With Railway 200 celebrations taking place up and down the country, all eyes have been firmly fixed on Alstom in recent months as the world-famous manufacturer has been set to open the doors of its Litchurch Lane site to the public for the first time in almost 50 years for The Greatest Gathering, a celebration of rolling stock from the past, present and future.
Touting over 100 exhibitions, the sold-out charity event was packed with more than enough eye-candy for any rolling stock enthusiast, and we at Railway-News were lucky enough to be invited down for an on-site, sneak preview of the show before doors opened to the public on Friday 1 August.
But first, it’s important to get a proper idea of the importance of such a historic event.
Situated in the heart of Derby’s industrial district; Alstom’s Litchurch Lane site first began operations some time in the 1940s, where, under the name Derby Carriage and Wagon Works, it primarily produced rolling stock on behalf of the Midland Railway, its owner at the time.
Ownership of the site has changed hands only a small number of times since its opening, with Bombardier Transportation taking over the factory in 2001.
Following the closure of Alstom’s Washwood Heath plant in 2005, the site became the sole passenger rolling stock manufacturer in the UK, and was acquired by the manufacturer shortly after its acquisition of Bombardier in January 2021.
The factory was used to produce locomotives and rolling stock throughout both world wars, with the second world war seeing the site utilised to manufacture aircraft sections.
Now, the factory operates as the largest rolling stock production site in the UK, employing over 6,000 people and manufacturing rail vehicles for some of the most significant rail projects across the globe, and as the manufacturer prepared to welcome some 40,000 rail enthusiasts on-site over the course of three jam-packed days, the atmosphere was one of anticipation and elation.
It certainly isn’t very often you find yourself taking a casual stroll through a location of such historical and cultural magnitude, but when taking to the stage to introduce both himself and the event itself, Managing Director of Alstom UK & Ireland, Rob Whyte, makes it abundantly clear that this level of significance is felt on both sides of the fence, both in the factory and for those in attendance:
“It is my honour to host this historic event, and open the doors to this site for the first time since I was born,” said Whyte. “I hope the next three days will inspire, excite and engage all that come through the doors, and allow us to showcase the vital impact that the railway has had in the UK, and will continue to have across the world.”
Managing Director of Alstom UK and Ireland, Rob Whyte: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.
Flanked on either side by history and the modern age in Locomotion No. 1 and the Greater Anglia Flyer, the short introduction set the stage for a series of brief words provided by a number of key figureheads both in rail and government, including Alstom CEO Henri Popuart-Lafarge, President of Alstom Europe, Andrew DeLeone, French Ambassador to the UK, HE Hélène Duchêne, MP for Derby South, Baggy Shanker and Assistant Director & Head Curator of the National Railway Museum, Andrew McLean.
“When I look at [Locomotion No. 1], I think about all of the engineers which have worked here in Derby, and across the UK over the past 200 years. All the employees, all of our colleagues who have built the railway. This is no one-man-show. It is a team effort, a team success.” said Poupart-Lafarge.
He added: “[But] we are not here to just celebrate the success of the past. We are also here to prepare for the future, and [although] sometimes people see railway technology as ‘past technology’, it is [also] the technology of the future […] in the current world, with the need for decarbonisation, the need for a better quality of life within our cities, we need to continue to develop our technology, [to] increase the digitalisation of our technology. If I have a call to action, it’s not to wait for the next two-hundred years to be the railway that the world needed.”
Speaking of the relationship between the two countries; HE Hélène Duchêne said: “As French Ambassador to the UK, I can say with confidence that [the railway] is a source of pride for our relationship.”
She added: “Alstom’s footprint in Derby demonstrates [a commitment] to local skills and a supply chain from all regions across the UK.”
The site, which was still in the process of being dressed for the big weekend, already housed a huge collection of some of the most famous ‘faces’ in rail. In one corner, the strikingly beautiful LNER A4 4-6-2 60007, ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’, is accompanied by the LNER A2 No. 60532, ‘Blue Peter’, in a pairing fit to make any enthusiast weak at the knees.
Elsewhere, Alstom also revealed the brand-new Class 390 Pendolino No. 390119 ‘Progress’, with its bold statement-livery standing out amongst the crowd as it arrived pulled by the Direct Rail Services Class 57 57307 diesel-electric locomotive, ‘Lady Penelope’.
Other locomotives on site at the time included Eurostar’s Class 373 Power Car 3999,Class 37 Legacy Alstom Locomotive D6700, and a Class 93 tri-mode locomotive amongst many more.
As the evening rolled on, it was clear to see just how much the event meant to everyone involved. Staff on site were uniformly brimming with excitement, all eager to discuss the coming weekend’s events. Conversations with those manning exhibition stands within the main production shed conveyed a sense of immense pride, with the entire site buzzing with anticipation.
For a rail enthusiast, even the most brief stroll around the grounds had the potential to reveal a new treasure around every corner, each nook and cranny providing some small, or in some cases, huge piece of history.
Whilst one crowd flocked toward a test track to board a newly manufactured Elizabeth line train, others were merely taking a moment to get an extremely rare close-up look at any of the giant steam engines or modern offerings practically littering Alstom’s famed production facility.
Making our way to the exit, it was hard to keep track of the amount of different vehicles nestled in areas we hadn’t even noticed on the guided walk into the site, and with a growing number of members of the public approaching the gates, we left satisfied there was no doubt that the weekend would absolutely live up to its lofty expectations.
