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Rocket: All Aboard takes off with Creativity, Music, Heritage and a Vision for the Future.

Rocket All Aboard has launched in style with a full week of activities and celebrations that has set the wheels in motion for an exciting journey ahead!

By Karen Shannon · September 22, 2025

Rocket: All Aboard. The journey begins.

The celebrations began on 13 September in Liverpool, with community activities leading up to the countdown event on 15 September for key stakeholders in the 1830’s Warehouse at the Science & Industry Museum. Some Voices Choir set the tone, opening and closing with Ticket to Ride and Proud Mary, while the Mayor of St Helens joined guests alongside Paul Salveson, Chair of Rocket All Aboard. Both Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram appeared on screen to champion Rocket: All Aboard’s ambition and bold plans.

The countdown event also featured contributions from Huw Merriman, Chair of the Liverpool-Manchester Partnership Board, Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool, Rachel Knight, Head of Public Programme and Digital Experiences – North,  Science & Industry Museum and Karen Shannon, CEO of Manchester Histories. Together they unveiled a blueprint for delivery, including:

  • Rail in Libraries – connecting communities through learning and heritage.

  • Ticket to Ride – a hop-on-hop-off programme of days out.

  • Three major events, with more in development.

An animation telling the Rocket: All Aboard story is now available to watch  HERE.

Two people sat on a moving train chatting to get each - each is holding a black book.
A person's hand printing a british rail sign on a blank piece of paper shaped in an arch
Paul Salveson

Highlights across the week also included:

  • A lively panel at the University of Liverpool, hosted by Ian Wray as part of the British Science Festival.

  • Creative workshops at Metal Culture at Edge Hill Station including Writing the Journey – a Metropoetry Workshop.

  • At the Science and Industry Museum, Heritage Open Days offered behind-the-scenes tours,  access to rare archives, and a Rocket All Aboard stall that invited visitors to get involved.

Looking ahead, milestones include a spectacular opening celebrating the Rainhill Trails in 2029, an international gathering in 2030, and a grand finale in September 2030.

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