Train-maker Bombardier opened the gates of its Litchurch Lane factory for a special celebration of the city's long and proud history of train manufacturing, as well as a giving visitors a glimpse into the future of the industry.
With train carriages old and new brought together at Bombardier's Litchurch Lane factory, you could see for yourself just how far Derby's rail industry had come in 175 years.
On the rails outside the massive production sheds that date back from when train manufacturing first started at the site, you had a shiny new carriage, fresh off the production line, destined for the London Underground.
But not far away, was a London Midland carriage, which had been made by the city's train-building forefathers on the same site, back in the 1880s.
This was the sight that greeted the 300 VIPs who attended a special celebration hosted by the company today to mark the city's 175-year association with rail.
It was an event that not only gave a respectful nod to the city's train-building past but celebrated the present and the future.
This year in particular, Derby's rail industry has already had much to celebrate.
Earlier this year, it was given a massive boost when Bombardier was awarded the £1 billion Crossrail contract, to build and maintain trains that will run on a newly-created rail network in London.
Winning the deal secured the future of the Derby site for a number of years.
This was then followed by Network Rail announcing plans to invest £1.6 billion in rail infrastructure in the East Midlands over the next five years - something that will encourage Derby's army of rail suppliers.
Both of these announcements have come at a time when Derby is celebrating its 175-year association with rail.
On May 30, 1839, the very first train rolled into Derby - and not long after that, the city started to make trains.
It is a tradition that carries on to this day at Bombardier.
The Litchurch Lane site was formerly known as the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works. It opened in 1876 and has been making train carriages ever since.
Over the last 20 years since privatisation, there have been a number of names over the factory gates as the business has changed hands. Bombardier has been there since 2001.
At today's event, the VIP guests, including Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, were taken on a journey through the history of train building in Derby.
But they were also given an insight into a modern-day train-building site and given a glimpse into the future of the industry, during a tour of the site.
Up until Japanese manufacturer Hitachi decided to open its train-building site in Newton Aycliffe, in the North East, Litchurch Lane had been the last train manufacturing site in the UK.
But the Derby site still remains the only place in the country where trains are both designed, developed and manufactured.
Speaking at the event, Dr Francis Paonessa, managing director of Bombardier UK, said: "With the award of the Crossrail project in the 175th year of train manufacture in Derby, we were immensely proud to continue the tradition of designing and manufacturing high performance trains for the UK.
"To be celebrating this landmark at a time when Litchurch Lane is thriving is just fantastic."
Mr McLoughlin said: "This event was a celebration of not just the past but also the future. Rail manufacturing is in Derby's bloodstream.
"There are many reasons why it will continue in Derby for many years to come. The UK economy is recovering rapidly - with manufacturing leading the way, Derby itself is well positioned for this upturn with the largest cluster of rail companies in the world and significant amounts of money are to being spent in rail.
"Rail is enjoying a true renaissance."
The audience were shown two films - the first, presented by former government cabinet minister and presenter of Great Railway Journeys Michael Portillo, chartered the history of train manufacturing in Derby up to the present day.
The second film was about the Aventra - the train which Bombardier will be supplying to Crossrail in the years to come.
The Aventra is a Derby-created design and during the tour of the site, VIPs were shown the building in which Bombardier staff are working on the final design.
Mr Paonessa said: "We are really pleased to have commenced work on the Crossrail project and look forward to delivering these iconic new trains.
"Winning Crossrail was a resounding endorsement the Aventra and a credit to the efforts of our entire workforce in the UK."
The idea to celebrate the 175th anniversary of rail in Derby originally came from Kevin Owen, a welder at Bombardier.
Mr Owen said: "It was a great event and amazing to see some of the old trains back at the place where they were first built."
Bombardier said its workers along with their loved ones will be able to see the old trains at a family day on Sunday.
THE Litchurch Lane site has achieved some notable successes.
But it has also has had to endure some lean times.
After missing out on the £4.5 billion InterCity Express Programme deal to Japanese firm Hitachi, in 2011, the Derby site was overlooked for the £1.6 billion Thameslink contract, awarded to Siemens.
Bombardier announced it was reviewing its UK operations – and there was a real possibility that train-building come stop.
But the Government's decision to award another big train deal to overseas competition sparked a backlash from the public, politicians, unions and the industry, who accused ministers of failing to back British manufacturing.
Delegations from Derby travelled to Bombardier Transportation's Berlin headquarters to speak to bosses.
Tens of thousands of Derby people signed a petition, about 10,000 took part in a rally in the city and Bombardier workers travelled to London to lobby ministers.
We will never truly know the impact such campaigning had on the fate of Litchurch Lane. What it did do was force the Government to re-evaluate the way it procured trains.
Bombardier bosses agreed to keep the Derby site, while it fought for the next major contract – the £1 billion Crossrail deal.
Thankfully, the story had a happy ending when Transport for London announced it had selected Bombardier to build the 65 trains needed.
It meant that the future of Litchurch Lane had been secured, providing the perfect tonic to Derby's 175th rail anniversary celebrations.
![Bombardier opens gates to celebrate 175 years of Derby train-building]( "Bombardier opens gates to celebrate 175 years of Derby train-building")
