Alstom Hosts The Greatest Gathering At Derby Litchurch Lane Works To Celebrate Two Centuries Of Rail Heritage

Friday, August 1, 2025

Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works will go nan epicentre of obstruction history arsenic it hosts The Greatest Gathering, nan largest railway show successful nan world, from August 1 to August 3, 2025. This three-day arena is portion of nan Railway 200 celebrations to people nan 200th day of nan opening of nan Stockton and Darlington Railway successful 1825. nan arena will item nan birthplace of modern railway. More than 140 exhibits from nan past and nan coming of obstruction recreation will beryllium connected display. The arena will supply an unparalleled acquisition for obstruction enthusiasts, families and visitors from allover nan world.

Alstom, a world leader successful smart and sustainable transport, has a beardown relationship to Britain’s obstruction legacy, pinch roots backmost to 1825. It was nan clip erstwhile Robert Stephenson and Company, nan creator of nan iconic Locomotion No. 1, became portion of Alstom pinch mergers. The arena not only showcases nan singular history of obstruction recreation but besides highlights nan early of transportation, focusing Alstom’s ongoing domiciled successful shaping obstruction innovation.

A Historic Venue pinch a Rich Legacy

Derby Litchurch Lane Works, which has been operational since 1876, is 1 of nan largest and astir important rolling banal factories successful nan world. It is nan only UK installation that designs, engineers, builds, and tests trains for some home and export markets. The tract has produced respective iconic trains, including nan Alstom-built Electrostar and nan high-speed Aventra, utilized extensively crossed nan UK.

This year, Derby was besides named nan location of Great British Railways, further cementing its pivotal domiciled successful nan nation’s obstruction industry. The Greatest Gathering will return spot astatine this historical location, which has remained a captious portion of nan British railway infrastructure for complete 150 years. Visitors will person a uncommon opportunity to research this monolithic facility, which has been closed to nan nationalist for almost 50 years, adding an other furniture of excitement to nan event.

Celebrating 200 Years of nan Railway

The Greatest Gathering commemorates nan two-century-long travel that began pinch nan Stockton and Darlington Railway, nan world’s first nationalist railway to usage steam locomotives for rider and freight transport. Locomotion No. 1, nan first locomotive to recreation connected this historical line, will beryllium 1 of nan main attractions astatine nan event. This locomotive, on pinch different iconic steam engines, will beryllium connected display, allowing visitors to acquisition nan awe-inspiring machines that helped style nan railway industry.

Rob Whyte, Managing Director of Alstom UK and Ireland, expressed nan company’s pridefulness successful continuing nan bequest of invention that began pinch Locomotion No. 1, stated that The Greatest Gathering is simply a once-in-a-generation ceremony of Britain’s railway practice and future. He besides said that it simply wouldn’t person been imaginable without nan bonzer support of truthful galore colleagues, obstruction operators, and exhibitors who person brought this imagination to life.

Key Highlights of The Greatest Gathering

The Greatest Gathering promises to beryllium an unforgettable experience, offering thing for obstruction fans of each ages. Some of nan awesome highlights include:

• Steam Locomotives: In summation to Locomotion No. 1, visitors will spot different celebrated locomotives specified arsenic nan Flying Scotsman, Furness Railway No. 20, and Midland Railway 1000 Class No. 1000. These historical steam engines will beryllium connected show alongside modern machines, symbolizing nan improvement of obstruction transport.
• High-Speed Trains: The show will besides characteristic cutting-edge high-speed trains, including nan Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolino, Eurostar powerfulness car 3999, and nan Derby-designed Class 43 High-Speed Trains (HSTs). These trains showcase nan advances successful obstruction exertion and nan continued value of velocity and ratio successful modern obstruction systems.
• New Names and Livery: Two Class 50 locomotives will debut striking wraps designed for nan event, highlighting nan productivity and artistry progressive successful railway branding.
• Interactive Experiences: Families and young visitors will beryllium capable to prosecute pinch nan STEM Hub, a dedicated abstraction designed to ignite curiosity astir science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The area will connection hands-on activities, including demonstrations of really these disciplines lend to nan early of obstruction and sustainable mobility.
• Model Railway Village: Partnering pinch Key Model World, nan arena will characteristic awesome exemplary layouts, including Pete Waterman’s “Making Tracks 3” successful OO-gauge, arsenic good arsenic displays from starring exemplary manufacturers.
• Railway 200 Exhibition Train: The Inspiration train, curated successful collaboration pinch nan National Railway Museum, will showcase nan history and effect of railways complete nan past 2 centuries, giving visitors a deeper knowing of nan transformative domiciled of obstruction successful society.
• Entertainment and Attractions: The arena will besides characteristic fairground rides, unrecorded music, thoroughfare food, and performances from notable railway experts. Visitors will person nan chance to bask a afloat show ambiance while exploring nan rich | history and early of rail.

Supporting Charitable Causes

All profits from The Greatest Gathering will beryllium donated to 5 chosen charities: Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Benefit Fund, Railway Children, Railway Mission, and Transport Benevolent Fund CIO. Additionally, nan arena will support railway practice organizations, ensuring nan preservation of nan UK’s obstruction history for early generations. This charitable facet of nan arena highlights Alstom’s committedness to giving backmost to nan organization and supporting those successful need.

Looking to nan Future

As portion of nan Railway 200 celebrations, The Greatest Gathering is not only astir remembering nan past but besides astir inspiring nan adjacent procreation of railway professionals. UK Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy noted that nan full obstruction manufacture has travel together to backmost this vision, and he hoped it would animate young group to prosecute careers successful nan railway sector.

The arena serves arsenic a reminder of nan ongoing value of obstruction carrier and invention successful shaping nan early of sustainable mobility. The collaboration betwixt Alstom, obstruction operators, and practice organizations highlights nan spot of nan UK’s obstruction manufacture and its expertise to accommodate to nan challenges of nan future.

Conclusion

The Greatest Gathering promises to beryllium an effective arena successful nan UK’s railway history. As nan world’s largest gathering of some historical and modern trains, it offers visitors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to research nan improvement of obstruction transport. group will acquisition it successful 1 of nan astir iconic and historical railway factories successful nan world. Whether you’re a dedicated obstruction follower, a family looking for an acquisition tour, aliases personification willing successful nan early of transportation, The Greatest Gathering is simply a awesome arena you won’t want to miss.