Tamworth's application to be Great British Railway's new Headquarters has now been confirmed.
We're up against 41 other places but I'm confident that Tamworth has the business case, transport links and heart within the community to make our town the best choice.
Take a look at the map and see who else we're up against!
And if you want to back our bid - fill in the survey and see how you can help!
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said:
“It is brilliant to see so many places across the country come forward to be the new home of Great British Railways.
“All the entries show just how proud we should be as a nation of our long railway history.
“Now it’s full steam ahead with building a short list for the public vote, as we unlock all the energy and enthusiasm British people have for trains, to find the home of GBR.”
As part of the Government's plan to level up the UK the Government will be setting up 'Great British Railways' outside of London, to bring high skilled jobs to whichever location is chosen, The new body will oversee all rail transport, the infrastructure, the contracting, the setting of fares and timetables and it will work closely with current operators to make sure our railways are affordable, accessible and take us to the places we need to go. Having Tamworth at the heart of decision making, makes sense.
Now the entrants to the competition will be whittled down to a shortlist which will be announced in May. We want to ensure that the DfT hear about us as much as possible, so let them know that Tamworth is the place to launch the next railway HQ.
Applications will be measured against six key criteria:
- Aligns with the levelling up agenda
- Connected and easy to get to
- Has future opportunities for Great British Rail
- Has railway heritage links
- Can provide value for money
- Has public support
We know Tamworth can meet this criteria and ensure our railway not only embraces its beautiful history, but can look forward strategically to the future, innovate and most importantly, get more people using and feel comfortable using our railway network.
