• After 42 towns and cities applied to be the new home of Great British Rail, the Transport Secretary has today announced the official shortlist.
  • Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and York will compete for the honour of being crowned the home of Britain’s railways—with the public vote officially opening today.
  • The central headquarters will be the heart of the rail network, and will provide strategic direction for the running of Great British Rail, as well as bringing a number of highly skilled jobs to the area.  

As part of the Conservative Government’s commitment to level up the UK, a competition was launched to host the new headquarters of Great British Rail (GBR).

Eddisbury MP, Edward Timpson CBE, has welcomed the news that Crewe has been shortlisted and will now compete for the honour of being crowned the home of Britain’s railways.

42 cities and towns came forward to place their bids to be the home of GBR HQ—and these applications were measured against six criteria:

  • alignment to levelling up objectives;
  • connected and easy to get to;
  • opportunities for GBR;
  • railway heritage;
  • links to the network, and
  • value for money  and public support.

The public vote, which will play a crucial role in determining the chosen location, has officially opened today.

Members of the public can choose the town or city they think makes the best case for this prestigious honour online at gbrtt.co.uk/hq-competition-public-vote, with the final decision being made by the Transport Secretary later this year.  

This a fantastic opportunity to boost job opportunities in Eddisbury for decades to come, and allow Cheshire to be the true home of rail.

Eddisbury MP, Edward Timpson CBE, said:

“Whilst talent is spread evenly across the country, opportunity is not—which is why it is this Conservative Government’s vital mission to level up every corner of the country.

“That is why I am delighted that Crewe has been shortlisted to be the host of Great British Rail, and to sit at the heart of the Government’s mission to modernise the railways.

“Bringing the new regional headquarters of GBR to Crewe would deliver highly-skilled and highly-paid jobs for a number of Eddisbury residents, and I urge everybody across our constituency to vote for this fantastic opportunity for Central and South Cheshire.”

Transport Secretary, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, added:

“Our world-leading railways have served this country well for 200 years, and this is a huge step in the reforms that will shape our network for the next 200 years.

“Great British Railways will create a truly sustainable, modern and fair railway network for passengers and freight customers. 

“I’m calling on people across the country to play a key part in this once-in-a-generation reform, and vote for the new home of our railways!”