5th July 2022
York MP Rachael Maskell welcomes today’s announcement that York is on the final shortlist of cities bidding to become the Headquarters of Great British Railways.
The final round of the competition starts today, and York will now compete alongside five other cities to host the new Headquarters.
City leaders including Rachael Maskell MP, representatives from both York Universities, York’s rail industry and City of York Council are working to garner public support for the #Yes2York campaign, to bring this vital opportunity to York.
Now that York is on the shortlist, the city is challenged to show public support for their bid through a public vote. Rachael is encouraging everyone to vote for the city using this link Great British Railways Vote. She is also urging everyone to get their friends and family to get on board and vote #Yes2York.
Rachael Maskell, Labour & Co-operative MP for York Central, has been spearheading the campaign in the months leading up to the announcement, and has been advocating for York’s rail future in Parliament.
Rachael Maskell said:
“I am delighted that York has made it onto the shortlist to host the new Great British Rail Headquarters. York made the railways, and the railways made York. We have over 150-years of rail heritage in our city and a site ready for rail’s future. Today’s announcement is only the beginning. The city has a lot of work to do, and we need everyone to play a part. Working together, we can bring Great British Railways home to York.”
“Locating the new Headquarters in York has the potential to transform the economic landscape of the city by transforming its railways industry into a global rail super cluster. GBR HQ will help maintain and further develop York’s place as the heart of the UK’s rail industry, offering future opportunities for York’s young workforce and bringing new high skilled, well paid jobs to the region.”
About Great British Railways
Great British Railways is the new government organisation earmarked to run the railways, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps saying the body would replace an ‘overcomplicated and fragmented’ system. This February, the Government launched a competition to find a new Headquarters. Today’s announcement reduces the long list of 42 cities, to six, who will compete in the final round.