About the Museum

The National Railway Museum (NRM) is a museum in York, England, forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant railway vehicles such as Mallard, a Stirling 'Single', Duchess of Hamilton and a Japanese bullet train. In addition, the National Railway Museum holds a diverse collection of other objects, from a household recipe book used in George Stephenson's house to film showing a "never-stop railway" developed for the British Empire Exhibition. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001. Starting in 2019, a major site development is underway. As part of the York Central redevelopment which diverts Leeman Road, the National Railway Museum is building a new entrance building to connect the two separate parts of the museum together. At the same time, the space around the museum is to be landscaped to provide public spaces. In 2020, architectural practice Feilden Fowles won an international competition to create the museum's new £16.5 million Central Hall building—a key element of the museum's Vision 2025 masterplan. In January 2023, the museum's Station Hall (a Grade II listed "former goods station built between 1875–77") was closed until September 2025 for "urgent structural repair" which was to include the installation of a new roof over that area. The Station Hall reopened in 2025 following an £11 million refurbishment, with a redesigned layout intended to better integrate historical narratives and enhance the visitor experience.