Tuesday 30th September between 1pm and 1.30pm.
This event will be held in a nearby independent retail outlet, close to the station. I plan to drink coffee, eat cake and talk caching and other random nonsense with whoever cares to join me before my shift starts at the station.
Milton Keynes station
Back in the 1960's and 1970' the Milton Keynes Development Corporation wanted a new station near the emerging central business district. Eventually, in 1978 a deal was done with British Rail over cost sharing to facilitate this. The station opened on 14th May 1982, followed by an official opening 3 days later by Charles, HRH Prince of Wales. Prior to the opening of the station, Bletchley had been the main station for Inter City sservices for the area. With the opening, these services transferred to Milton Keynes, and Bletchley station was downgraded.
Currently Milton Keynes Central has 6 platforms. It is seved by Avanti West Coast services. as well as those operated by London Northwestern Railway. Going forward, it will also be served by Chiltern Railways services on the East West Rail link.
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 RMilton Keynes Central 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.