Alstom

has
launched
its
own
celebrations
of
Railway
200
with
a
preliminary
event
at
Derby,
as
a
curtain
raiser
to
a
special
three
days
at
the
start
of
August
when
the
Litchurch
Lane
works
will
be
opened
to
the
public
for
the
first
time
in
half
a
century.

More
than
50
items
of
rolling
stock,
both
historic
and
modern,
will
be
on
display,
and
Alstom
said
it
will
be
the
largest
gathering
of
its
kind
ever
seen
in
this
country.
A
complicated
programme
of
special
workings
will
be
needed
for
all
these
vehicles
to
reach
Litchurch
Lane,
and
this
is
being
worked
out
by
Network
Rail
and
Alstom
staff
at
Derby.

Yesterday’s
event
was
attended
by
Railway
200
programme
manager
Emma
Roberts,
Derby
South
MP
Baggy
Shanker,
GB
Railfreight
CEO
John
Smith,
railway
enthusiast
Pete
Waterman
and
Alstom’s
European
region
president
Gian
Luca
Erbacci.
In
addition,
the
King
was
represented
by
the
Vice
Lord-Lieutenant
of
Derbyshire,
Colonel
John
Wilson.

The
rolling
stock
will
include
an
LNER
A4,
a
Southern
Railway
Merchant
Navy
class
locomotive,
a
number
of
diesel
locomotives
and
several
multiple
units.
The
oldest
of
these
units
will
be
a
preserved
Class
507,
recently
retired
from
Merseyrail,
which
will
be
accompanied
by
an
Alstom-built
Pendolino
as
well
as
a
pair
of
Class
701
and
Class
720
units
built
at
Derby
last
year.

Alstom’s
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.’

The
August
event
will
offer
rides
along
the
Derby
test
track,
while
a
variety
of
narrow-gauge
trains
will
be
in
operation.
There
will
also
be
a
Model
Railway
Village,
fairground
attractions,
street
food
and
live
music
which
Alstom
said
will
add
to
the
festival
atmosphere.

Derby
is
to
be
the
headquarters
city
of
Great
British
Railways,
and
legislation
to
create
GBR
is
expected
later
this
year.

Emma
Roberts
of
Railway
200
said:
‘Our
railways
are
here
for
everyone.
They
bring
friends
and
family
together
and
enable
us
to
enjoy
new
opportunities
and
experiences.
It’s
wonderful
that
Alstom
is
marking
Railway
200
with
this
fun-packed
festival
for
everyone
to
enjoy,
in
Derby,
the
new
home
of
the
railway.’

Tickets
for
the
August
event
go
on
sale
today,
at
£30
for
adults
and
£15
for
children
under
16.
All
profits
will
go
to
charity.

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in
the
next
print
edition
RN336,
published
13
February.