• Almost 40,000 people will get to see more than 140 rail vehicles across Alstom’s 90-acre site in Derby
• Three-day event marks the 200th anniversary of the modern railway

Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, 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.

“Alstom’s roots in the UK go right back to 1825, when Locomotion No. 1 made its historic journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Through successive mergers the locomotive’s builder – Robert Stephenson and Company – became part of Alstom in 1989 and we are beyond proud to carry that legacy of ingenuity forward,” said Rob Whyte, Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom.

He added: “The Greatest Gathering is a once-in-a-generation celebration of Britain’s railway heritage and future, and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without the extraordinary support of so many. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to every Alstom colleague, organisation, rail operator and exhibitor who has helped bring our vision spectacularly to life. Together, we’ve created the world’s largest gathering of historic and modern railway vehicles, and a truly unforgettable experience for tens of thousands of visitors, alongside those watching online at home.”

The Greatest Gathering takes place on Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August 2025 at Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane Site in Derby. 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 1.4 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

• At the heart of The Greatest Gathering, inside one of Litchurch Lane’s vast workshops, lies a vibrant and future-focused family-friendly zone: the STEM Hub. Designed to ignite curiosity and ambition among visitors, this interactive space showcases the power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in shaping the future of rail and sustainable mobility

• Another workshop on site hosts the Model Railway Village in partnership with Key Model World. From legendary music producer – and renowned railway modeller – Pete Waterman’s outstanding Making Tracks 3 in OO-gauge, to the biggest brands in model manufacturing, high quality layouts and model makers

• Curated in partnership with the National Railway Museum, the Railway 200 exhibition train, Inspiration, will showcase rail’s impact over the last two centuries inside a series of redesigned Mark 3 carriages that were originally built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works

• Finally, fairground attractions, family entertainment, street food and live music will also add to the festival feel

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“In this year of Railway 200 celebrations many imaginative and innovative events are being staged to mark this key anniversary in the history of railways. The Greatest Gathering does so on a huge scale, and promises to enter the history books as the largest exhibition of railway equipment ever staged in the UK. The whole rail industry has come together to back the vision of the organising team to create something truly special, which is wonderful to see as we move forward into the new future with the creation of Great British Railways,” said Lord Peter Hendy, UK Rail Minister.

He added: “I very much hope the thousands of you who were fortunate enough to secure tickets enjoy the display, which aims to really highlight the railway of the past, present and future, and hopefully inspires some of the diverse younger generations to become the railway professionals of the future.”

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.

“I would like to warmly congratulate the team at Alstom as they celebrate 200 years of railway history in Derby, and look forward to a bright future of designing and building the next generation of trains, and supporting the decarbonisation of transport for decades to come. Alstom Derby’s key contribution to delivering major transport projects across the UK shows how bilateral investment can be a driver for growth, innovation and improved connections between people,” said Her Excellency Madame Hélène Duchêne, French Ambassador to the UK.

Her Excellency added: “In this regard, Alstom’s manufacturing presence in the UK echoes the British and French Governments’ shared commitment to supporting rail travel, both domestically and through the Channel Tunnel. Following the UK-France Summit on 10 July, our two countries committed to deepening their cooperation to foster the growth of Cross-Channel rail traffic, including by working to reduce barriers for potential new market entrants.”

All profits from The Greatest Gathering will be split between Railway 200’s five chosen charities – Alzheimer’s Research UK, Railway Benefit Fund, Railway Children, Railway Mission and Transport Benevolent Fund CIO – and railway heritage partners.

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

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This past week, the Eno Center issued a report entitled “Freight Rail for the 21^st Century: Opportunities for Mode Shift to Improve Efficiency and Resiliency.” The main objective of the report is to provide policymakers and industry professionals with a resource including analyses and strategies to improve freight rail policy, with a specific focus on improving efficiency and resiliency. The report was developed with the support of Henry Posner, of the Railroad Development Corporation and Iowa Interstate Railroad, along with an advisory panel made up of several industry experts.

The Report at a Glance

The report builds on the main objective in a series of sections. First, the report includes an analysis of the freight sector in general, looking at freight volumes, major commodities, fuel consumption, and distances, all with breakdowns between different transportation modes. The intention of a general freight sector analysis is to establish the context in which the report then discusses the value of rail in the freight sector. There is a short discussion on a modal shift towards rail, outlining the areas in which rail can take on freight traffic from other modes. The goal of the discussion on mode shift is to show that rail is a competitive, reliable, and safe mode of transport, especially for long-distance, heavy, and low-value freight (although it is important to note that rail is an option for high-value intermodal goods).

The report includes a section on resiliency, which is defined in the context of infrastructure resilience as “ability to reduce the magnitude or duration of disruptive events, by anticipating, adapting to and/or recovering from a potentially disruptive event.” Improving infrastructure, transportation planning, data collection, and fostering innovation are all components of building resilience in the freight network. The report then includes a section on efficiency, specifically comparing greenhouse gas emissions between modes, fuel efficiency, and fuel alternatives in the rail industry.

There are several key points that can be extrapolated from the comprehensive report:

1. Freight volumes in the U.S. are projected to increase by 2050, placing significant strain on existing transportation infrastructure, which is already constrained by bottlenecks, trucking workforce shortages, and limited intermodal capacity. Rail transport, currently underutilized, offers a crucial opportunity to relieve road congestion, improve efficiency, and mitigate environmental impacts.
2. Freight rail provides significant environmental and economic advantages over trucking, including greater fuel efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and cost-effectiveness for long-haul and bulk freight. Encouraging a mode shift from road to rail can help achieve emissions reductions and improve overall freight sustainability.
3. Strategic policy actions are needed to leverage rail’s potential fully. Recommended actions include increasing public funding for rail infrastructure, enhancing data sharing for effective planning, modernizing emissions standards, providing tax incentives for alternative fuels, and strengthening organizational capacity for multimodal freight planning. These measures collectively aim to enhance the resiliency, efficiency, and sustainability of the national freight transportation system.

The report has two components. The full report provides a detailed analysis on the freight sector, the value of freight rail, resiliency and efficiency in the freight sector, and presentation of public policy recommendations.

The second component is called the “Summary for Policymakers,” or “Policymaker’s Summary.” The objective behind this component is to provide a stand-alone document that provides the high-level analysis and recommendations from the full report in a concise and shorter document designed for the busy policymaker or industry professional. This is similar to an executive summary, except that the policymaker’s summary does not exist within the full report like an executive summary.

Current Considerations for Freight Rail

This report comes at an important juncture for freight rail, with the recent announcement of the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger. The merger is going to bring about the first transcontinental railroad under one company in the United States, and with it, the potential for the companies to think about improving efficiency of the freight rail network. While the two railroads see the merger as a method of improving efficiency in the freight rail network, understanding the implications of a merger (of which there are many, both positive and negative) warrants a separate article.

While this report focuses on freight rail, the value of rail as an efficient, resilient, and reliable form of transportation can apply to passenger rail as well. Further research on strategies to boost resiliency and efficiency in the passenger rail network can be a valuable resource in strengthening the viability of passenger rail to provide essential, reliable, and enjoyable service.

Rail has been a part of the United States’ transportation conscience for nearly 200 years. From the major Class I railroads moving bulk commodities across the country to the short lines supporting local businesses and industries, freight rail is a valuable and integral part of the freight transportation network. This report seeks to strengthen that notion through its analysis and recommendations. The United States boasts the largest freight rail network in the world, and policymakers and industry professionals can implement strategies to make this vast rail network to become a more resilient and efficient piece of infrastructure and support the many people who keep the rail network moving.