Great British Railways: Yorkshire leaders 'deeply disappointed' after losing race for new rail HQ

The decision not to locate the new headquarters of Britain's rail network in Yorkshire is a "major blow" to the North, regional leaders have said.

The new public body Great British Railways (GBR) will be based in Derby, with Doncaster and York missing out, it was announced on Tuesday.

Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York, accused ministers of putting "political priorities" ahead of the rail industry.

The Department for Transport said Derby had won a "rigorous" selection process.

It means the city will benefit from the creation of high-skilled jobs and investment.

The Yorkshire cities were among five shortlisted locations - also including Newcastle, Birmingham and Crewe - which lost out.

Ms Maskell voiced "extreme dismay" over the "stunning blow" to York, which she said boasted "world-leading skill and expertise in this area".

The MP demanded a meeting with Transport Secretary Mark Harper so he could fully explain the decision.

Doncaster mayor Ros Jones said: "I am deeply disappointed in today's result for Doncaster.

"I feel strongly that placing the Great British Railways Headquarters in Doncaster... would have brought a great many benefits to our newly- crowned city and to the region.

"Doncaster would have made the perfect home for GBR HQ and locating it there would have gone a long way in realising the government's levelling up aspirations for the area."

Oliver Coppard, the Mayor of South Yorkshire, said he was "deeply disappointed" Doncaster had missed out. He claimed it was "more evidence that we can't rely on the government to level up our country".

"It doesn't just mean fewer jobs, it means that the people running the railways across the country won't be based here in South Yorkshire, and won't see what we need first hand," Mr Coppard said.

Keith Aspen, the Liberal Democrat leader of York City Council, said Derby's selection was "really disappointing news, not just for York but actually the north of England".

He said the process had been a "shambles".

However, Mr Aspen added: "Rail continues to be a key sector for the city, with over 5,000 jobs in the rail industry in York today.

"Given that the plans for GBR have been significantly scaled down from its original plans, it is expected there will be no loss of jobs from the city, and we will continue to work with our partners to support [the] growth of the industry in York."

In 2021, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced plans to set up GBR to replace an "overcomplicated and fragmented" rail system.

The new public body will own the rail infrastructure, procure passenger services and set most fares and timetables.

It was due to be launched in early 2024, but delays left industry and political leaders fearing the government might abandon the overhaul.

The Department for Transport said Derby "came top of all six excellent locations in both the rigorous assessment process and the public vote".

A spokesperson added the city's application had demonstrated strong links to the wider network, well-established industry connections with the industry and an "extensive local cluster of private sector rail businesses".

Correction 13th April 2023: This article originally identified Oliver Coppard as the MP for South Yorkshire. In fact there is no such constituency and the article has been amended to make clear that he is the Mayor of South Yorkshire.

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