Historic Bedford returns to mark Railway 200

Our acclaimed local history programme returns to mark this year's Railway 200 celebrations

Bedford Radio | Monday 29th December 2025 11:51am

Bedford Radio has broadcast a new edition of its award-nominated programme Historic Bedford over the Christmas period, telling the story of how the railways came to Bedford.

The show is the station’s contribution to the nationwide Railway 200 celebrations, marking two centuries since the creation of the first modern railway.

Highlights include the contributions of railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson to Bedford’s railway network, Charles Dickens’ unscheduled visit to Bedford, in fear for his life, and how Bedford avoided the mistakes of other nearby towns that had not welcomed the railways as they spread across the country.

The story has been brought to life by readings of contemporary letters, newspaper articles and speeches, specially recorded by volunteers from Bedford Radio and The Place Theatre. There are also contributions from prominent railway history YouTuber Jago Hazzard, who provides the big picture on the development of the railways nationwide.

Historic Bedford: Railway 200 was first broadcast on Bedford Radio on Sunday 28th December 2025, at 7pm. You can listen again below, either to the programme as broadcast with our usual selection of music, or an edited speech-only version.  

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