A transformed Long Marston welcomes 7,000 people for Rail Live 2026

Rail Live, the UK’s largest rail exhibition, saw a notable change in 2026 with the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre having transformed in the past year following the upgrade and electrification of its 3.5km test track.

Over 7,000 industry professionals were able to see the upgraded infrastructure in action, gaining a unique perspective on the site and the role it will play in supporting the next generation of fleets.

After collecting a ticket from the Porterbrook marquee ticket office, visitors could step on board HydroFLEX for a ride around the UK’s first continuous test loop while listening to an audio tour narrated by content creator Francis Bourgeois.

Also unique to this year’s event was the Rail LIVE Express, a dedicated charter service that took visitors directly from London Paddington into the heart of the show.

The event also provided one of the final opportunities to see the Railway 200 exhibition train ‘Inspiration’ before its national tour ends. Co-curated with our partners at the National Railway Museum, Porterbrook was proud to have funded the installation of its unique livery.

In addition to the varied displays, a full programme of speakers took to the stage across the two days including Porterbrook COO Ben Ackroyd who discussed the future of hydrogen, and Fleet Services Director Andy Bagguley, who participated in a roundtable discussion on accessibility.

Returning for a third year was the popular Primary Engineer challenge which teamed up Warwickshire school students with VIPs from across the rail industry and local community.