It’s Derby! East Midlands city is named as new GBR headquarters
as a key railway hub in the country has been further cemented following the announcement that it will be the home of Great British Railway’s new national headquarters.
The East Midlands city beat off competition from Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York. All six locations shortlisted by the Government went through an assessment process, followed by a public vote. The Government said that Derby’s application demonstrated strong links to the wider rail network and well-established connections with the industry, supply chain and customers, as well as an extensive cluster of private sector rail businesses.
While GBR’S headquarters will be in Derby, other towns and cities – potentially including some of those shortlisted – will become regional GBR hubs, equipped with local decision-making and investment powers, aimed at benefiting communities and creating jobs in the areas they serve. The Government stated that GBR will also have roles around the country, including the North, South East, South West and London, with the headquarters being responsible for driving collaboration and innovation in the rail sector.
The leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Chris Poulter, said: “Rail heritage is at the heart of our city and for this to be recognised by Government is a fantastic achievement. “The investment we will see from this significant move will be huge, not only just for Derby, but also for ‘levelling up’ across the whole of the wider East Midlands.
“We have a rich history of being the only city in the UK to have manufactured rolling stock continuously since 1840, so I am thrilled that Derby’s heritage is being recognised in this defining way. We can’t wait to see what this momentous move will mean for Derby and its citizens in the future.
“This result is a testament to the hard work of our team, alongside our key rail and city partners based in Derby – we couldn’t have done it without them.” GBR transition team lead director Anit Chandarana said: “This is another important milestone on our journey to create a simpler and better railway for everyone in Britain.
“Although Derby will be the home of our headquarters, Great British Railways will also introduce empowered regional centres to bring decision-making and leadership much closer to local customers and communities.
“The transition team is continuing to work with the Government and the wider rail industry to deliver this much-needed reform and we look forward to working with colleagues in Derby in the coming months.” Everyone involved will now work together to identify a suitable site within Derby for the headquarters to be located.