MOST of us have heard of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), but was it really that important?

Well, yes it was. The 26-mile line, which connected Stockton, Darlington and several collieries near Shildon, County Durham, paved the way for modern rail transport and was the first railway to use steam locomotives and carry passengers.

Its opening on September 27, 1825, drew huge crowds with the first steam-hauled passenger train, Locomotion No 1, piloted by chief engineer George Stephenson, carrying up to 600 passengers, most in coal wagons.

It would be years later, however, that its real significance was recognised, as many people had not been convinced that steam was a viable alternative to horse-drawn traffic which continued to be used on the S&DR.

Bob Clark, manager of the Darlington Railway Museum, the home of Locomotion No 1, said: "The opening was an event, a big local celebration, but nobody at the time had any idea how important it would prove to be.

"Before 1825, there had been quite a lot of railways, but they were from colleries and iron works delivering coal to the ports.

"Many of these railways undoubtedly carried passengers, an extra wagon would be attached here and there.

"However the whole point of S&DR was that it went from town to town, whereas they did not, and it was also a truly public transport service right from the start, which had never been done before.

"It was open to all-comers. If you could afford the fare, you could travel.

"Also, right from the start the intention was that it should haul carriages by steam. Most of its predecessor railways had been laid out with the assumption that the main power would be horses, even though they subsequently used locomotives, as with the S&DR."

Eventually, horse-drawn traffic disappeared as steam technology became more reliable.

Meanwhile, the S&DR was quickly eclipsed by bigger railways linking the likes of Liverpool to Manchester and Manchester to Leeds.

But its methods of operation, such as parallel tracks built for trains travelling in opposite directions, timetables and a crude signalling system to prevent collisions, became the standard for railways round the world.

Mr Clark said: "The S&DR is a brilliant story and while there is an element of hype, it has genuine historical significance.

"Stephenson's backers had a vision to extend the railway beyond coal and horses. They came up with the money for S&DR and gave Stephenson his head to do what he did.

"Our mission today is to make sure that we never forget the contribution Darlington and the surrounding area made to the railways."

Anthony Coulls, collection care manager at Locomotion: The National Railway Museum in Shildon, said of the S&DR: "Things might have looked very different had it never existed and we are entirely justified in celebrating what we have here."