Locals urged to get behind Nuneaton's bid to be home of Great British Railways
Nuneaton's among 42 towns and cities bidding to be the home of the new HQ
People and businesses in Nuneaton are being urged to get behind the town's bid to be the new home of Great British Railways - the new body which will oversee the country's rail network.
Earlier this month, Nuneaton was announced as one of the 42 towns and cities across the UK bidding to be the home of the new HQ.
Great British Railways will be the body which oversees the rail network, and will come into effect from next year, absortbing Network Rail. The orgnisation's responsibilities will include owning rail infrastructure, recieving fare revenue, running and planning the network and setting most fares and timetables.
The shortlist of potential host towns is to be announced next month and, as part of the selection process, there will be a local public vote. Residents and supporters of the Nuneaton bid are being invited to sign up to support the campaign, via the bid web page.
Councillor Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council said: “Locating GBR’s HQ to Nuneaton would provide a huge boost to the Transforming Nuneaton Programme (TNP) which aims to create a vibrant, attractive and prosperous town centre. In return, this growing Midlands town will provide GBR with the perfect launching point to revolutionise and repurpose the country’s national railways. It is geographically ideally situated and is on the cusp of becoming a town that any business would be proud to be associated with.
"We urge as many people as possible to get online and share why they think Nuneaton should be chosen as the new home for GBR.”
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council leader Cllr Kristofer Wilson said: “This bid to be the new home of GBR is a statement that Nuneaton and Bedworth have high ambitions for our towns, and I would encourage all of our residents to sign up and support our bid. We are doing all we can to make Nuneaton and Bedworth a great place to live, work and visit. We are working hard as a borough council with our partners across Coventry and Warwickshire and beyond to attract new interest to our area, including new jobs, homes and inward investment. This is a great opportunity to achieve that.
“We believe the development potential of Nuneaton means the town has a strong case to be considered as the best location for this prestigious headquarters. Our transport connections with the rest of the country are excellent and our location would literally put GBR in the heart of the UK. The rewards this could bring to our town are huge, and I urge everyone to back the bid."
Rt Hon Marcus Jones MP for Nuneaton, Arley and Hartshill, said: “I am proud to represent Nuneaton which is a town with a proud history and a bright future, and I urge the Department of Transport to select Nuneaton as the new headquarters for Great British Railways.
“Our rich rail history, strong links to the network and the coming transformation of our town centre make Nuneaton the best option for new home of Great British Railways.
“As the most central town in England, Nuneaton is very well connected in terms of local, national and international transport links.
“I am very much supporting Nuneaton’s bid!”
To show your support for Nuneaton's bid to become the new HQ of Great British Railways, click here.