Grantham 'perfect site' for new rail headquarters, says council

Grantham's "long railway heritage" makes it the "perfect site" for the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR), the county council has said.

The government wants GBR, the new public body in charge of the UK's train services, to be based outside London.

Lincolnshire County Council said it would work with South Kesteven District Council on a joint bid for the town.

Several other areas with strong rail industry links have also expressed an interest, including York and Doncaster.

A competition to host GBR, which will manage the country's rail infrastructure and set timetables and ticket prices, was launched in early February.

It will include a public vote on the options and councillor Colin Davie said he felt sure the whole of Greater Lincolnshire would get behind the bid.

"[Grantham]'s got a long railway heritage history," Mr Davie told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The railway came to Grantham in 1850, and in the 30s and 40s it was the absolute centre of the railway industry."

The government requires bidding town and cities to have a location for the headquarters and have good connections to the rail network.

"The location of Grantham 100 miles (160 km) north of London, on the main line with the east-west trajectory to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and the southeast, I think makes it a really strong location," Mr Davie said.

"The landownership around the railway station, most of which is in the hands of national rail, makes it a perfect site."

GBR is part of government plans to end fragmentation of the rail network and deliver improvements for passengers.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said expressions of interest would have to be submitted by mid-March with a final decision announced in the summer.

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