Aura Brand Solutions Supports "The Greatest Gathering"
August 01, 2025
Aura are proud to support Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering as a celebration of Railway 200.
This included the installed over 300 signs and refurbished and wrapping multiple trains for the world’s largest ever display of rolling stock.
Aura were honoured to play a role in The Greatest Gathering, the landmark event held at Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane site in Derby to mark the 200-year anniversary of the railway industry.
The event saw over 40,000 visitors across three days and brought together the largest ever collection of heritage and modern rolling stock in one place, the ultimate celebration of British rail heritage, engineering achievements, and a bright future. All proceeds from ticket sales are donated to charity.
Bringing Signage to Life
Alstom approached Aura to help deliver a seamless visitor experience through the allocation, supply, and installation of extensive event signage and wayfinding solutions. Working closely with Alstom’s design team, we surveyed the site, advised on signage types and placements, and delivered a full signage scheme that supported navigation, branding and brought the event to life.
Danny Wright, Project Manager at Aura, says ‘Managing the signage for The Greatest Gathering was a huge privilege. From the first site survey to installing the final sign, our focus was on helping visitors have a smooth and enjoyable experience. It was a true team effort and seeing it all come together for such a historic occasion was incredibly rewarding.”
Wrapped Trains take Centre Stage
We were also tasked with the refurbishment and full train wraps for several trains displayed at the event:
• Two Class 50s – ‘Ark Royal’ and ‘Exeter’, owned by Class 50 Alliance Limited and used for heritage tours, wrapped in Alstom’s Greatest Gathering design
• Class 150 Sprinter (built 1986), owned by Porterbrook
• Class 47, wrapped for Rail Engineering Services in a design created by their team
The trains were wrapped using 3M premium wrap material with anti-graffiti protection, providing durability and striking visuals.
Several trains previously wrapped by Aura were also featured at the event, including the Avanti and TfL Pride trains, Drax 50th Anniversary locomotive, Loram RGX grinder, and the recently unveiled Railway 200 Inspiration Train.
Collaborative Effort
John Bekalo, Head of Rail at Aura, says: “We are proud to have played a part in such a monumental event. Our team pulled together to deliver large volumes of signage and rolling stock wraps under tight deadlines in collaboration with Alstom, all with the aim of contributing to an unforgettable celebration of Britain’s rail story.”
Ben Goodwin, Communications Director at Alstom, says “The team have been a delight to work with from the outset and were integral to us delivering the world's largest-ever gathering of historic and modern trains. From concept to execution, Aura Brand Solutions demonstrated creativity, professionalism and an unwavering commitment to excellence.”
Aura Brand Solutions is honoured to have supported such a landmark event in the UK’s rail calendar, celebrating the legacy of the railway and its role in shaping the future of transport.
Find out more about Aura’s Signage Solutions or get in touch with our expert team.
