RAINHILL'S contribution to transport history has received the same recognition as international iconic structures including the Eiffel Tower and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Leading engineers from the US and UK will converge on Rainhill Library for a ceremony that highlights the village's status as the birthplace of the railway.

Rainhill was the site of the 1829 Rainhill Trials - won by George Stephenson and his Rocket locomotive. The contest led to the opening of the world's first public railway the following year between Liverpool and Manchester, which set the standard for the rest of the world.

On September 14, the development will be honoured by the British Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, as well as their US counterparts, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

At a ceremony, hosted by St Helens Council's library service and Rainhill Railway and Heritage Society, a plaque will be unveiled that sees the line take its place alongside some of the world's most iconic structures.

The Eiffel Tower and the Brooklyn Bridge are among the select group to gain the American Society of Civil Engineers' Historical Civil Engineering Landmark Status.

The plaque will be at Rainhill Library for temporary display before being moved to a permanent home at Rainhill Station next year.

St Helens Council leader Barrie Grunewald said: "As both leader and a Rainhill councillor, I'm delighted that our place in history is being commemorated in this way.

"The world owes much to the pioneering developments that took place in and around St Helens. The economic and social impact of the railway across the globe was, without exaggeration, immense."

Darrell Matthews, North West Regional Director of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said: "George Stephenson came from very humble origins with no formal education and yet became one of the world's great pioneering engineers. His son Robert went on to become President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and their achievements literally helped create the modern world. I feel this is a very fitting tribute to them and their work."

Derek Houghton, chairman of Rainhill Railway and Heritage Society said: "Our thanks go to the sponsoring organisations for this important recognition of the significance of Rainhill in the history of transport and engineering.

"It emphasises the place in history of Rainhill and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and supports our ambition to see the line become a World Heritage site. The society, in conjunction with Rainhill Parish Council, is working towards a major celebration of the 190th anniversary of the Trials, to be held in 2019."

The social impact of the line was such that, amongst other things, it led to the establishment of Greenwich Mean Time for standardising timetables - and the gradual demise of regional or local time.

As a result of the improvements in transportation, prices of fuel and food fell in cities connected to railways.

Railways allowed urban populations to spread out. Suburbs were built, giving some families the chance to move out of overcrowded and unhealthy town and city centres - and to travel into work each day by train. Rainhill was one of the first suburban commuter villages.