The South Eastern Railway – A journey through the past, present and future

Name: The South Eastern Railway – A journey through the past, present and future
Start: 2026-03-11T18:45:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-11T22:00:00+00:00
Location: One Birdcage Walk

Schedule

Wed Mar 11 2026 at 06:45 pm to 10:00 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

One Birdcage Walk | London, EN

Join us for a special evening event to celebrate the history and recognise the bright future of the railway in London and the south east.
About this Event

From London’s oldest railway and fierce 19th century rivalry to consolidation and nationalisation.

From remarkable war efforts and iconic boat trains, such as the Golden Arrow, to the renaissance under Network SouthEast.

From privatisation and the launch of the UK’s fastest domestic service, to the first in a new era of integrated railways under public ownership — discover how this railway has helped to shape the region and what its future will look like under Great British Railways.

This journey through time will be led by those who know it best; renowned author and railway historian, Christian Wolmar; founder of the iconic Network SouthEast, Chris Green OBE and current Managing Director of South Eastern Railway, Steve White.

The event will also serve as a fitting conclusion to the South Eastern Railway’s celebrations of Railway 200 – which has brought thousands of people together across the country to commemorate the 200th anniversary of today’s passenger railway.

Timings

1845: Doors Open & Registration
1930: Event start
1940: Christian Wolmar – The history of the railway of the south east
2015: Intermission
2045: Chris Green OBE – Network SouthEast
2110: Steve White – The South Eastern Railway
2140: Q&A session with all speakers
2200: Carriages

All tickets include a free drink on arrival. A paid bar will be available beyond this.

Ticket Proceeds

Southeastern will not make any profit from ticket sales.

Ticket proceeds are being used to support costs of running the event and all profit will be shared with the five Railway 200 charities (Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Benefit Fund, Railway Children, Railway Mission, and Transport Benevolent Fund CIO).

Accessibility Information

We want this event to be accessible and comfortable for everyone attending.

The venue has step-free access from street level to the lecture theatre.

If you have any access requirements — for example relating to mobility, seating, hearing, sight, or anything else that would help you take part — please contact us at [email protected] after booking, with your name and details of the support you need. We will do our best to make reasonable adjustments to support your attendance.

There are designated wheelchair spaces within the lecture theatre. These can be selected during booking. If you need a wheelchair space and they appear unavailable, please contact us before booking where possible, as we may be able to review seating arrangements or discuss alternative options.