Train enthusiasts in Derby this weekend will get a first-hand look inside HS2 next-generation rolling stock from Hitachi and Alstom, as the UK’s flagship high-speed project tries to show progress despite spiralling delays and cost overruns.

Visitors to Alstom’s historic Litchurch Lane Works in Derby will be able to step inside a full-scale model of HS2’s Class 895 train this weekend, marking the first time the public can physically experience the future of high-speed rail travel in the UK. The mock-up forms part of “The Greatest Gathering”, the UK’s rail industry’s flagship showcase event celebrating 200 years since the dawn of the modern railway.

Pictures of the concept interiors, developed jointly by HS2 Ltd, West Coast Partnership Development and the Hitachi-Alstom High Speed joint venture, were first revealed in October 2024, but this is the first public showing of the carriage interior — an airline-style design that HS2 says will set a new benchmark for UK rail comfort and accessibility.