Overview

• The Princess Royal attended the 50th anniversary reception and toured the refreshed gallery ahead of today’s public reopening.
• The project cost is reported at around £10.5 million to £11 million, funded by a DCMS grant with additional contributions from the Friends of the National Railway Museum.
• Upgrades include a new thermally efficient roof with photovoltaic panels, structural repairs, and in‑situ protection of royal carriages using scaffold frames and steel sheeting.
• New highlights include the conserved 1901 Queen Victoria funeral wreath (148kg, over 150 hours of work), a restored 1921 WHSmith bookstall, and Howard Grey’s photographs of Windrush arrivals.
• The reopening anchors the museum’s 50th‑birthday weekend, featuring curator talks, miniature railway rides, rare cab access, and free entry to Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery.