Alstom to host The Greatest Gathering

On Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August 2025, Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Site in Derby will open to the public for the first time in over 50 years. Britain’s biggest and oldest remaining train factory will be home to over 50 rolling stock exhibits from the past, present and future of the railways.

The event forms part of the wider Railway 200 festivities, a year-long celebration marking the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) on 27 September 1825.

Historic locomotives – representing steam, diesel and electric traction – were exhibited at Litchurch Lane on the eve of tickets going on sale, and which will appear at The Greatest Gathering in August. These include an LNER Class A4 (60007) ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’, built 1937, provided by the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust and operated by Locomotive Services Limited.

Other trains on show include the Merchant Navy Class (35018) ‘British India Line’, a preserved 1945 Southern Railway steam locomotive that is owned and operated by West Coast Railways; and the contemporary Class 720 Aventra (720503), built in 2024 at Derby Litchurch Lane and operated by Greater Anglia

The first locomotive to run on the S&DR – Locomotion No. 1 – was built by the Newcastle-based Robert Stephenson and Company. It was the first company created to build railway engines and later manufactured several of the first locomotives for other countries. Through successive mergers, Robert Stephenson and Company became part of Alstom in 1989.

“The Greatest Gathering, presented by Alstom for Railway 200, is a unique opportunity to celebrate not only the incredible progress of the past two centuries but also the bright future of rail,” Gian Luca Erbacci, Europe Region president at Alstom said in a statement. “This event is about bringing people together to reflect on what we’ve achieved collectively and to inspire the next generation to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainable transport.”

Alongside displays of historic and modern, mainline locomotives, Britain’s biggest rail celebration will also feature rides along Derby’s test track and a variety of narrow-gauge trains will be in operation.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £30 for adults and £15 for children (ages five to 15), with a family ticket (two adults and two children) costing £65 – plus booking fees. Children under five go free.