The Great Train Robbery was a planned robbery in which a group of 15 criminals managed to stop a Royal Mail train traveling from Glasgow to London and escaped with a huge amount of money. The train was carrying cash and valuables, with a total estimated value of 2.6 million pounds.

Planning and preparation:
The gang spent months planning the robbery. They had inside knowledge of Royal Mail operations and knew which route the train would take. They learned that the train would be carrying a large amount of cash on a specific date.

Signalman:
The robbers stopped the train near a place called Cheddington, Buckinghamshire. One member of the gang was working at the signal box, where he misled the train crew by changing the signal, diverting the train onto a deserted track where the robbers were waiting.

Train Hijacking:
The robbers quickly boarded the train, overpowering the crew. They used a combination of force and intimidation. There was little resistance from the crew as the criminals were well prepared. They took control of the train, which was carrying 75 tons of cash.

The loot:
The money was in the form of cash crates that weighed a lot. Despite the robbers’ best efforts to create a clear route, the loot was heavy, and it was not easy to move. They loaded the money onto a truck and fled the scene, heading to a remote location where they distributed the cash.

Escape route:
The robbers fled to a deserted farmhouse in the countryside where they hid for several days. They also used various false identities and changed their appearances to avoid detection.

Outcome and investigation:

Hunt:
The police launched a large-scale manhunt after the robbery. Initially, the robbers fled with it, and there was much speculation about their whereabouts. However, they made some key mistakes that ultimately led to their arrest.

Mistakes and Clues:
The criminals were careful, but left some evidence behind. For example, one gang member was caught while trying to deposit a large sum of money into a bank account under his real name. Additionally, some of the robbers were seen by witnesses, and this led to their eventual identification.

Arrest:
In the weeks and months following the robbery, police caught most of the gang members. Many were arrested and given long prison sentences. Some gang members were never caught, and the ultimate fate of some of the stolen money is still unclear.

Legacy:
The robbery was considered an incredible feat of planning and execution. It captured the public imagination and inspired numerous books, films, and documentaries. The criminals behind the robbery became notorious, many of them going down in history as some of Britain’s most notorious criminals.

Why it was so famous:

Planning and execution: The level of detail in the planning of the robbery, and how smoothly it was executed, was astonishing. It shows how well the criminals worked together and how carefully they studied the Royal Mail’s operations.

Scale of the theft: £2.6 million was a huge sum at the time. To put this into perspective, when adjusted for inflation, it’s over £50 million today.

Public attention: The story of the robbery captured the public imagination. The robbers were seen by some as folk heroes, and the media loved to cover the drama, especially with law enforcement pursuing the criminal masterminds.

Robbers:

Although the criminals who pulled off the Great Train Robbery were never organized crime “syndicates,” their crimes had ties to the criminal underworld. Most of them were involved in petty crimes such as theft or fraud. After the robbery, several were caught, tried, and sent to prison.

• IRGC commander warns Israel, US “to avoid any miscalculations”.
• Ready to carry out orders of supreme commander: commander.
• Pakpour warns Israel, US to learn from historical experiences.
  

The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday warned Israel and the US against “miscalculations” in the wake of mass protests, saying the force had its “finger on the trigger”.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly left open the option of new military action against the Islamic republic after Washington backed and joined Israel’s 12-day war in June.

A fortnight of protests starting in late December shook the clerical leadership under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but the movement has petered out in the face of a crackdown that activists say has left thousands dead.

Guards commander General Mohammad Pakpour warned Israel and the United States “to avoid any miscalculations, by learning from historical experiences and what they learned in the 12-day imposed war, so that they do not face a more painful and regrettable fate”.

“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the orders and measures of the supreme commander-in-chief — a leader dearer than their own lives,” he said, referring to Khamenei.

His comments came in a written statement quoted by state television marking the national day in Iran to celebrate the Guards, a force whose mission is to protect the 1979 Islamic revolution from internal and external threats.

Pakpour took over as Guards commander last year after his predecessor Hossein Salami was one of several key military figures killed in an Israeli strike during the 12-day war, losses which revealed Israel’s deep intelligence penetration of the Islamic republic.

Giving their first official toll from the protests, Iranian authorities on Wednesday said 3,117 people were killed.

The statement from the Islamic republic’s foundation for martyrs and veterans sought to draw a distinction between “martyrs”, who it said were members of security forces and innocent bystanders, and what it described as “rioters” backed by the US.

Of its toll of 3,117, it said 2,427 people were martyrs.

US President Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davis, claimed that he has ended eight wars since returning to power. President Trump said that due to America’s recent foreign policy, global tensions have significantly decreased. Talking about Iran, President Trump praised the US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year and claimed that as a result of these attacks, Iran’s nuclear capability was completely destroyed. According to him, Iran is now willing to negotiate and is showing its willingness to talk to the US.

President Trump, referring to the US operations against ISIS in Syria, said that positive progress is being made in the region and the security threats facing Europe, the US and the Middle East have significantly decreased.

He said that a year ago, the world was in a serious crisis, but now the situation is relatively better and more stable.

On this occasion, President Trump officially announced the establishment of his proposed global forum, the ‘Board of Peace’. He said that the purpose of this forum is to provide an effective platform for resolving international disputes.

According to President Trump, 59 countries are involved in peace efforts in the Middle East and many world leaders are interested in becoming part of this forum.

Later, President Trump also signed the Charter of the Board of Peace in Davos. The leaders of Bahrain and Morocco were also present on this occasion.

After signing the documents, President Trump presented them to the media, after which other world leaders also came and signed the Charter.

Speaking about Gaza, President Trump said that if Hamas does not give up its weapons, the situation could become more serious.

He clarified that the United States will continue to work with other international organizations, including the United Nations.