Flying Scotsman to appear at Greatest Gathering event

The Flying Scotsman will appear at the world’s largest gathering of historic and modern railway vehicles in August.

Train manufacturer Alstom announced that the famous locomotive will be part of the Greatest Gathering event at its factory in Derby.

Up to 30,000 people are expected to attend the event, which runs from August 1 to 3.

An additional 2,500 tickets for each day will be available from 9am on Friday.

Rob Whyte, managing director at Alstom UK and Ireland, said: “Flying Scotsman’s attendance is a powerful tribute to Britain’s steam legacy and a moment of railway history not to be missed.

“While we proudly honour icons of the past, like Flying Scotsman, we also hope the Greatest Gathering will ignite the imagination of tomorrow’s engineers, as we showcase the latest sustainable and digital rail innovations across our Derby site.”

Flying Scotsman was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley and built in Doncaster.

Its achievements include hauling the inaugural non-stop London to Edinburgh train service in 1928 and becoming the UK’s first locomotive to reach 100mph six years later.

Craig Bentley, director of the National Railway Museum, which owns Flying Scotsman, said: “Flying Scotsman has captured the public’s imagination for over a century.

“We are proud to be able to share this icon of the track, along with other historically significant locomotives from the national collection, at this landmark event.”

Where to see the Flying Scotsman 2025

After a busy start to 2025, the Flying Scotsman is set to return to the North East to spend summer with a mix of display and steam ride days at the Locomotion museum in Country Durham.

The Flying Scotsman is also due to be the first train to travel along the re-laid track at the Severn Valley Railway in Kidderminster this July, with tickets selling out within minutes last week.

More trips are now in the planning stage, with details set to be released later in the year.