Flying Scotsman had a dismal year in 2024 when she remained virtually stationary, spending most of the year on static display at the National Railway Museum (NRM) sites in York & Shildon. Last year (2025) she was a little more active: 2 x single day mainline excursions and 4 x multi-day outings on heritage railways. The rest of the time she was again, on static display.

2026 doesn’t look much different. In fact, it doesn’t look anything at all!

As usual, the National Railway Museum is giving nothing away on Flying Scotsman‘s programme. If ownership of this national treasure were to be passed to His Majesty’s Secret Services, we might have more details of her engineering status (health) and anticipated programme. As it stands, 26 days from the New Year, all we know is that in 2026 Flying Scotsman will be on static display in the Great Hall at the National Railway Museum in York till at least 8th January.

Flying Scotsman Programme for 2026

(Last Updated: 05/12/2025 )

A1 = A1 Steam Locomotive Trust
BBL = Bluebell Railway Trust
BHR = Barrow Hill Roundhouse
DRC = Didcot Railway Centre
ELR = East Lancashire Railway
JGH = Just Go Holidays
KWV = Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
LOC = Locomotion, Shildon
MNR = Mid-Norfolk Railway
NRM = National Railway Museum
NVR = Nene Valley Railway
NYM = North Yorkshire Moors Railway
RTC = The Railway Touring Company
SDR = The Steam Dreams Rail Company
SRT = Swanage Railway Trust
STP = Strathspey Railway
URT = UK Railtours
WSR = West Somerset Railway

Flying Scotsman – the historic locomotive

Built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at Doncaster Works, Flying Scotsman was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley as part of the A1 class – the most powerful locomotives used by the railway. She was quickly used by LNER for their long-distance express services, notably on the long-running (62 yrs) daily 10.00am London to Edinburgh ‘Flying Scotsman’ train service after which she was named.

She still holds two world records: the longest non-stop run at 441 miles (8 Aug 1989 in Australia), and the first steam locomotive officially authenticated at reaching 100 miles per hour (30 Nov 1934 in the UK).

Flying Scotsman is owned by the National Railway Museum (part of the Science Museum Group). In June 2024 a new operator, Northern Steam Operations Limited (NSOL), was contracted to manage and run Flying Scotsman for 7½ years to 31 January 2032.

With conservation in mind, the new contract specified a reduced programme with up to 30 days of static display, 15 heritage railway operating days and 20 main line excursion days each year. It was not clear what she would be doing for the remaining 300 days.

The Flying Scotsman numbers game…

It’s easy to get confused over the identity of the ‘Flying Scotsman’  because she is sometimes referred to by different engine numbers.

When she came out of the Doncaster Works on 24th Feb 1923, she was Engine No. 1472.

Within a year she was re-numbered No. 4472, given the name ‘Flying Scotsman’, and introduced to the public at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.

Then, in 1948, when the independent rail companies were nationalised and merged into British Railways, she became No. 60103.

Image: Flying Scotsman on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 2016 – Charlie Jackson (CC-BY-2.0)