Great British Railways - Competition for new location of GBR Headquarters

AlastairFraser · 6 Oct 2021

SargeNpton said:
Isn't Network Rail still the owner of the railway infrastructure in Scotland? If so then that will still be encompassed by GBR unless the infrastructure is to be devolved to Transport Scotland.

I wondered about that because Network Rail would be difficult to devolve to Scotland, apparently plans have changed from the start because all operators in devolved admins will now be required to implement a single national brand for railways.

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The Planner · 6 Oct 2021

CW2 said:
Rail House in Crewe is a 1960s eyesore, and would need some serious investment to bring it (back) up to a usable state. Demolition would be my preferred option. The Annexe building (2-storey building facing onto Nantwich Road, linked to the main building by a footbridge) has already been converted into residential accommodation.

Assuming Phase 2B of HS2 goes ahead, there's a case for expanding Crewe station to have platforms on the Independent Lines, so a new station entrance where Rail House currently stands would be ideal, with a new office building above. Maybe cover over the Independent Lines with a ramp, to create better access / egress, and car parking too.

I've no idea what the current plans are for Crewe station in the long term, merely speculating as to what is possible ...

Independent platforms were dead the last I heard.

Tomos y Tanc · 6 Oct 2021

AlastairFraser said:
I wondered about that because Network Rail would be difficult to devolve to Scotland, apparently plans have changed from the start because all operators in devolved admins will now be required to implement a single national brand for railways.

I haven't heard any announcement to that effect and would be surprised if it was the case. Such a move would almost certainly require legistlative consent orders from the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. There's not a snowball in hell's chance of consent being given by either and, in Wales case, a large slice of the infrastructure isn't owned or managed by Network Rail anyway.

That doesn't mean of course that intercity and regional services provided by English based operators won't carry GBR branding in Scotland and Wales.

AlastairFraser · 6 Oct 2021

Tomos y Tanc said:
I haven't heard any announcement to that effect and would be surprised if it was the case. Such a move would almost certainly require legistlative consent orders from the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. There's not a snowball in hell's chance of consent being given by either and, in Wales case, a large slice of the infrastructure isn't owned or managed by Network Rail anyway.

That doesn't mean of course that intercity and regional services provided by English based operators won't carry GBR branding in Scotland and Wales.

There will be a regional version of GBR according to the UK government for these areas, maybe for intercity services, but tickets and info will no longer be provided under TOC brands anyway, apparently.

Class 170101 · 6 Oct 2021

WesternBiker said:
This suggests it's time for more to move to the West Midlands / East Midlands regions. (East Anglia actually has the lowest proportion of Civil Service jobs per capita - but the "levelling up" agenda - and location of "Red Wall" seats - suggests further north to me.)

East Anglia was referred to as being part of the 'Greater Southeast' as far as thye government were concerned so not a 1st priority for investment compared to further north and west. Of course some parts of East Anglia and Southeast England have similar levels of poverty to the north.

Bevan Price · 6 Oct 2021

Based on their previous history, it would be a good idea for as few as possible DfT people to be involved with GBR.
An existing "rail-owned" building would be the most sensible - but since when have "sense" and "civil service" been compatible ?
(Apologies to any "lower grade" civil service staff who have not yet been fully conditioned to senior civil service attitudes.)

But first I would ask - do they (or anyone else) really need a big central office with hundreds+ of people crammed into one location? Small effective groups spread around the country in some of the existing offices would be equally good - and avoid the need to waste £ millions on removal expenses.

Bald Rick · 6 Oct 2021

Bevan Price said:
But first I would ask - do they (or anyone else) really need a big central office with hundreds+ of people crammed into one location?

Genuine question - Has it been said anywhere that this new ‘HQ’ will be a big central office with hundreds of people?

SynthD · 7 Oct 2021

If they’re making a big deal of where it goes you may assume they want something to show for it, a doorway into a large office block or a large headcount within one constituency. No point sending the Minister to the North so often if it doesn’t win votes.

DoubleLemon · 7 Oct 2021

What is the minimum donation to the tory party do you need to qualify!??

DarloRich · 7 Oct 2021

there are some " interesting" suggestions on this thread!

Bald Rick said:
Genuine question - Has it been said anywhere that this new ‘HQ’ will be a big central office with hundreds of people?

Unclear at this stage but unlikely.

syorksdeano · 7 Oct 2021

Sheffield on that big space of land opposite the train station

pitdiver · 7 Oct 2021

RH Liner said:
Mansfield, or even better, Shirebrook. Make them travel to work on the Robin Hood Line. Maybe the trains will run on time then.

Alternatively, Georgemas Junction, as a fair compromise between Wick and Thurso.

All for Mansfield and as you say even better Shirebrook .Just up the road from me. I would actually plump for Derby.

coppercapped · 7 Oct 2021

Bald Rick said:
Genuine question - Has it been said anywhere that this new ‘HQ’ will be a big central office with hundreds of people?

A very apposite question...

When one thinks that the British Transport Commission administered the entire railways business of trains, ships, hotels and workshops with a total workforce of over half a million people from a hotel in London, then GBR — which seems to me to be a Strategic-Rail-Authority-Lite and only overseeing a much shrunk network — ought to fit within a Travelodge.

Any bigger and the DfT will have got it wrong.

6Z09 · 7 Oct 2021

Nonsensical rhetoric, just a we have become used to from this government!

LNW-GW Joint · 7 Oct 2021

Tomos y Tanc said:
I haven't heard any announcement to that effect and would be surprised if it was the case. Such a move would almost certainly require legistlative consent orders from the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. There's not a snowball in hell's chance of consent being given by either and, in Wales case, a large slice of the infrastructure isn't owned or managed by Network Rail anyway.

I'm sure that will be clarified and voted on under the new Railways Act taking shape in the DfT, as it goes through Parliament.
Scottish and Welsh transport devolution arrangements are different, but neither government has full control of the railways in its patch.
In any case the funding for them comes ultimately from Westminster in the budget settlements (and spending reviews).
There's also the whole business of Barnett Consequentials on any spend in England, and how that devolves to Edinburgh/Cardiff.

You can see the same conflict over the M4 through Newport: Westminster wants an improved motorway for strategic UK reasons, while Cardiff wants, well, I don't know what it wants, except a large sum of money to do what it wants with.

Route115? · 8 Oct 2021

There is one problem with all this moving the HQ out of London stuff. Rail has a very high market share to London and much lower elsewhere. I can quite believing staff from outstations driving to meetings if it is in the wrong place. That said, if you located it at Birmingham perhaps XC might increase some of their frequencies indeed reinstate the pre covid timetable in due course. Incidently will GBR HQ staff get free travel?

I live 200m from the Uxbridge & South Ruislip constituency. I wonder if the local MP (some guy called Johnson) will fight as hard as some other local MPs for hos constituents. (OK I'm only joking).

BrianW · 8 Oct 2021

Route115? said:
There is one problem with all this moving the HQ out of London stuff. Rail has a very high market share to London and much lower elsewhere. I can quite believing staff from outstations driving to meetings if it is in the wrong place. That said, if you located it at Birmingham perhaps XC might increase some of their frequencies indeed reinstate the pre covid timetable in due course. Incidently will GBR HQ staff get free travel?

I live 200m from the Uxbridge & South Ruislip constituency. I wonder if the local MP (some guy called Johnson) will fight as hard as some other local MPs for hos constituents. (OK I'm only joking).

Perhaps he'll support Stoke Poges in the adjoining constituency of South Bucks, one of the safest seats and without Heathrow tho with HS2!?

Bald Rick · 8 Oct 2021

Wolverhampton has thrown its hat in the ring.

Well, it won’t be far away

ijmad · 8 Oct 2021

Blyth

xotGD · 8 Oct 2021

Back to my suggestion of Wakefield. It has missed out on being shortlisted for City of Culture, so the rail HQ would be a form of compensation.

Irascible · 9 Oct 2021

coppercapped said:
then GBR — which seems to me to be a Strategic-Rail-Authority-Lite and only overseeing a much shrunk network — ought to fit within a Travelodge.

Perhaps a hotel in Torquay.

kermit · 9 Oct 2021

Perth (Scotland,not Australia.....). Fits with the post-Covid "Race for Space", and would be indicative of a willingness to invest in the future of Scotland.

Bald Rick · 9 Oct 2021

Irascible said:
Perhaps a hotel in Torquay.

It would need a view from the window.

OverSpeed · 9 Oct 2021

My suggestion would be by having a rather large tent structure travel around the various towns and cities

matacaster · 9 Oct 2021

Huddersfield!
They could use the vast (and partly refurbished but seemingly stalled redevelopment of) goods warehouse on opposite side of tracks to station.

Mag_seven · 9 Oct 2021

Bald Rick said:
Genuine question - Has it been said anywhere that this new ‘HQ’ will be a big central office with hundreds of people?

Remember the original concept of Railtrack was that it was going to be an organisation consisting of entirely signallers and a couple of contract managers.....

coppercapped · 9 Oct 2021

Bald Rick said:
It would need a view from the window.

Big grin...! :lol:

Alanko · 9 Oct 2021

How about the warren of tunnels under Box Hill?

ijmad · 9 Oct 2021

OverSpeed said:
My suggestion would be by having a rather large tent structure travel around the various towns and cities

Could their headquarters... actually BE a train?

61653 HTAFC · 9 Oct 2021

Sleepy said:
I think classing Norwich as a remote destination like Penzance is a bit unfair (90 minutes from Liverpool St.)

Wasn't there an old gag about Norwich being "cut off on three sides by the North Sea, and cut off on the fourth side by British Rail"?

Great British Railways - Competition for new location of GBR Headquarters

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