GBR to be headquartered in Derby with empowered regional centres

Derby has been selected to be the headquarters of the new Great British Railways (GBR), beating off competition from the other shortlisted finalists Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York.

The East Midlands town came top in both the rigorous assessment process and the public vote. Its application demonstrated strong links to the wider network, well-established connections with the industry, supply chain and customers, as well as an extensive local cluster of private sector rail businesses.  

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said, “It’s full steam ahead for the reform of our railways and today’s announcement is not only a huge win for the brilliant city of Derby, but a key milestone for the entire rail industry across the country.  

“Great British Railways will put the passenger first, promoting collaboration and innovation across a joined-up, efficient and modern network.”

Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, added, “We’re absolutely thrilled that Derby has been selected to become the home of Great British Railways. This result is a testament to the hard work of our team, alongside our key rail and city partners based across Derby.

“Rail heritage is at the heart of our city and for this to be recognised by government is a fantastic achievement. The investment we’ll see from this significant move will be huge, not only for Derby but 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’m 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.”

The city was shortlisted from 42 expressions of interest from towns and cities across the nation. And the Government’s intention is Great British Railways will be “locally led” and “harness the potential of the private sector locally, regionally and nationally.” 

As such, while Great British Railway’s headquarters will be in Derby, other towns and cities across Britain will still benefit, becoming regional GBR hubs equipped with local decision making, and investment powers aimed at benefiting their local communities and further creating jobs in the locations they serve. 

GBR will also have roles spanning across Great Britain including the North, South East, South West and London, with the HQ driving collaboration and innovation across the sector.  

Anit Chandarana, Lead Director, Great British Railways Transition Team, added, “The announcement that Derby will be the home of the Great British Railways headquarters 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 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, too.”