City prepares to bid to host the Great British Railways HQ

In February this year the Department for Transport announced a competition to find the first headquarters of Great British Railways – a planned state-owned public body that will oversee rail transport in Great Britain from 2023.

Since then, the council and its partners have worked together to mount a bid, positioning York as the ideal home for the organisation.

The competition seeks bids from towns and cities with a rich railway history and which are strongly linked to the rail network, aiming for the new headquarters to take pride of place at the heart of a new era for Britain’s railways.

Following extensive work with partners and rail operators in the city, York’s historic and strong connection to the rail sector will form the heart of the city’s bid to Government.

At a meeting on 9 March Councillor Keith Aspden, leader of the council, will be asked to approve the submission of York’s formal expression of interest.

In turn, that will signal the city’s intent to bid jointly with North Yorkshire County Council and York and North Yorkshire Local Economic Partnership, to locate the new headquarters of Great British Railways in York.

Cllr Aspden said: “York is the natural home for Great British Railways, standing at the heart of the UK’s rail network and with a rail history stretching back centuries.

“We believe the public and the Government will see our rich rail heritage, skilled population and future development opportunities, such as York Central, make York the ideal home for Great British Railways.

“Even before the competition was announced, we have been working with our partners to put York in the best possible position to succeed. Over the coming weeks and months, we will undertake further work to give York’s bid real momentum.”

The bid needs to be submitted by the deadline of 16 March.