A bid to create the headquarters of Britain’s new railway service in Cumbria has been launched.
Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness, will lead the bid for the area to house the new HQ of Great British Railways in Barrow.
Great British Railways is a planned state-owned body to oversee rail transport from 2023, replacing Network Rail and overseeing route operators.
A public competition has been launched for people to have their say in an online vote where the new HQ will be based.
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 Great British Rail.
A transition team will shortlist the best applications in May, after which a public vote will help determine the winning location.
Bids to house the new HQ will be measured against six criteria:
- Alignment to Levelling Up objectives
- Connected and easy to get to
- Opportunities for Great British Railways
- Railway heritage and links to the network
- Value for money
- Public support
Local authorities, MPs and business groups are being encouraged to drive forward campaigns for why their community should be the #DestinationGBR by visiting www.gbrtt.co.uk/hq.
This announcement follows the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper, which sets out the Conservative Government’s plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity, with improving transport a core driver of this mission.
Mr Fell, a Conservative, said: “Barrow’s strong, historical links to our nation’s railways make it an ideal location for the new Great British Railways headquarters – which is why I’m leading our bid.
“This HQ would bring new highly skilled jobs to the area, level up and create opportunities for residents, and cement Barrow’s status as the true home of British rail.
“The story of Barrow is the story of the Furness Railway. The discovery of iron ore showed the potential of Barrow to the world, and Henry Schneider’s railway opened it up.
“175 years ago Barrow was a hamlet – with a dozen families rearing sheep. Twenty-five years after the discovery of iron ore and the birth of the Furness Railway, some 40,000 people were living and working in what was then called ‘the Chicago of England’.
“That amazing growth was driven by the iron and steam of the Furness Line.
“Today, this sleepy hamlet at the end of a peninsular is responsible for producing world-class boats, rivalled in complexity by only one thing – the international space station. Those boats – made by Cumbrians, by Barrovians – keep their crews safe under immense pressure, and keep our country and our allies safe under immense pressures of a different sort.
“Ten thousand people are employed in that national endeavour and it is no exaggeration to say that without the Furness Line, without 175 years of rail in the region, Barrow’s role in the world would be very different indeed.
“I urge local residents, leaders, and business groups to get behind our bid – and prove to the country why Barrow should be the home of Great British Railways.”
