Confidence high for Peterborough's bid to be the home for new Great British Railways HQ

Positive feedback about Peterborough’s railways agency bid
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Hopes are high that Peterborough will be chosen as the stopping point for a prestigious national contest to find a home for the new Great British Railways headquarters.

The city has submitted an ambitious bid to the Department for Transport (Dft) to be the base for the multi-million pound GB Railways HQ, which could create up 300 jobs for Peterborough.

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The Dft launched its national competition to find a home for the new rail organisation‘s head office in March.

Peterborough Train Station,, which will be at the heart of the city's planned Station Quarter, which could also be the home of the Great British Railways HQ.Peterborough Train Station,, which will be at the heart of the city's planned Station Quarter, which could also be the home of the Great British Railways HQ.
Peterborough Train Station,, which will be at the heart of the city's planned Station Quarter, which could also be the home of the Great British Railways HQ.

It is part of a national shake-up of rail services that will see Great British Railways, which is expected to employ 5,000 people nationally, take responsibility for services and infrastructure.

Tom Hennessy, chief executive of economic development company, Opportunity Peterborough, which submitted a bid on behalf of the city, said: “We’ve heard some really great things back about our bid.

He told business leaders at an Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder meeting: “There are 44 locations across the UK that have put themselves forward for this.

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"Peterborough has a very good chance of at least making the shortlist and ultimately winning it.”

Mr Hennessy said Peterborough’s rail heritage and its ambitions plans for its Station Quarter development, which would provide the site for the GB Railways HQ, put the city in a commanding position to win the competition.

The contest enters a new phase next month when a shortlist of applicants will be revealed.

The winning application will be decided by a public vote that will be a supported by a campaign to encourage Peterborough people to vote for their city’s bid.