An ambitious bid to make Perth the base of a new public body being set up to oversee rail travel across the whole of the UK has hit the buffers.
Perth and Kinross Council unanimously backed a motion earlier this year to pit the city against other locations outside London in a competition to become the home of Great British Railways (GBR).
Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey and independent councillor Xander McDade proposed the motion in the hope winning the competition would bring a significant amount of inward investment to Perth as well as create plenty of high quality jobs for locals.
However it emerged this week the city’s bid to become GBR’s new home had failed with the announcement that only six locations in England had made it through to the second round of the competition.
The creation of the new public body to manage the railways was announced last year as part of planned reforms aimed at improving the network for passengers and freight customers.
The towns and cities that made it through to the second round of the competition to host its new headquarters were Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and York. The winner will now be decided by a public vote.
UK transport secretary Grant Shapps remarked when the shortlist was announced this week: “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.
“GBR 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.”
Andrew Haines, the leader of the Great British Railways transition team, added: “A big congratulations to Birmingham, Crewe, Derby, Doncaster, Newcastle and York for reaching the final stage in the government’s competition to find the national HQ for GBR.
“I am really looking forward to the next step and seeing which town or city has the honour of being the home for GBR. Good luck to the final six.”
Carse of Gowrie councillor Alasdair Bailey said this week the news Perth had missed out on making the shortlist was “disappointing”.
He told the PA: “Unfortunately it looks like this is the end of the line for Perth’s bid to be the headquarters of GBR which is disappointing, but I applaud the UK Government for only shortlisting cities and towns outwith London.
“There’s still plenty of potential for investment in the rail industry in Perth and I look forward to the planned improvements at Perth Railway Station getting going as part of the Tay Cities Deal. Maybe GBR will need an office in Scotland in the future and we in Perth remain happy and ready to welcome such a development.”
