City launches formal bid to host HQ for Great British Railways
Wakefield Council, working with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, has lodged a formal bid to become the new national headquarters of Great British Railways, the body that will run the country’s rail network.
The bid is backed by Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, Councillor Denise Jeffery leader of Wakefield Council, alongside leaders of all the West Yorkshire Local Authorities.
Wakefield is up against competing Yorkshire bids from Doncaster and York.
From 2023, Great British Railways (GBR) will be a state-owned public body overseeing rail transport in Great Britain. It will operate rail infrastructure, control the contracting of train operations, set of fares and timetables, and collection fare revenue in most of England.
In October, the Secretary of State for Transport announced a competition to find a suitable location for Great British Railways outside of London.
Brabin said: “Our region played a significant role in the birth of commercial rail in the UK, so I am happy to support Wakefield’s bid to be the headquarters of Great British Railways.
“Securing Great British Railways for Wakefield will be a powerful driver for the city’s recovery from the pandemic, bringing high value, well-paid jobs to the region.
“It will also give West Yorkshire a powerful voice in setting the national agenda for rail travel and support my priority to improve rail across the region and ensure we have a transport network fit for the 21st century.”
Councillor Darren Byford, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, economic growth and property, said: “We have great connectivity, exciting regeneration plans for our city, and two city centre stations connecting to London in under two hours.
“Our proposed headquarters site is a short distance from the railway stations, allowing us to provide sustainable travel options for visitors and staff members.”
Wakefield was home to the world’s first public railway and rail wagon and carriages were manufactured in the city for over 130 years.
The city’s bid argues that locating the headquarters in Wakefield would give GBR access to strong talent, with the largest pool of graduates in the North and the second largest pool of rail talent in the UK.
The bid proposes the planned office redevelopment on the grounds of the historic Westgate rail station in Wakefield city centre as GBR’s new headquarters.
If Wakefield is successfully shortlisted in May, the public will then have the opportunity to cast their vote for the city as their preferred location.
