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National
Graeme Whitfield

Newcastle on shortlist to have headquarters of Great British Railways

Newcastle has made the shortlist to have the headquarters of the new body that will run the UK’s railways.

Six towns and cities have been shortlisted to host Great British Railways and a public vote will now help determine which of the areas is chosen. A total of 42 areas originally applied for the role, and Newcastle has now been shortlisted along with Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster and York. Darlington, Stockton and Durham have not made the shortlist.

It’s hoped the Great British Railways headquarters would bring hundreds of jobs to the city, as well as giving the city a unique opportunity have a greater say in the future of the railways.

Read more: what you need to know about the Northumberland line

Newcastle’s bid used the city’s role as the area that gave birth to the railways almost 200 years ago, with the Stephenson Quarter – where the Robert Stephenson & Co. Locomotive Works was established in 1823 as the first manufacturing facility of its kind in the world – one of the possible locations. The presence of a major railways training centre in Gateshead, run by Newcastle College, also added weight to the bid.

Newcastle City Council leader Nick Kemp said: "This is absolutely fantastic news for the city. It shows the prowess of the city and its railway heritage.

"There's a great deal to be proud about with a number of jobs - highly skilled jobs - that would come with a successful result, so fingers crossed."

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Our world-leading railways have served this country well for 200 years and this is a huge step in the reforms, which will shape our network for the next 200. Great British Railways will create a truly sustainable, modern and fair railway network for passengers and freight customers. I’m calling on people across the country to play a key part in this once-in-a-generation reform and vote for the new home of our railways.”

The creation of Great British Railways was announced last year as part of reforms of the rail system that aim to avoid the current fragmentation in the system.

* People can vote for Newcastle to be Great British Railways headquarters here.

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