Nearly half of Brits admit they lack knowledge about Britain's railway history
Over nine in 10 Brits (92%) feel that British railways were an important invention – but as many as 44% admit they lack knowledge about train and railway history, a study has found.
A survey of 2,000 adults found that almost half (48%) were aware that Britain's railway system is the oldest in the world.
And almost six in 10 have heard of the likes of Isambard Kingdom Brunel (58%), who designed London Paddington Station, and George Stephenson (57%), who built the first passenger train to travel on a public rail line.
However, exactly 220 years on from the world's first steam-powered railway journey, in South Wales on February 21, 1804, just 22% know the name Richard Trevithick – the man who was pivotal in designing the locomotive involved.
And only 14% were aware of his contributions to constructing this high-steam engine – while just 24% knew that it was in 1804 that it was first successfully tested.
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However, upon learning of the pioneering role he played in British rail travel, 74% of those polled agreed that Richard Trevithick is overlooked in rail history.
And in a bid to amend this, Virgin Trains Ticketing is now on the hunt for possible descendants of Trevithick, who share his surname – in order to reward them with free train travel.
Mark Plowright, director at Virgin Trains Ticketing, said: “Richard Trevithick’s influence and impact on British rail history should not go unnoticed.
“He was a true trailblazer, who laid the foundations for others to go on and help build upon his successes. We want to make sure his good work doesn’t go unnoticed – and that’s why we’re offering free train travel to his lucky namesakes.”
When it comes to knowledge on Richard Trevithick, just 35% of those polled, via OnePoll, knew his first steam locomotive carried five wagons of iron on its first journey.
And as such, 79% agreed more should be done to raise awareness and celebrate British pioneers – with the same percentage saying schools should teach more about the role that engineers played in developing rail travel.
Meanwhile, just 23% could name Liverpool and Manchester as the birthplace of the world’s first intercity railway in 1830 – with 18% wrongly of the belief that it was London and Bristol.
It also emerged one in five (21%) incorrectly thought Great Western Railway was the first company to introduce the world’s first timetable for public use in 1839 – with just 14% aware that it was actually Manchester and Liverpool Railway.
Today, 23% often travel by rail due to affordability (52%), comfort (45%), and convenience of schedules (43%).
And more than two centuries since the world’s first steam locomotive, rail travel has come on leaps and bounds – with 57% buying their tickets digitally, either online or through ticketing apps.
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A spokesman for genealogy company, Ancestry, which helped to source key historical facts about Richard Trevithick, said: “The research shows there is limited knowledge around Richard Trevithick – and, after more than 220 years from his great invention, we want to put the nation on the right track to learn more about British rail history.
“With more than 40 billion records to explore, we encourage everyone to start their journey to learn more about their past. It’s incredible what you could discover, and where this journey could take you – you may even find an ancestor in our railway records.”
Those who share the surname Trevithick should email [email protected] to claim their free travel for three months.
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