- Public will have their say with an online vote to find home
for Great British Railways
- Towns and cities across the country with strong links to the
railways are encouraged to enter nationwide competition
- New HQ will see home of the railways set up outside of
London, spreading opportunities and levelling up communities
- Great British Rail will integrate the railways and deliver
simpler, cheaper, passenger-focused travel
The competition to find the new home of Great British Railways
officially opens today, with towns and cities across England,
Wales and Scotland invited to apply.
As part of the Government’s commitment to level-up the UK, and
following the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper, the
new Great British Railways HQ will be based outside of London and
bring a number of high-skilled jobs to the winning location.
Local economies will be further boosted by a number of new
regional headquarters across the country, putting decision making
and investment at the heart of the communities who use those
railways day-to-day.
The creation of Great British Railways was announced as a major
pillar of the once in a generation reforms launched by Transport
Secretary in the Williams-Shapps Plan for
Rail. Great British Railways will be a single guiding mind
that ends the fragmentation of the rail industry and drives
benefits and improvements across the network for passengers and
freight customers.
Transport Secretary said:
“Our railways have kept this country moving for almost two
hundred years, but it’s time to kickstart a new age that will
shape our network for the next two hundred.
“I’m calling on people across the country to make the case for
why the true home of the railways is on your doorstep.”
Locations across the country with strong historical links to the
railway are encouraged to make the case for why they should be
the new home of GBR. The GBR Transition Team will shortlist the
best applications in May, after which a public vote will help
determine the winning location.
Applications will be measured against six criteria:
- Alignment to Levelling Up objectives
- Connected and easy to get to
- Opportunities for Great British Railways
- Railway heritage and links to the network
- Value for money
- Public support
This central Headquarters will be the heart of the rail network
and provide strategic direction for the running of Great British
Railways.
Leader of the Great British
Railways Transition Team Andrew Haines said:
"This is the chance for cities and towns across the UK to pitch
to be a key part of an exciting chapter in the history of
Britain's railway."
Local authorities, MPs and business groups are being encouraged
to drive forward campaigns for why their community should be the
#DestinationGBR by visiting www.gbrtt.co.uk/hq
Today’s announcement follows the publication of the Levelling Up White
Paperwhich sets out the Government’s plan to transform the UK
by spreading opportunity and prosperity, with improving transport
a core driver of this mission. It includes twelve bold national
levelling up missions, which will be given status in law, and
shift Government focus and resources to Britain’s forgotten
communities throughout the 2020s.
