Discovery Museum’s new exhibition ‘Steam to Green’ to showcase a renewable North East

TYNE-BASED train company Lumo, whose trains are electric-powered and 25 times cleaner than flying, is supporting a showpiece exhibition highlighting the North-East’s green transition.

The ‘Steam to Green’ exhibition at the Discovery Museum in Blandford Square, will run for two years from this July – a length of time which underlines the importance of its subject material, the generational shift determining where future energy comes from.

And Lumo – a company committed to providing sustainable train journeys for passengers through its electric trains- is backing it.

Martijn Gilbert, managing director of Lumo, which based in Newcastle’s Stephenson’s Quarter, the site of the world’s first railway locomotive factory, said: “We are proud of the region’s railway and industrial heritage and actively playing a key role in our green future.

“We’re incredibly excited to be part of such an interactive and impactful exhibition celebrating innovation in engineering and technology.

“We are committed to helping keep the region at the forefront of great value and sustainable rail travel through creating a cleaner, greener future for the communities and customers we serve.”

Lumo currently offers an electric train service on the East Coast mainline between London and Edinburgh via Newcastle. 

Steam to Green opens on Saturday, July 20th and will run to September 6th, 2026, exploring the story of energy including ground-breaking research currently taking place in the region.

The exhibition includes a section about environmentally sustainable transport featuring information about Lumo’s electric trains and pioneering innovation within the travel industry.

Created in partnership with Newcastle University, the exhibition will showcase green technologies from North East businesses alongside science and engineering objects from the museum’s historic collections. 

Keith Merrin, director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) said: “I’m delighted Lumo is now a Steam to Green partner.

“As an innovative company offering sustainable travel, Lumo is a fantastic example of how many businesses in the North East are prioritising environmental sustainability.  

“We’re looking forward to working with Lumo over the next two years whilst Steam to Green is on display.”  

Steam to Green: A North East Energy Revolution will take a positive view on how once again the North East of England is leading the way in technological innovation.

It will reference the area’s heritage of fossil fuel extraction and use of steam power and contrast this with the green energy research and innovation happening in the region today, particularly around green energy generation and use in transport and the home.   

Steam to Green will also shine a light on career pathways in the green energy sector which is growing rapidly in the North East.  

And with new hands-on interactives like a wind tunnel/simulator and solar aeroplanes there will be lots for families to do, as well as a family events programme planned, schools learning programme and adult after-hours events.   

The Discovery Museum is open seven days a week, weekdays 10 am–4 pm, weekends 11 am–4 pm and closed on Bank Holidays. It’s always free entry and donations are welcome.   

The museum is known for its world-class science collection, including the world’s first steam-turbine powered ship Turbinia, conceived and built on Tyneside by Charles Parsons.

It also houses one of the best collections of lightbulbs in the world, including the world’s first commercial lightbulb invented by Joseph Swan.   

The Steam to Green exhibition is supported by headline sponsor Vattenfall, a leading European energy company with a site in Hexham. 

It is funded by Newcastle University, Reece Foundation, Faraday Challenge, Friends of Discovery Museum, the Headley Trust and the Art Fund. 

• For more information go to: https://discoverymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/steam-to-green-a-north-east-energy-revolution