The massive rail event at the Litchurch Lane works in Derby attracted around 40,000 people over three days in August
Alstom employees won the project team of the year award for organising The Greatest Gathering(Image: Rail Media)
Derby train maker Alstom’s record-breaking Railway 200 event – The Greatest Gathering – has scooped two national awards for the company, which is based in Litchurch Lane in Derby.
The world’s largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains – held at Alstom’s 90-acre Litchurch Lane Works in August 2025 – won a project team award at the RailStaff Awards 2025.
And a day earlier, the organisers of The Greatest Gathering were also given the star team award at the 2025 Heart of Gold Awards. Organised by the Railway Benefit Fund, the Heart of Gold Awards celebrate those in the rail industry who go the extra mile and make a real difference.
Meanwhile, the RailStaff Awards also recognised two Derby-based Alstom engineers, Charlotte Briers and Yasha Siddiqui.
Charlotte Briers, rolling stock performance lead, received the equality, diversity and inclusion Award, recognising her efforts in championing empowerment and progress as part of Alstom’s female employee resource group (ERG), Voices of Women.
Last year, Charlotte obtained the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Verena Winifred Holmes Award, which also acknowledged her outstanding leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion in the rail industry, especially as chairperson of the Voices of Women ERG at Alstom.
Yasha Siddiqui was named graduate of the year at the RailStaff Awards. She was the chairperson of Alstom’s graduate scheme in the UK, where she focused on enhancing the programme for future graduates, and ensured that everyone felt included and supported.
Yasha completed graduate placements across the different engineering teams at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works and has now moved into her permanent role as a product cost engineer. This role sees her working on exploring cost-saving ideas at the design stage of new rolling stock at the Derby factory.
Julie Williams, project manager in Alstom’s digital and integrated systems team, was also highly commended in her category (project person award) for her work on the successful delivery of the £36 million Victoria Phase 4 signalling project in South London.
Rob Whyte, managing director of Alstom UK and Ireland, said: “Winning multiple honours at this year’s RailStaff Awards is a fantastic achievement for Alstom and a real testament to the talent and dedication of our people.
“From graduate excellence to leadership in diversity and inclusion, these awards highlight the breadth of expertise and commitment that drives our success across the UK rail industry.
“To see The Greatest Gathering recognised twice in one week is truly remarkable. These awards celebrate not only the scale and ambition of the event but also the collaboration and passion that made it possible.
“I’d like to thank the organising committee, alongside the hundreds of Alstom colleagues, and partners across the main line and heritage sectors who made The Greatest Gathering a once-in-a-lifetime event for the thousands of visitors we welcomed to Derby, alongside the millions who enjoyed it virtually around the world.”
In total, Alstom secured 17 finalists across 20 categories for this year’s RailStaff Awards, including individual nods for Ben Goodwin (rail ambassador of the year) and Kathryn Lancaster (lifetime achievement award), two of the organisers of The Greatest Gathering.
The RailStaff Awards 2025 took place at the NEC, Birmingham and were hosted by journalist, broadcaster and former politician Michael Portillo. Meanwhile, the Railway Benefit Fund’s 2025 Heart of Gold Award Winners were held at Railpen’s new London offices and presented by charity president, Pete Waterman, and Jo Kaye, chief executive of the Railway Benefit Fund.
