Vote for us - what the six shortlisted locations say…
Birmingham
Submitted by: West Midlands Combined Authority
Tagline: The logical location
Birmingham is the natural choice for GBR, as it is at the heart of the network and is a rail industry hub, including HS2’s head office.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, says: “Birmingham combines a unique rail heritage with an unparalleled concentration of modern expertise that means we are ideally suited to shape the next century of railway excellence by playing host to the GBR headquarters.
“A Birmingham base would put GBR at the heart of the nation’s rail network and close to its customers - with 94 million rail journeys made here in the region each year.”
“Birmingham as well as the wider West Midlands is already at the forefront of innovation in transport design, policy, planning, technology and engineering thanks in part to our central role in flagship projects like HS2 and Very Light Rail.”
Crewe
Submitted by:
Cheshire East Council
Tagline: At the heart of rail
Councillor Sam Corcoran, Leader of Cheshire East Council, says: “Crewe is a rail town through and through, at the heart of the rail network. Crewe has a strong rail heritage and is one of the most connected interchanges in the country, connecting the nation and serving as a gateway for the North.”
Cllr Craig Browne, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council and head of its highways and transport committee, adds that “our strong rail industry means we have a skilled workforce that is right for GBR.”
Cllr Jill Rhodes, Leader of Crewe Town Council, says: “Crewe has everything needed and Cheshire East Council put in a very strong technical bid. We need everyone to pull together to raise the profile of Crewe and win the public vote.”
Derby Submitted by:
Derby City Council Tagline: Destination Derby
Derby’s strong rail heritage and deep-rooted culture of future rail innovation make it the ideal central location for the new
HQ. Its bid has the support of councils across the East Midlands.
Businesses backing Derby’s bid include East Midlands Airport, East Midlands Railways, Sperry Europe, Costain, Deutsche Bahn ESG, Toyota, Loram, Serco, Derby College Group, Resonate, Train FX, Alstom and the University of Derby.
Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, says: “As well as having a long 180-year-plus rail history, what sets us apart is we remain home to a thriving rail ecosystem - Europe’s largest rail cluster.”
“This is a fantastic boost for Derby, and we urge all residents, businesses and stakeholders from across the whole of the East Midlands to take the time to back the bid and vote for Derby.”
Doncaster
Submitted by: Doncaster Council Tagline: #DoncasterMade4GBRHQ Looking ahead to 2050, we see South Yorkshire at the heart of a zero-emissions railway: faster, smarter, with far more passengers and freight, as vastly improved signalling and other technologies, and better rolling stock, raise the capacity and running speeds of existing lines… these revolutionary changes will bring, and require, thousands of high-wage, highproductivity jobs, galvanising change to level-up the economy.
Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, says: “I firmly believe that Doncaster should be the home of Great British Railways, in the heart of South Yorkshire and gateway to the North. We would make the perfect home for GBR and the ideal location from which to run this country’s railways.”
“We’ve already had an overwhelming level of public support for our bid, but now we need the whole of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, the North and beyond to support us by voting for Doncaster.”
Newcastle upon Tyne Submitted by:
Newcastle City Council Tagline: n/a
Sam Cassidy, Investment Manager at Invest Newcastle (leading on the project), says: “Our bid is robust, and we’ve identified specific sites within the city for GBR to locate its headquarters.
“Sites at Stephenson Quarter and Forth Goods Yard are perfectly aligned to GBR requirements, while they also provide strong links to railway heritage. There is significant historical relevance and linkage between Newcastle and the railways, with the Stephenson Quarter site the location of railway pioneer Robert Stephenson’s company.”
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, says: “The GBR HQ will be the catalyst for further regeneration and investment at the historic
Stephenson Quarter site, while the physical presence of the HQ will evidence the government’s commitment to placing the heart and strategic leadership of a large national institution in the North East.”
York
Submitted by: City of York Council Tagline: A great British home for
GBR
York Central presents a unique opportunity to create Britain’s biggest rail cluster. It is the largest city centre brownfield site in England and already has Enterprise Zone Status and outline planning permission for 2,500 homes and one million square feet of “Grade A” offices.
Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, says: “Our city’s strengths are obvious: we have the perfect site in York Central, situated in the centre of the city and located next to York Rail Station, which in turn is at the heart of the largest rail cluster outside of London and the South East.”
“With our rich rail heritage and growing rail sector and skills based in the city, York is the obvious choice. We now need the public to throw their continuing support behind our bid and to bring rail back home to York.”