The Greatest Gathering begins: Incredible drone footage captures world’s largest railway festival in Derby

Alstom will welcome almost 40,000 railfans from around the globe this weekend, as its Derby Litchurch Lane Works in the UK hosts the world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains – The Greatest Gathering.

Alstom’s three-day sold-out charity extravaganza forms part of the wider festivities for Railway 200, a year-long celebration marking the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) on 27 September 1825 – and a journey that gave birth to the modern railway.

Britain’s biggest and oldest remaining train factory will be home to more than 140 rolling stock exhibits from the past, present and future of the railways, with the site itself opening to the public for the first time in almost 50 years. Highlights across the weekend will include:

• A cavalcade of steam locomotives: The 200-year-old Locomotion No. 1 will be joined by the UK’s oldest operating standard gauge engine, Furness Railway No. 20, Derby-built Midland Railway 1000 Class No. 1000 and the world-famous Flying Scotsman. Locomotion No. 1 will appear beside a Derby-built Alstom Class 720 Aventra train, placing one of the world’s oldest locomotives next to one of the UK’s newest at The Greatest Gathering
• A lineup of high-speed trains including Alstom-built Class 390 Pendolino Progress – the UK’s first fully wrapped Pride train – which will appear alongside Eurostar power car 3999 and Derby-designed Class 43 High Speed Trains (HSTs)

• A host of trains debuting new names and liveries, including two Class 50 locomotives that will showcase striking wraps designed especially for The Greatest Gathering in partnership with Aura Brand Solutions
• Visitors will get the opportunity to ride on steam, diesel and electric-hauled trains, including a Class 345 Derby-built Alstom Aventra train along Litchurch Lane’s 1.6 km-long test track. Meanwhile, Prince, the world’s oldest operating narrow-gauge locomotive from 1863, will be carrying passengers throughout the jamboree

• Every day a packed timetable of talks and performances from famous faces and industry insiders will be taking place in the specially-constructed Mobility Theatre. The space will also host the UK premiere of feature-length documentary An Unlikely Fandom: The Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine on Saturday 2 August, which will be followed by a Q&A with its US-based filmmakers
• Finally, fairground attractions, family entertainment, street food and live music will also add to the festival feel

Covering 90 acres, Derby Litchurch Lane Works is one of the world’s largest rolling stock factories, and the only UK facility that designs, engineers, builds and tests trains for domestic and export markets.

The factory was opened by the Midland Railway in 1876 and the city of Derby has been building trains continually since 1839.

In 2022, Derby was chosen by the Government as the home of Great British Railways following a vote by the public between contender cities.

A full list of exhibits on display at Alstom presents The Greatest Gathering can be found on the event’s official website: www.alstom.com/greatest-gathering