Free ‘Robot Railways’ activities at the National Railway Museum this October half term

The National Railway Museum in York is hosting a half term of robots and technology with free activities and a temporary exhibition called Innovation Platform.

The National Railway Museum in York is hosting a half term of robots and technology with free activities and a temporary exhibition called Innovation Platform.

The futuristic theme has been developed to encourage families to explore new technology and to find out how this will develop on the railways.

Visitors will be able to take part in free drop in activities that run daily during half term such as Robot Railways in Station Hall where families can design their own colourful railway track for a miniature robot train to follow. 

In nearby Great Hall, the Making Station will see visitors using their imagination (and craft materials) to create futuristic inventions of their own to take home.

Keeping with the technology theme, immersive VR station experience ExploreStation will return following a popular visit earlier in the year. The technology enables people to travel around and explore a futuristic station and this time, under 13s can also take part as a game character in ExploreMore.  

The activities are inspired by the museum’s temporary exhibition Innovation Platform which launched in the summer. Innovation Platform highlights emerging ideas and achievements from the rail industry with a changing line up of themes and exhibits.

For October half term, the exhibition is showcasing ActiWheel – a solution to a problem that has left rail engineers scratching their heads for 200 years. The radical wheelset uses autonomous technology to position trains on the track in such a way that they cause significantly less damage to the rails beneath them. 

Previous technology on display has included Prometheus Drone used by organisations such as Network Rail to explore inaccessible small spaces underground and check for problems that might affect the railways running above.

Heather Lysiak, Community Partnerships & Events Manager at the National Railway Museum, said:

“This October half term we have an exciting programme of activities with a ‘robots and technology’ theme which promises to be great fun and a chance to explore what the future of railways will look like, including how engineers think and work to develop solutions for the future. We have a mix of new activities and some returning favourites such as Robot Railways, so we’re looking forward to a welcoming people for a busy week.”

After a popular run through the summer, the museum’s interactive storytelling sessions will return for half term with a brand-new story called ‘Stevie and the Ghost Train’.

The museum’s programme of half term activities runs from Saturday 22 October to Sunday 30 October and the museum will be open every day during the half term holidays.

Alongside these activities, visitors can also enjoy the museum’s miniature railway, the Mallard Experience ride, and recently refurbished indoor play area.

To find out more, visit: www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/whats-on