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Below is an extract from Rail LIVE Supplement. Access the full supplement below.

Welcome to another RAIL Live show. It just goes from strength to strength, doesn’t it?

The most obvious change at this year’s site is the major works that have been taking place at Long Marston in the year since we were last all here. There’s a newly electrified test track and you can take a trip around the loop in between stand visits – or read all about it in the latest edition of RAIL magazine, which you should be able to find near the entrance. We’ve got some great rolling stock for you to check out this year, as we do every year.

There’s a Class 66 in its new Heavy Haul Rail livery, Positive Traction’s 08e and GB Railfreight’s bi-mode Class 99, to name a few (see page 7 for more). You can also catch the last ever outing of the Railway 200 Inspiration train. And this year we will see the first passenger service running into the show, in the shape of Romic Group’s iconic High Speed Train (HST) – also marking half a century since they formed the first passenger service. We expect to see it coming back in future years too.

So there’s lots of new additions, but complete together with our old favourites – all the best exhibitors shaping the future of rail, including some glimpses of the GBR brand we’ll all become so familiar with in the future. And that’s what it’s really all about. We understand that it’s a tough business environment for the rail sector right now, so we appreciate the continued support of all our visitors even more than usual. Another thing that that doesn’t change is the sunshine.

I’m writing this too far out for any official weather forecast, but I predict another scorcher. You have my word on that.

- DICKON ROSS, Editor