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City to host major gathering of historic trains

George Torr
BBC News, Derby
Glenn Jones/BBC Picture of Pete Waterman on the Alstom rail yard. He is wearing a hi-vis jacket and is stood in front of some historic trains.Glenn Jones/BBC
Music mogul and railway enthusiast Pete Waterman was in Derby for a launch event

Train manufacturer Alstom will open its factory for the first time in more than 50 years for a major gathering of historic railway vehicles.

The event in Derby will mark the 200th anniversary of the world's first passenger train service with the Greatest Gathering event between August 1 and 3.

Music mogul and railway enthusiast Pete Waterman was a special guest at a launch day on Thursday.

He told the BBC: "Derby has always been the centre of railways for a long time, particularly with a Midlands lad like me."

More than 50 rolling stock exhibits from the past, present and future of the railways will be on display, featuring a combination of those powered by steam, diesel and electricity.

Mr Waterman said: "I first came here in 1957 with my school. This event is about 200 years of people and about those that have run the railways - the steam engines and diesel trains is just part of it.

"The people that make them and make them run, that's what we should be celebrating."

A picture of an Avanti West Coast Pendolino train on the train yard with the Alstom branding above the carriage.
A number of rolling stock from across the decades will be on show to the public

The historic locomotives include on show will include:

  • LNER Class A4 Sir Nigel Gresley, built in 1937.
  • Southern Railway Merchant Navy Class British India Line, built in 1945.
  • Class 37 Cassiopeia, built in 1963.

Up to 30,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, which will form part of the wider Railway 200 festivities.

The industry is embarking on a year-long celebration named Railway 200 to mark the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in north-east England on 27 September 1825, which is credited as being the birth of the modern railway.

The LNER Class A4 Sir Nigel Gresley and a Class 50 049
The LNER Class A4 Sir Nigel Gresley, built in 1937 (left) and a British Rail Class 50 will also be on display

Alstom's Europe region president Gian Luca Erbacci said: "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.

"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."

Tickets go on sale from 09:00 GMT on Friday with all profits split between five charities.

PA Media A preserved Merseyrail Class 507 in the Alstom train yardPA Media
A preserved Merseyrail Class 507, which will feature in the Greatest Gathering showcase

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