Great British Railways HQ Competition by RBD Media

GREAT BRITISH RAILWAYS HQ

COMPETITION ENTRIES

MAY 2022

Great British Railways HQ

SPECIAL EDITION

A platform for success Get in front of the decision makers of the rail industry BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE Email: Chris@RBDPublications.com

Introduction

The race to find a new home for Great British Railways Welcome to this very special edition of Inside Track, designed to showcase some of the areas that have applied to become the new home of Great British Railways (GBR)

have been fortunate enough across the last five decades to have worked in and/or visited some fantastic railway headquarters from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh to York, Milton Keynes and Cardiff. The socio-economic impact and social value that these fantastic facilities can have on any given location is phenomenal. The rail industry consistently employs around a quarter of a million people - primarily in five areas that can be categorised as: infrastructure, train operators, freight operators, rolling stock and other areas such as professional services – including growth and profile enhancement businesses like our large team here at Rail Business Daily.

Force for good

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We are proud of “the industry and all that it does

“

We were formed to be a force for good in rail – a company that would advise, promote and protect the industry with every fibre of our being. We are proud of the industry and all that it does and, whilst there is always room for improvement, the one thing we see day in, day out is a passion to do the right thing by a hard working and dedicated workforce. Our railway is a large and complex industry with a cost base to match. The current face, and future landscape, of the industry changed significantly during COVID and today it is a blend of both private and public sectors. Before the pandemic, demand for rail travel had increased considerably. This year is the Platinum Jubilee for Her Majesty the Queen. During her 70 year reign, modal demand for rail has more than doubled from around 30 billion passenger kilometres a year to just under 70 billion passenger kilometres per annum. For such a small island with a population of around 68.5 million, rail’s positive contribution in the movement of people and goods is significant to say the least. The fairly recent Williams-Shapps review sounded the starting gun on the next chapter for a new Great British Railways. Part of this would be a competition for towns and cities to become the new home of GBR.

Across the country there are currently a variety of arrangements for devolved and collaborative decision-making for the rail industry. The anticipated spend by Network Rail alone between 2019 and 2024 was almost £50bn and this doesn’t include enormous projects such as HS2 (one of Europe’s biggest infrastructure projects) or other initiatives like the Transpennine upgrade or Crossrail (the Elizabeth line) which is set to open on 24 May 2022. Crossrail will transform how Londoners and visitors navigate the Capital. 42 towns and cities put their names forward to become the home of GBR. There are some fantastic locations on the list – many of which have a long and proud history as ‘railway towns.’ There are some new and unexpected places too which is great to see. In this special online supplement, we highlight who the 42 locations are and we shine a spotlight

on a small number of areas that agreed to be interviewed by our team ahead of the shortlist announcement in May 2022. We will run this special edition between 06 May 2022 and the day of the shortlist announcement on our daily news platform which reaches 73,000 rail industry influencers and decision-makers six days a week. It is thought that between four and six towns and cities will be shortlisted based on their initial applications before a public vote and final decision later in the year.

Best of luck I would like to say a special thank you to the bid teams in Carnforth, Crewe, Derby, Dundee, Nuneaton, Swindon, York and Worcester for providing us with information about their applications. We wish the very best of luck to all of the towns and cities that participated. Everyone here at Rail Business Daily looks forward to watching this competition unfold. David McLoughlin Chief Executive Business Daily Group (Holdings) Limited

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Contents

08 Carnforth

Crewe

14 Derby

Dundee

26 Swindon

Nuneaton

30 Worcester

Great British Railways HQ Competition

York

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Contents

Full list of entrants: Barrow in Furness Birmingham Bishop’s Stortford Bolton Camborne Carlisle Carnforth Coventry Crewe Darlington Derby Didcot Doncaster Dundee Durham City Eastleigh Edinburgh Fife Gloucester Grantham reater Manchester G (ex Bolton and Rochdale) Heywood Hull Liverpool City Region Milton Keynes Motherwell Newcastle Northampton Nuneaton Perth Peterborough Preston Southampton Stockton on Tees Swindon Tamworth Tonbridge Wakefield Wellingborough est of England combined authority W (including Bristol and Bath) Worcester York

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Great British Railways HQ Competition

Overview

Public competition launched to find new home for Britain’s railways Headquarters for Great British Railways will be based outside of London and bring high-skilled jobs to the winning location

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps with rail industry enthusiast, broadcaster and author, Michael Portillo at the launch to find the new home for GBR

the public will have their say with an online vote to find home for Great British Railways (GBR) towns and cities across the country with strong links to the railways were encouraged to enter nationwide competition the new HQ will see the new home of the railways set up outside of London, spreading opportunities and levelling up communities GBR will integrate the railways and deliver simpler, cheaper, passenger-focused travel 42 towns and cities submitted applications

Great British Railways HQ Competition

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I’m calling on people across the country to make the case for why the true home of the railways is on your doorstep

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s part of the government’s commitment to level-up the UK, and following the publication of the Levelling Up white paper, the new GBR HQ will be based outside of London and bring a number of high-skilled jobs to the winning location.

The competition to find the new home of Great British Railways (GBR) officially opened on 05 February 2022, 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 GBR 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 that use those railways day-to-day.

Driving improvements The creation of GBR was announced as a major pillar of the once-in-a-generation reforms launched by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in the WilliamsShapps Plan for Rail. GBR 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 Grant Shapps said: “Our railways have kept this country moving for almost 200 years, but it’s time to kickstart a new age that will shape our network for the next 200. “I’m calling on people across the country to make the case for why the true home of the railways is on your doorstep.

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Overview

Barrow in Furness

Birmingham

Bishop’s Stortford

Bolton

Camborne

Carlisle

Carnforth

Coventry

Crewe

Darlington

Derby

Didcot

Doncaster

Dundee

Durham City

Eastleigh

Edinburgh

Fife

Gloucester

Grantham

Greater Manchester

Heywood

Hull

Liverpool City

Milton Keynes

Motherwell

Newcastle

Northampton

Nuneaton

Perth

Peterborough

Preston

Southampton

Stockton on Tees

Swindon

Tamworth

Tonbridge

Wakefield

Wellingborough

West of England

Worcester

York

“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 GBR railway heritage and links to the network value for money public support railbusinessdaily.com

Being part of rail history This central headquarters will be the heart of the rail network and provide strategic direction for the running of GBR. 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.” February’s announcement follows the publication of the Levelling Up white paper, which 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 12 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. 42 towns and cities launched their bids to become the new home of GBR: We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Crewe, Derby, Dundee, Nuneaton, Swindon, York and Worcester to showcase why they believe their bids should win. Over the following pages, we shine a spotlight on their applications. Thank you too them for participating in this special edition of Inside Track and good luck to all of the applicants. An announcement on the shortlist is expected in the second half of May 2022.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Carnforth

Carnforth – Don’t Let this be Just a Brief Encounter! An entire community working towards making Carnforth the railway’s new home

he application by Lancaster City Council for Carnforth to be the designated new Headquarters for the Great British Railways may have come as a surprise to many who might have automatically expected to see the names of some of their weightier opponents. However, a quick look at the application form will help them appreciate that not only does Carnforth tick all the boxes required it is actually perfectly situated to achieve, and has all the requirements to fulfill, the needs set out by Grant Shapps when launching this competition.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Its location is just twenty-five miles from the centre of the UK at Dunsop Bridge, Lancashire, fourteen miles north of the historic City of Lancaster and on the edge of Morecambe Bay, an area designated as one of outstanding natural beauty. Carnforth is a major crossroads for both road and rail, North – South and East – West, and is a gateway to the coast, Lake District, and the Yorkshire Dales via its connections on the West Coast railway line and M6 Motorway, as well as linking Ireland and the Isle of Man through the Port of Heysham The town exists because of railways, has a long history and heritage from this connection, and is

renowned worldwide for its Steam Town Railway facility which delights and engages visitors across all age groups.

Historic links Carnforth also boasts the last complete steam railway depot which is now occupied by West Coast Railways – the UK’s largest heritage railway company – operating both steam and electric services across the country, several of whose journeys are featured on television’s Greatest Railway Journeys of the World.

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Image: Carnforth Railway Heritage Centre

Carnforth

But perhaps the most well-known aspect of Carnforth nationally is its station featuring in the 1945 film Brief Encounter starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, a film which is ranked by the British Film Institute as the second-best film of all time. The couple’s final meeting is at Carnforth Railway Station and refreshment room, both of which have been preserved as an award-winning Heritage Centre, attracting thousands of visitors and tourist every year. At the same time Carnforth is seen as an exciting place for businesses and enterprise to locate to because of its communication links and road rail infrastructure. In the last few years significant new investment from both national and international companies has been brought into the area locating into purpose-built premises around the town. Additionally, currently under construction are 214 new homes in the town, with a further 500

in the planning stage, whilst two junctions down the M6 there is planning for a major new housing development at South Lancaster. Should Carnforth be successful in its application to be the new headquarters of the Great British Railways there are several areas where these new HQ premises can thrive on new sites nearby or, more significantly, a brown field plot of land adjacent to the railway line and Carnforth Station. And successful they should be as the whole community in the area are united and working towards achieving this result. City and Town Councillors of all persuasions have united, City Council officials have been dedicated in preparing their application, and local people have united together to raise a Parliamentary Petition which was presented in the House of Commons by local Member of Parliament David Morris MP, who additionally led a debate, supported by Cat Smith

MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, that Carnforth should become the new home of Great British Railways The case for Carnforth is therefore a very compulsive one when you look at their application: 1. Is the geographical location suitable? – clearly could not be better placed 2. Does it align with and demonstrate Levelling Up? – could not be more suitable and demonstrated by inward investment already occurring 3. Connected and easy to get to? – not too many places in the UK can demonstrate full rail, road, and port access within such an integrated area 4. Opportunities for Great British Railways? – It is a unique location and opportunity for GBR to access specialist, qualified workforce 5. Railway heritage and links to network? – North, South, East, West, Isle of Man, and Ireland all either at or within a few miles of Carnforth 6. Value for money? – with links to all networks around the country, shovel ready location for the HQ creating sustainable, integrated, multimodal transport links there can be no other applicant that has these attributes, together with skilled, qualified workers who can start work on this project the day of the announcement 7. Public Support – not only is there united public support locally, but there is also national and international support and affection for Carnforth through its Heritage Centre, film Brief Encounter, Steam Town Railway and its base for the home of West Coast Railways featured on television’s Greatest Railway Journeys of the World. Carnforth – Don’t let this be just a Brief Encounter!

The After Dark Theatre’ performed “Still Life” at Carnforth Station

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Great British Railways HQ Competition

Crewe

Building on a heritage of rail

Image: courtesy of Cheshire Archives & Local Studies

A town steeped in railway history which can be the home for the railway of the future

Steeped in history Crewe is a town that grew out of the railways, with a strong rail heritage - not many places in the country are more linked to its history – and bringing Great British Railways to the town will only help that to continue. The town’s very existence is owed to the railways, when Crewe station and Crewe Works arrived in the early 1830s, the small village was transformed into the significant rail hub it is today.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

At its height 20,000 people were employed at Crewe Works and to this day a significant proportion of the workforce in the town is connected to the railway – with 7% of the whole of the country’s rail workforce based in Cheshire East.

town’s “veryTheexistence is owed to the railways

“

rewe has been at the heart of the railways in this country for almost 200 years. Bringing Great British Railways to the town will mean this proud history can continue, while bringing levelling up opportunities not just to Crewe but the wider area thanks to its status as one of the best-connected towns in the country. While Great British Railways has so much to offer Crewe, Crewe has so much to offer GBR as well with a skilled workforce, strong infrastructure and key rail businesses based in the town.

While our heritage is an important part of our story, it’s not the only reason why Crewe is the right place for Great British Railways. Crewe can boast the location and connectivity that not many towns can. At the heart of the railway, the gateway to the north and connecting every part of the United Kingdom – Crewe really is the ideal

location for GBR. Its six rail lines offer connectivity across all regions of the UK and is the only station on the mainline connected to all national and regional capitals. These strong connective links mean that it won’t just be Crewe that benefits but that the benefits that GBR will bring can flow out around the country and the benefits can be spread far and wide.

Access to the skills needed Ensuring GBR is a success will require the right skills, infrastructure and connections to business. Crewe’s large rail workforce will mean easy access to the skills needed and with the likes of Bombardier, Freightliner and Alstom based in the town there will be opportunities to work closely with key players in the industry. On top of this, Crewe is also a key strategic hub for the rail freight transport industry and passenger rail operators meaning there will be easy access to GBR’s customers, suppliers and the wider transport industry.

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Crewe

Image: Avanti West Coast

Bringing GBR to Crewe and building on the town’s rail industry will make sure GBR works closely with the key partners it needs to as well as creating a unique opportunity to grow a strong supply chain cluster around the headquarters. While the town has a thriving rail industry, levelling up is still needed to help the town achieve its true potential. Bringing GBR to Crewe would be a huge boost, bringing investment and more jobs and opportunities for local people.

Secured investments

connective “Strong links mean that it

won’t just be Crewe that benefits but that the benefits that GBR will bring can flow out around the country

The strengths of Crewe’s bid mean that it has strong public and partner support, both in Crewe and the wider region, with a recent poll from the local newspaper showing 97% of those surveyed backed the bid.

Strong backing Key stakeholders backing the bid include Cheshire East Council, Freightliner, Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Warrington Council, Crewe Town Board, music producer Pete Waterman, Kieran Mullan MP and MPs from across the region.

Image: CAS Social Heart of Rail

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The growth of the town has always been tied to the railways, and GBR would be the next stage of this. A range of investment opportunities have been secured for the town such as from the Future High Streets Fund and in the HS2 Hub Station but GBR would accelerate this rail-led transformation as well as stimulating further growth in the strong local supply chain. GBR coming to Crewe would be a real vote of confidence in the town and would encourage further private sector investment and thanks to those strong connective links these benefits would go to the wider North West, Midlands and Wales. It would then help to create skilled jobs for the future by building on the existing expertise outlined to teach the next generation and become a national centre of excellence for rail skills.

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Great British Railways HQ Competition

Crewe

Image: Avanti West Coast

Councillor Sam Corcoran, leader of Cheshire East Council, in agreement with all Cheshire East political group leaders, said: “We have submitted an outstanding bid to show why Crewe is the right and logical choice for the Great British Railways headquarters. “This is a rail town through and through, at the heart of the rail network and with rail at the heart of the town. “We’re proud of our rail heritage and the role the town has played in the growth of the railways but that’s not the only reason why Crewe is the right place for this opportunity – far from it.

Connecting the nation

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Crewe is one of the most connected interchanges in the country, serving as a gateway for the North

With its strong connections around the country, skilled workforce and links to industry the town has what is needed to make Great British Railways a success and at the same time, Great British Railways will provide the chance to level up Crewe and help it to grow – bringing benefits to the people that live there and the local economy. For more information on Crewe’s bid go to www.gbrcrewe.co.uk

Image: Avanti West Coast

“

Sam continued “Crewe is one of the most connected interchanges in the country, connecting the nation and serving as a gateway for the North. This means that the possibilities this headquarters brings can flow throughout the country. “GBR in Crewe has to be for Crewe – and the people of Crewe. We believe bringing it here opens up a range of opportunities that will benefit our residents. Our strong rail industry means we have a skilled workforce that is right for GBR in return.” Bringing Great British Railways to Crewe would be the next chapter in a proud and long rail story, 185 years since the first train arrived in Crewe, it would be fitting for the future of rail in this country to begin.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

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Derby

Derby and the East Midlands – Rail Capital of the UK A once in a generation opportunity

ore punctual trains, competitively priced M rail travel and clean and safe carriages and stations culture truly focused on meeting customers’ A needs more diverse and inclusive workforce to the A rail sector, including recruitment from sectors beyond rail D ecarbonisation of the network reater value for money for both fare and tax G payers Many of these objectives will be best met, of course, through closer working with the private sector.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

“ The East

Midlands is one of the largest rail clusters in Europe

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erby endorse’s the government’s ambition for ‘once in a generation’ reforms to end the fragmentation of the rail industry and drive benefits and improvements across the network for passengers and freight customers. And we all, of course, want Great British Railways to be successful in leading this agenda and achieving its key objectives:

We believe that, by basing itself in Derby, Great British Railways will give itself the best possible opportunity to do just that.

So why Derby? F or GBR to succeed, it must work with the whole rail industry, as well as with other sectors to draw upon a broad range of skills and specialisms

entred around Derby, the East Midlands is the C rail capital of the UK, with a global reputation for excellence – quoting the Government’s Rail Sector Deal – “….the East Midlands is one of the largest rail clusters in Europe….. the success of UK rail will owe much to the successful nurturing of these clusters.” – and in the recently published Levelling Up white paper, the Midlands rail cluster is referenced as one of the largest in the world – incorporating rail operations, research and innovation, digital applications, manufacturing, technical services and finance

erby has a long 180+ year rail history, a key D difference to many other locations is that it remains home to a thriving rail ecosystem – around 600 companies. We are the only city to have manufactured rolling stock continuously since 1840, we also have the UK’s most extensive train manufacturing capability. This proud tradition continues with Alstom collaborating with Hitachi to build the new HS2 trains

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Derby

erby is the geographic and strategic heart of D Britain’s railway, a key criteria in the selection of the location for GBR’s Headquarters We continue to be the home of rail research and innovation. In 1935 the LMS Scientific Research Laboratory was established which evolved into the globally recognised British Rail Railway Technical Centre, opened in 1964. Today innovation around rail decarbonisation, digital solutions and network resilience are the focus of collaborative partnerships between industry and leading research centres

Derby not only offers a huge and diverse rail talent pool and an abundance of cross-sector career paths. It’s also been the base for the UK’s longest running rail school engagement programme iRail, successfully inspiring young people to pursue a career in the rail industry Derby is home to other world leading global players such as Rolls-Royce and Toyota, and from these world-class corporates that GBR can derive best practice, having a truly customer centric culture to recruiting a diverse and talented workforce. Other potential locations may also have a long rail history, but no other is still home to a diverse, highly innovative and forward-looking competitive rail supply chain with associated talent pool. The ideal environment for GBR to drive its vision for a better railway.

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It will create a Midlands-wide transport ecosystem with a global reach

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The Railway Technical Centre was established in Derby, specialisms from across the rail industry were co-located – bringing together functions from Euston, Darlington, Swindon, Eastleigh, Crewe and Glasgow

Levelling up

As the strategic and service heart of the railway it would facilitate public and private sector partnerships to accelerate the delivery of cost-effective rail sector innovation and growth as envisaged by the Williams Shapps Plan for Rail It would encourage rail-related overseas investment into the East Midlands region, as well as acting as the central location for the UK to showcase our rail expertise across the world

The impact of locating GBR in Derby, away from London, would be nothing short of transformational for the wider Levelling Up agenda.

For young people in the East Midlands and throughout the UK, it will promote the diverse range of skills and disciplines that makes today’s railway an exciting place to work

As a city with one of the lowest concentrations of UK civil servants, it would address the recent omission of Derby from Government relocations out of Whitehall

Located alongside major players in the automotive and aerospace sectors, it will create a Midlands-wide transport ecosystem with a global reach.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Derby

Quotes Paul Simpson, Derby City Council Chief Executive: “Derby has a near 200-hundred-year legacy as being the centre for the rail industry and geographically sits in heart of UK rail network. Rail is embedded in our culture and as a city we’re home to Europe’s largest and most diverse rail cluster. We have a highly skilled and talented workforce, as we’re home to leading innovating businesses. With backing from our people and our Local Authority partners across the East Midlands, we’re determined to prove that Derby is the right home for GBR.”

With over 11,000 highly skilled rail employees based in the Derby area and around 45,000 rail jobs across the East Midlands, the sector is of major significance for our local communities. Locating GBR’s HQ in Derby would bring renewed pride, purpose and confidence to the region and to the rail sector, endorsing our proud claim to be at the heart of the railway. Our bid to secure the GBR headquarters in Derby has massive support across the private and public sectors, including: Leading rail companies: Alstom, Costain, Resonate, Sperry, Loram, Train FX and EMR Over 20 MPs from across the East Midlands Local authorities from Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Leading rail focused research universities including Derby, Loughborough and Nottingham

GBR “inBasing Derby would bring renewed pride, purpose and confidence to the region

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Widespread support

Not only would GBR be transformational for Derby, we also believe that headquartering GBR in the East Midlands will offer the necessary skillsets and talents for the entire industry to collaborate on successfully transforming Britain’s railway. To watch our campaign video, visit Derby City Council’s Youtube page.

Heidi Lee, DB ESG: “The railway beats in this city’s heart, with both a rich rail heritage stretching back over 200 years and over 11,000 people working in the railway today in this area. Not only does Derby have a central geographical location, but it homes the largest cluster of railway companies certainly in Europe, probably in the world. For this reason, it was selected as the obvious home for Rail Forum Midlands and a large number of global transport companies have offices based here, including my parent company, Deutsche Bahn and many other such as Alstom, Siemens, SNC Lavalin, Hitachi and Balfour Beatty.”

Justin Stroud, Managing Director, Sperry Europe: “Our European Headquarters have been located in Derby since 1999 and it’s where all of Sperry’s European business and operations, including Network Rail, are managed. Derby is also the location of Sperry’s European Headquarters because of its connectivity – geographically the city is positioned centrally in the UK and provides the fastest access to all points of the UK, as well as easy access to suppliers and clients in mainland Europe (through rail and air links.”

John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby: “Derby is a can-do city that hosts one of the world’s largest rail clusters and I cannot think of a better home for the new Great British Railways. From a Government perspective, it makes business sense and locating these jobs in the East Midlands would also contribute to the levelling up agenda.”

Great British Railways HQ Competition

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Dundee

Dundee’s GBR bid – A city with large ambition A sunny central Scotland location within easy reach of the rail industry

strategic location with excellent A communication links and all the facilities expected of a regional economic and employment centre; cost-effective location, with a lower cost of A living and lower property and staff costs when compared to larger Scottish cities such as Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow; strong labour pool, including graduate A output from two leading Scottish Universities based within the city and an extensive scientific community and skills base with strong industry links; great, affordable quality of life for staff A and their families, with excellent housing, education and leisure amenities available in Dundee and the surrounding area. Great British Railways HQ Competition

partnership approach to Rail development A between East Coast Mainline Authorities and TACTRAN, one of seven statutory Regional Transport Partnerships covering Scotland, which were created under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005

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The city benefits from a central geographic location, with 90% of Scotland within just a 90 minute drive

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undee is an ideal business location for Great British Railways to be headquartered in Scotland. Dundee is a dynamic city which provides a range of interesting development sites throughout the city and the following highlights:

Securing the National Headquarters for the Great British Railways in Dundee would support the city’s ambitions in improving the quality of life and job prospects for citizens and would add to the success of Dundee in being the selected Scottish sites for the V&A Museum and the forthcoming Eden Project Scotland.

Dundee sits on the banks of the River Tay, on the North Sea coast of Scotland. The city is just 36 miles from Edinburgh, 80 miles from Glasgow and 361 miles from London. Dundee is Scotland’s sunniest city. When you visit Dundee you will see a city transformed. The redevelopment of Dundee Waterfront is reconnecting Dundee city centre to the River Tay. Opened to the public in 2018, the V&A Museum of Design Dundee is a centre for design and has provided a significant boost to the city’s growing cultural offering. www.dundee. com/ www.dundeewaterfront.com The city benefits from a central geographic location, with 90% of Scotland within just a 90 minute drive. Dundee is a main station on the UK East Coast mainline, has excellent motorway network access and a regional airport with direct flights to London, Belfast and Shetland. Dundee boasts excellent rail connections, both at the local commuter level and at a national level. Dundee is connected by frequent services to other Scottish cities, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The city is also situated on the main East Coast route connecting Dundee to Newcastle, York and London, as well as other key UK cities.

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Dundee

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Dundee Railway Station is a £38 million public/private redevelopment which opened in 2018

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There are 9-10 direct trains per day between Dundee and London. There is an overnight sleeper service between London and Dundee. Scotland’s other big cities can all be reached from Dundee in a 90-minute or less train journey. Dundee’s Railway Station has benefitted from a recent £38 million refurbishment, with improved facilities including a new triple-height passenger concourse and a 120 bedroom hotel (Sleeperz) Dundee station benefitted from a public/ private redevelopment which opened in 2018. Visitors to Dundee have increased by over 1 million over the last decade and those arriving by train are greeted with stunning views of the River Tay, the V&A Museum and the iconic RSS Discovery. A ten-year plan to boost sustainable transport infrastructure in Dundee and link with wider initiatives across the region is a key part of the

city’s ambitions in tackling climate change. The new sustainable transport delivery plan will focus on local active travel, bus services, mobility as a service and low carbon vehicle infrastructure. This will tie into the work of the Regional Transport Strategy to create a city where sustainable transport is at the heart of the city’s infrastructure investment decisions.

Dundee’s active travel routes in and around the city have been developed over the last few years with a key objective to encourage active travel through walking, cycling and public transport, and the deployment of sustainable alternatives to decarbonise transport. Dundee also benefits from ample provision of longer-distance cycle routes – NCN1 & 77 – making many of the towns in Angus, Perthshire and Fife accessible by active modes. Dundee is Scotland’s leading city in the adoption, promotion and operation of electric vehicles and was named the most visionary electric vehicle city in the UK in 2018. The city boasts the following: 1 70 EVs now in fleet (one of the largest in the UK). ll Council cars, small and medium vans to be A fully electric by the end of 2023. 134 fully electric taxis operating in Dundee. he UK’s first fully electric public e-bike hire T scheme – Embark Bikes. Working in partnership with Tactran, priorities include securing improvements to key strategic road and rail networks; enhancing public transport through partnership working with transport providers; encouraging a shift towards more sustainable forms of transport, in particular walking and cycling; working with road haulage, rail freight and port operators to develop more efficient and sustainable movement of goods; and improving integration within transport and between transport and other policy areas including land use and health.

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Great British Railways HQ Competition

Dundee

Securing the National Headquarters for the Great British Railways in Dundee would support the city’s ambitions in improving the quality of life and job prospects for citizens and would add to the success of Dundee in being the current and future home of the V&A Museum and the Eden Project Scotland. Many opportunities exist for collaboration within and between the retail, tourism and environmental sectors across the regional economy.

Collaboration opportunities; P otential to benefit from the Tay Cites Deal £700 million Investment Programme; onnecting GBR to industry trailblazers and C academia at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc; reat British Railways could be located within G newly developed Dundee City Waterfront, which encompasses 240 hectares of development land stretching 8km alongside the River Tay and is already a hugely

successful 30 year programme (2001-2031) which has propelled the city to international acclaim. usinesses locating in Dundee are able to B capitalise on the city’s affordability and lower salary costs compared to the largest Scottish cites and competitively priced office accommodation. I n addition to the above Great British Railway would be connected to the new National Railway offices within Dundee Railway Station, and also Tactran, Scotrail and employment agencies. Dundee’s Rail Heritage stems back to the DundeeNewtyle Railway which opened in 1832 and was the first railway in the north of Scotland. It initially carried coal and chemicals from the Port of Dundee to the agricultural hinterland in the Strathmore Valley. The Dundee-Newtyle line was planned as a link between the manufacturing city of Dundee and the fertile valley of Strathmore. GBRHQ would act as a similar link between the innovative, forwardthinking City of Discovery and the surrounding region as well as Scotland and the north of England’s larger cities In 1810, James and Charles Carmichael founded the Dundee company which produced the first locomotive made in Scotland. Dundee’s place in railway history in the UK is clear and locating the Great British Railway Headquarters in the city which is where the Edinburgh/Aberdeen/Glasgow lines meet would place the HQ within 90 minutes of all major population centres in Scotland.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

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Nuneaton

George Eliot Country Sets Scene for New Chapter in UK Rail Nuneaton has the right mix of rail heritage, talent, links and plans for transformation

uneaton presents a unique opportunity for Great British Railways to make a new start in a fresh location away from London and the south east, where the UK rail industry can be easily accessed by rail as well as by road and air. It is already the HQ home for Holland & Barrett, FedEx and rail company Oleo International. Here we make the case for Nuneaton.

Rail Heritage Nuneaton is the largest town in the county of Warwickshire. It was home to a mainline station as early as 1847 and today is one of the largest stations in the Midlands. The North Warwickshire coalfields were an early adopter of rail technology, and the local railways feature in the writings of Nuneaton born author ‘Middlemarch’ George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans).

Rail Tech Eco-system Today Nuneaton lies at the heart of a local rail cluster in Warwickshire. Vivarail manufactures battery and hybrid trains here, now in operation on the Isle of Wight, in South Wales and the East Midlands. Severn Lamb are specialists in light rail engineering, and recently produced the new train for Southend Pier. Transport Design International (TDI) and WMG at the University of Warwick have pioneered a whole new class of train known as Very Light Rail or VLR, with versions Revolution and Coventry VLR. Meanwhile, Porterbrook and University of Birmingham (BCRRE) have developed and tested hydrogen propulsion in rail at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre (formerly QRTC) with Hydroflex. T A Savery & Co. Ltd, known today as Oleo International, is famous around the world for its buffer and rail impact technology, and is based in Exhall, near Nuneaton and Coventry.

Rail Access all Areas The Warwickshire Rail Cluster sits within the wider Midlands rail cluster incorporating Birmingham and Derby. The Midlands developed the first train to run in the USA, the Stourbridge

Great British Railways HQ Competition

The railways were a major driver of development in the Warwickshire coalfields. Griff Colliery shown.

Lion in 1829, and today is home to rail OEMs CAF, Bombardier/Alstom and Vivarail. Just an hour from London, Nuneaton is also easy to access by road and rail to other major rail cities of Birmingham (for HS2 HQ and West Midlands Trains), and the major rail industry hubs of Derby, Doncaster and York.

This is also an excellent location to access Network Rail assets: the Rail Innovation & Development Centres (RIDC) at Tuxford and Melton, the Training Centre at Coventry, and the Rail Operating Centre at Rugby and the current HQ at Milton Keynes are all within easy reach of the town.

Nation’s Capitals

Route

Duration

Station

London

direct

1 hour

Euston

Cardiff

via Birmingham

2hrs 38mins

Cardiff Central

Glasgow

via Rugby

4hrs 19mins

Glasgow Central

Edinburgh

via Crewe

4hrs 23mins

Edinburgh Waverley

Birmingham

direct

29mins

New Street

Derby

via Tamworth

42mins

Derby

Crewe

direct

54mins

Crewe

Doncaster

via Peterborough

2hrs 18mins

Doncaster

York

via Tamworth

2hrs 35mins

York

Rail Hubs

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Nuneaton

Nuneaton is also a short distance from major rail conferences and trade shows, such as the ICC in Birmingham (World Congress on Railway Research 2022) and Rail Live (Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre). Nuneaton is also covered by Rail Forum Midlands, and Rail Alliance nationally – Rail Alliance was first established in Warwickshire at QRTC.

Levelling-up Credentials

Vivarail is manufactures battery rolling stock close to Nuneaton in Warwickshire.

Just an hour from “London, Nuneaton is also easy to access by road and rail to other major rail cities and assets

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Nuneaton is the subject of the ambitious Transforming Nuneaton programme, a programme of long-term regeneration led by the County Council, the Borough Council, the local enterprise partnership and the private sector. It aims to revitalise the town centre, creating an attractive and vibrant place with upmarket retail and business accommodation, town centre living, improved public space and high-quality leisure and entertainment facilities. Supporting high streets and town centres following the pandemic is an important component of the UK government ‘levelling up’ agenda. Basing the HQ in Nuneaton would be seen as a significant commitment to levelling up. Opportunities of this kind usually go to larger cities, however given the aspiration of the partners to work towards significant regeneration to transform Nuneaton, the timely addition of the HQ in Nuneaton, would support that agenda and be welcomed by all. The socio-economic profile of the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth is less prosperous than the rest of Warwickshire. At £530.6 per week, average household income is lower than the average for Warwickshire (£597.8) and England (£589.8).

The Index of Deprivation (2019) highlights that the town has a number of LSOAs listed as having a level of poverty within the top two deciles nationally. In their 2021 Vitality Index, Lambert Smith Hampton identified Nuneaton as topping the Opportunity Index as the location with the greatest opportunity to overcome current challenges and grow. The addition of a major new office development in the town would create direct and indirect employment opportunities locally and regionally, increasing footfall into the town and supporting local skills and aspiration agendas. It will be a key investment to unlock levelling up here and achieve the successful delivery of the Transforming Nuneaton programme.

The test and development tower at Oleo International is a local landmark.

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Great British Railways HQ Competition

Nuneaton

Why Nuneaton In Their Own Words Rt Hon Marcus Jones, MP for Nuneaton, Arley and Hartshill “I am proud to represent Nuneaton which is a town with a proud history and a bright future, and I urge the Department of Transport to select Nuneaton as the new headquarters for Great British Railways. “Our rich rail history, strong links to the network and the coming transformation of our town centre make Nuneaton the best option for new home of Great British Railways. “As the most central town in England, Nuneaton is very well connected in terms of local, national and international transport links. “I am very much supporting Nuneaton’s bid!”

Colin Flack OBE MSc “It is my firm belief that for Great British Railways to succeed it needs to mindful of its pedigree without being constrained in any way by its past. A new location provides the opportunity to look to the future, not constrained by the past. Nuneaton is such a location, and Warwickshire is a great County with a dynamic and forward looking approach to business, innovation and skills. “The town is really well connected in terms of local, regional, national and international transport and infrastructure links. There is a dynamic, experienced, diverse and highly skilled workforce readily available, and the national railway supply chain is within easy reach of this vibrant Midlands location.” In 2021 Colin was awarded the OBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list for services to the Railway Supply Chain; including the formation and leadership of the Rail Alliance, the creation of Rail Live (the largest outdoor railway trade show in Europe) and the development of the UK’s only independent Test Track facility all based in Warwickshire.

Tom Mongan, President, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce “This significant relocation investment presents a major transformational change to a large town like Nuneaton, in terms of office occupation, town centre footfall and skills, levelling up and aspiration. A Nuneaton base provides excellent access around the UK from a central location, and opportunities for Great British Railways to access the new and cutting edge rail technologies being developed across the Midlands.”

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Steve McBride Managing Director, Vivarail

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, Leader Warwickshire County Council

“The opportunity presented by the GBR transition team to create a Headquarters outside of London is welcome and we are particularly keen to see the new face of the railway industry based close by in Nuneaton. The new HQ will be an integral part of the cultural change as well as being a magnet for retaining some incredible skills as well as attracting new talent to the area. The Midlands has a great railway heritage and this exciting once in a generation reform is our opportunity to place the heartbeat of the railways back where it belongs.”

“Locating GBR’s HQ to Nuneaton would provide a huge boost to the Transforming Nuneaton Programme (TNP) which aims to create a vibrant, attractive and prosperous town centre. In return, this growing Midlands town will provide GBR with the perfect launching point to revolutionise and repurpose the country’s national railways. It is geographically ideally situated and is on the cusp of becoming a town that any business would be proud to be associated with. We urge as many people as possible to get online and share why they think Nuneaton should be chosen as the new home for GBR.”

Councillor Kristofer Wilson, leader Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough

Sarah Windrum, Chair, Coventry & Warwickshire LEP

“This bid to be the new home of GBR is a statement that Nuneaton and Bedworth have high ambitions for our towns, and I would encourage all of our residents to sign up and support our bid. We are doing all we can to make Nuneaton and Bedworth a great place to live, work and visit. We are working hard as a borough council with our partners across Coventry and Warwickshire and beyond to attract new interest to our area, including new jobs, homes and inward investment. This is a great opportunity to achieve that. “We believe the development potential of Nuneaton means the town has a strong case to be considered as the best location for this prestigious headquarters. Our transport connections with the rest of the country are excellent and our location would literally put GBR in the heart of the UK. The rewards this could bring to our town are huge, and I urge everyone to back the bid.”

“We believe Nuneaton would be the ideal location for the new home of Great British Railways because of its central location in England and close proximity to excellent transport links and nearby airports which connect to the rest of the country. “This would be an ideal chance to entice and retain highly-skilled jobs in the area as part of the Levelling Up agenda and enable re-training opportunities in a key sector. “The Transforming Nuneaton initiative is already underway to improve rail, highway and cycling infrastructure, introduce new leisure and business facilities, education and skills hubs, and unlock housing development. “Investment from Great British Railways would lead to a further economic boost as we re-imagine our communities post-Covid.”

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6 8 7

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Nuneaton is centrally located within the Midlands rail eco-system

Rail Cluster: 1. Network Rail RIDC at Tuxford and Melton 2. Rail Forum Midlands 3. MIRA Technology Park 4. Oleo International 5. HS2 HQ in Birmingham 6. Rail Alliance 7. University of Birmingham BCRRE 8. Network Rail Westwood Business Park 9. Network Rail ROC 10. Vivarail 11. TDI International 12. Porterbrook/ Long Marston 13. Rail Innovation Centre 14. Rail Live 15. Railtex (NEC) 16. CAF

To show support for Nuneaton’s bid to become the new HQ of Great British Railways (GBR), visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/NuneatonGBRHQPlus and follow the campaign on social media using #NuneatonGBRPlus.

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Swindon

Swindon’s bid to become home of Great British Railways People and organisations across Swindon are backing the town’s bid to become the location for the HQ of Great British Railways (GBR) – the new body responsible for running Britain’s railways

Why Swindon? Swindon is one of England’s most important historic railway towns. In 1833 the great civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed chief engineer of the Great Western Railway (GWR) and in the 1840s a greenfield site near the market town was transformed by the Great Western Railway. At its height, the GWR works in Swindon was one of the largest railway engineering complexes in the world. Swindon is proud of its strong links to the railway but is also focused on the future. Swindon has the potential to establish a national centre of excellence for the railway sector, building on the wealth of rail organisations and businesses already thriving here.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

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In 1833 the great civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was appointed chief engineer of the Great Western Railway

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fter submitting its bid in March, Swindon hopes to be shortlisted for the next stage of the competition. With its impressive railway heritage, great connectivity, existing rail organisations and strong technical training and education offer, it is a strong contender.

An impressive technical educational and training offer will grow the next generation of talent for the rail sector in Swindon, boosting diversity and skills amongst the workforce. The Government has made Swindon an Education Investment Area and is home to some excellent educational establishments. The University Technical College (UTC), New College Swindon and the Institute of Technology, for example, are all supporting more women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds into engineering and STEM subjects.

The Swindon and Wiltshire Careers Hub is rated in the top five in the country. It involves all schools and colleges in the area to engage students in the world of work. Within its many areas of support given, the Hub has an ongoing project in place to specifically increase engagement with girls to consider studying mathematics beyond GCSE level.

South west hub Swindon station is also situated in an ideal location. It hosts extensive GWR routes, making it a ‘hub’ location for the South West rail networks. In addition, its road routes also enable easy transport links from all over the UK. Swindon is also home to multiple national and international Headquarters, with strong links to regional offices across the UK. Swindon’s superb location, combined with its celebrated workforce, dynamic businesses, rail institutions and seven national UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) departments will provide the strongest foundation for GBR to flourish.

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Swindon

Social history of GWR STEAM – the Museum of the Great Western Railway, also known as Swindon Steam Railway Museum, is located at the site of the old railway works in Swindon. As well as telling the story of the history of the Great Western Railway and the life of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it also focusses on the social story of the railway community in Swindon. This highlights why Swindon is known as ‘Wiltshire’s railway town’. By strengthening Swindon as a Railway Hub serving the South West and Wales, the HQ will bring new opportunities not just to Swindon, but to the entire South West region and beyond. Swindon has one of the country’s most productive workforces, however, it also has

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By strengthening Swindon as a Railway Hub serving the South West and Wales, the HQ will bring new opportunities not just to Swindon, but to the entire South West region and beyond

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Delivering an ambitious ‘heritage led’ regeneration plan to realise the potential of Swindon through embracing its railway heritage, the chosen location for the HQ lies at the heart of Swindon centre. It would turbocharge work to rejuvenate the railway heritage quarter, connecting the railway of the past to the industry’s exciting future. The Swindon Town Deal is delivering projects that utilise its railway heritage to recognise Swindon as a place of historic interest and encourage a strong sense of identity. The GBR Headquarters will spearhead this vision, enabling Swindon to be considered once again as the heart of the railways.

high levels of deprivation in a number of its communities together with a significant skills gap. Much of inner Swindon, for example, is within the bottom 10% most deprived Lower Super Output Areas in England. Whilst steps are being taken to change that, such as becoming an Education Investment Area, being chosen as the location for the GBR headquarters would supercharge the efforts. The GBR headquarters would also attract a wide range of new visitors and workers to the town, increasing footfall in the surrounding areas, and encouraging more people to visit, live and work in Swindon and its locality. Whilst the bid is being managed by Swindon Borough Council, it is fully supported by the adjoining Cotswold District Council and Wiltshire Council as well as local MPs, businesses and organisations.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Swindon

The wide-ranging support is a reflection of the importance of the railways to Swindon. Les Durrant, President of the Swindon Chamber of Commerce sums it up “Swindon has a long historic association with railway engineering and would make a wholly appropriate location for the new HQ”. Swindon’s bid is about looking forward not back. Whilst Swindon is immensely proud of its railway heritage, Swindon will support GBR by establishing a national centre of excellence for the railway sector, building on the wealth of rail organisations and businesses already thriving in the town and surrounding area. Swindon considers itself to be the ideal place for Great British Railways to forge the future of our railways.

What you can do to help ensure Swindon becomes the home of the Great British Railways There are a number of ways you can help support the bid for Swindon to become the home of the Great British Railways.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Please complete the survey https://www. smartsurvey.co.uk/s/8M0QF2/ stating you believe Swindon should be the home of the new headquarters. This will help demonstrate public support for Swindon’s bid, one of the key judging criteria. As an individual or as a business, please

share your support of the bid on your social media which will also help raise its profile using #DestinationGBR Keep up to date with all progress via https://www.swindon.gov.uk/destinationgbr which will include details of future voting requirements.

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Wo r c e s t e r

Get on board and bring rail HQ to historic Shrub Hill Quarter

Why one of Britain’s best-kept secrets should be the headquarters of the country’s railway

Shrub Hill Quarter Upper Yard Artistic Impression

orcestershire has an ambitious and exciting vision for the City and County that will create a connected, creative, and dynamic local economy. The county is home to more than 600,000 people, a diverse mix of vibrant urban areas, idyllic rural communities and, at its heart, one of England’s historic Cathedral cities. Its communities are growing dramatically, with 44,000 houses and more than 100,000 people adding nearly 20% to today’s population by 2040, mostly right on our rail corridors. The county has one of the UK’s fastest-growing

Great British Railways HQ Competition

local economies, proudly positioning itself as ‘Open for Business’ with many renowned and successful companies based on its engineering and manufacturing heritage looking to the future. With 9 out of every 10 schools rated good or outstanding, Worcestershire provides excellent and high-quality education and learning experiences. Sitting at the very core of Great Britain, Worcestershire is directly connected by national, regional and local rail services to London, Birmingham, the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, the South West, Wales and the East Midlands.

The County Council has invested strongly in the National Rail network, in 2020 opening both our third-party funded Worcestershire Parkway station on the GB-wide CrossCountry network and the radically transformed Kidderminster Station Gateway.

Centally located Worcestershire is also right on the National Highways strategic network, with the City of Worcester and the Shrub Hill Quarter only 2.5 miles from M5 Junction 7.

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Wo r c e s t e r

Worcester will thus make the ideal place to locate the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR). Worcestershire County Council’s Expression of Interest (EoI) was supported by Worcester City Council, Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, the MP for Worcester Robin Walker and all five other county MPs, along with Lord Faulkner of Worcester, Chair of the North Cotswold Line Task Force, and by Worcestershire Rail User Group Association and Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership. Worcestershire County Council’s Leader, Councillor Simon Geraghty, said: “Worcestershire is at the very heart of Great Britain, wellconnected by both rail and the strategic highway network. We are determined to see our direct rail connectivity evolve and improve with GBR’s close engagement, taking maximum benefit of both our multi-million Worcestershire Parkway Station and Shrub Hill Station scheme. “Worcestershire County Council would be delighted to host GBR’s headquarters here in the beautiful cathedral City of Worcester with its proud Great Western and Midland railways heritage, supporting our determined and essential county-wide Levelling Up agenda and our ongoing ambitions for continuously improving rail connectivity across Great Britain.”

An historic image of Shrub Hill Station from the late 19th century

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We are determined to see our direct rail connectivity evolve and improve with GBR’s close engagement

Robin Walker, MP for Worcester, said: “Worcester is a well-connected city at Great Britain’s heart. “We are home to one of Brunel’s great Victorian stations in Shrub Hill as well as one of the newest 21st century stations in the country at Worcestershire Parkway. Worcester is a great, growing place to locate GBR’s HQ which in turn will support our ambitious Levelling Up agenda.”

Liam Creighton (liam creighton@gmail.com)/ PanoramaStreetline.com

The proposed location for GBR’s HQ is immediately next to the Grade-II listed Worcester Shrub Hill Station at the heart of the historic Shrub Hill Quarter. Currently undergoing a multi-million pound transformation led by the County and City councils and supported by the government’s Towns Fund, the Quarter will be re-born as one of the largest Midlands brownfield sites, bringing thousands of new homes and jobs, with the County Council also making a Levelling-Up Fund bid for its exciting Masterplan for Shrub Hill Station.

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Historic links

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Great British Railways HQ Competition

Wo r c e s t e r

The County Council is in a strong position to drive the Quarter’s regeneration, owning a 4 hectare employment site directly adjacent to Shrub Hill Station, with its iconic Grade-II 19th century ‘Engine Works’ or 1930s art-deco ‘Isaac Maddox House’ offering both 110,000 square feet of commercial and office space and a remarkable railway legacy for vibrant, modern use as GBR’s HQ in a powerful heritage location.

A ‘rich railway history’ Worcestershire’s and the Shrub Hill Quarter’s rich railway history is rooted in the mid-19th century competition of the Great Western Railway and Midland Railway and today the county is served by two Network Rail routes, four Train Operating Companies, and hosts significant freight traffic. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was supervising engineer at the Italianate Shrub Hill Station’s inception, and the Quarter has played an important role throughout the history of railway engineering. Locomotives and rolling stock were constructed at the Engine Works from 1864, and it was the home of leading worldwide signalling engineers, McKenzie & Holland from 1870 to 1921 and railway and general engineers Heenan & Froude until 1970. Worcestershire and Worcester people are proud of their railway history, its Brunelian inheritance, and special historic stations such as Worcester Shrub Hill. The highly successful tourism-based Severn Valley Railway runs in Worcestershire and reflects that county pride.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Aerial View Worcester Shrub Hill

As part of the bid, Worcestershire has been asking its residents and businesses what they think about the prospect of the GBR rail HQ coming to the county. The response to the survey suggests overwhelming support with 99% of those responding saying they would like the HQ to be located in Worcester, seeing it bring new jobs to the county, recognising Shrub Hill’s rich heritage and promoting Worcester as a destination city. Worcester City Council Leader, Councillor Marc Bayliss, said: “Having won £40m of oncein-a-generation government investment in

Worcester’s renaissance and levelling-up, we are ready to warmly welcome GBR’s HQ to our revitalised, well-connected Shrub Hill Quarter, set amidst its great railway history.” What better place than Worcestershire for GBR to call its home for the start of a new era in Britain’s railways. To find out more about Worcestershire’s bid go to: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20968/ get_on_board_and_bring_rail_hq_to_ worcestershires_historic_shrub_hill_quarter

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Yo r k

York is the great British choice for Great British Railways

With York, there is no better place to locate Great British Railways to help achieve the government’s Levelling Up ambitions, lifting York into the top quartile of UK cities from its current, below-average standing

York Central

York is levelling up Seven in ten Yorkshire adults agree locating GBR in York will help Yorkshire to level-up.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

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Around a quarter of York is listed within the country’s more deprived communities with nearly 700 of the country’s most deprived communities in or within an hour of York

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ith York, there is no better place to locate Great British Railways to help achieve the government’s Levelling Up ambitions, lifting York into the top quartile of UK cities from its current, belowaverage standing. Nearly 700 of the UK’s most deprived communities are within an hour of York and - as home to Great British Railways - York can provide opportunities to millions of people, businesses and communities across Yorkshire and the North-East. York’s bid has support from a wide range of partners, including North Yorkshire County Council, York & North Yorkshire LEP, City of York Council, the city’s universities and many more partners and stakeholders, including local MPs.

Our average wages are below the national average and parts of York see people dying five years earlier than the national average or 21 years earlier compared to the best areas in the country. GBR’s HQ in York will provide significant a levelling up opportunity for York, Yorkshire and the North.

Saying #yes2york is not only about the city itself, but about the workers, commuters, visitors, students, suppliers and residents who rely on York for jobs, education, travel and recreation.

Our bid for GBR HQ in York is a bid for Yorkshire. Six out of ten Yorkshire residents have already confirmed they think York is the best location for GBR HQ. And it’s easy to see why: ork is globally-recognised, famous for its Y railways and a destination for over 11 million rail customers and visitors. 1 4% of the UK’s rail sector is based within an hour commute of York, the largest rail cluster outside of London. We have a highly-qualified, experienced workforce and an existing hightech rail cluster and ecosystem that is ready and working towards a decarbonised, digitised, customer-focused railway service. railbusinessdaily.com

Yo r k

Communities in the 20% most deprived in the UK within an hour of York

Yorkshire has all the assets that major centres of excellence for rail innovation and application require. This includes a substantial business base with growth and innovation ambitions, academic excellence, research and innovation facilities, established networks and a supportive and ambitious public sector. Universities in Yorkshire have advanced rail test facilities and expertise, and they have a strong record of collaboration with the rail industry on research. Leading-edge research facilities at the Institute

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Nearly five million people live within easy commuting distance to York, providing a ready workforce, employment opportunities and partnering opportunities. York is a catalyst for levelling up the North

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welve universities and higher education (HE) T institutions in Yorkshire work collaboratively and together they contribute £3 billion per annum to Yorkshire’s economy. With the government committed to levelling up opportunity, they are in an ideal position to support and underpin the case for the new headquarters of Great British Railways to be based here in Yorkshire.

of Railway Research (IRR) at the University of Huddersfield and the Institute for High-Speed Rail and System, which is being developed by the University of Leeds. The Institute of Railway Studies is a longstanding joint initiative between the University of York and the National Railway Museum (NRM) who together recognise the

considerable value contained within the NRM’s collection and archives, and are committed to extracting greater value and impact from these resources. The University of York’s Institute for Safe Autonomy is a new ‘living lab’ for autonomous technologies, where researchers work with local partners to develop spaces for testing autonomous land and air vehicles. Basing GBR in York will supercharge that regional rail eco system; strengthen the incredible innovation and engineering research being led by our region’s universities and colleges. It will allow York to become a globally competitive city for rail excellence.

York is connected We are nearly equidistant between Edinburgh and London. York sits at the heart of the UK and its rail network. York connects the United Kingdom like no other place and has a direct line connection to a third of the population.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

Yo r k

We are in easy reach of Edinburgh (just over two hours by train) as well as London one hour 48 minutes by train). There are over 83 trains a day between York and Edinburgh and 85 trains between York and London. This is as well as the connections to Cardiff and other Welsh cities and towns that would enable the GBR to both connect and strengthen ties with the Union. By road, York is in close proximity to the A1 linking North and South as well as the M62 linking East and West. Leeds Bradford Airport is 45 minutes away and we have a direct train connection into Manchester Airport and the important trade, domestic and international connectivity it brings.

York is ready now GBR HQ would bring jobs to York, open opportunities to expand the rail eco system and bring inward investment, leading to graduate retention in the city, higher wages and boosting hospitality and business tourism. LNER, Trans Pennine Express, Northern Rail, Grand Central are already based in a rail campus within minutes of the station, in buildings named Hudson, Stephenson and in Station Rise. There is also an opportunity for York Central, a large brownfield regeneration site within 5 mins of the station, to be the heart of a new specially built rail campus.

Great British Railways HQ Competition

York, the best place to live York regularly tops the list of the best place to live in the UK. It has outstanding childcare and education within 30 minutes of anywhere in the city. Residents in York live in strong supportive communities and enjoy the green space and rivers in the city centre and stunning Yorkshire countryside only 20 minutes away. York is a city on a human scale, large enough to have ambition and provide opportunities and intimate enough for every person to make their mark.

At just 34km 2, the built up urban area of York is much smaller than regional centres like Leeds, yet it still has all the amenities you would expect of a vibrant, forward-looking city. York is ready for GBR now with available sites, the people and ambition to make it a success. A vote for York is a vote for Yorkshire. #destinationGBR #yes2York. For more information and to register support visit www.ynylep.com/yes2york

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