An ambitious bid to bring the home of Britain’s railways to York has been heralded as a “defining moment” for the region’s economy after receiving support across the political spectrum from North Yorkshire County Council.
York is among six short-listed locations across the country which have been chosen by the Government as potential locations for the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR).
The new organisation has been unveiled by the Government and will be tasked with streamlining the operation of the country’s railways, and York’s bid to become its new national base has been given cross-party support from political groups on the county council.
If successful, the decision to create the new headquarters for GBR in York would help unlock major economic benefits and job opportunities across North Yorkshire and the North of England.
A collective show of support has been given outside County Hall in Northallerton, with councillors from the county council’s Conservatives, the Liberal Democrat and Liberal group, Independents, Labour and Greens all gathering to back York’s bid.
North Yorkshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “The bid by York is ambitious and shows the intent in both the city and across North Yorkshire to bring real economic benefits and the prospect of hundreds of new jobs, and could prove to be a defining moment for the region.
“York has a long and proud heritage connected to the railways dating back to the Victorian era, and it would be fitting for the city to be at the forefront of attempts to reform the nation’s rail network in the 21st century.
“All political groups on the county council have come together to give a collective voice for our support of the bid to bring Great British Railways’ new headquarters to the city, as it will be of huge benefit not just for York, but for the whole of the region as well.
“The fact that York has been selected for the shortlist of just six locations to be the new home of GBR shows the strength and ambition of the bid, and we are all hopeful that it proves a success and the new headquarters is brought to the city.”
Research has shown that creating GBR’s new headquarters would be a key component in the Government’s drive to tackle regional inequalities under its so-called levelling up agenda.
Analysis has shown that the new headquarters would add an estimated £110 million to York’s economy, creating 1,600 new jobs with 320 of those roles in the 700 most deprived communities within an hour’s train journey of the city.
York is already one of the biggest rail centres in the country, with 5,000 employees linked to the industry and major train operators based in the city.
The city is also home to the National Railway Museum (NRM), and the York Central project, which is one of the largest brownfield sites in the country, is centred around the city’s railway station.
Political group leaders at the county council have expressed their hopes that the bid to bring GBR’s headquarters to York becomes a reality.
City of York Council’s leader, Cllr Keith Aspden, stressed that bringing GBR’s headquarters to the city would open up opportunities across the whole of the region.
He said: “With 700 of the most deprived communities in the UK within an hour of York, the jobs created by locating Great British Railways in York could have a hugely positive impact on the levelling up agenda.
“Our rail heritage, expertise and skills from across the region and strength in innovation makes York the obvious home of rail.”
The creation of GBR was announced as a major foundation for once-in-a-generation reforms of the nation’s rail network launched by the Department for Transport just over a year ago.
The new organisation will be charged with ending the nation’s fragmented rail industry and provide a far more co-ordinated approach across the network for passengers and freight customers.
The central headquarters will be the heart of the rail network and will provide the strategic direction for the running of GBR, as well as bringing highly-skilled jobs to the area around the successful location.
The other locations on the shortlist include Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The final decision will be made by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps later this year.
