Newcastle’s bid highlighted the 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. The presence of a major railways training centre in Gateshead, run by Newcastle College, were also highlighted as one of our strengths in the bid.
Newcastle has an excellent case to be considered for the new GBR HQ:
History
- There is significant historical relevance and linkage between Newcastle and the railways. George and Robert Stephenson were born in the Newcastle area and pioneered steam railway engineering. Robert Stephenson and Company- operating in Newcastle- were the first company in the world created to build railway engines.
- Newcastle is steeped in rail history. Robert Stephenson founded the first locomotive workshop in what is now known as the Stephenson Quarter.
- Newcastle’s proud industrial past and present city identity are inherently linked to the railways. From pumping out coal mines to powering locomotives; steam engines, designed and developed in Newcastle for use in trains, have transformed the city landscape. The seven bridges crossing the River Tyne provide the stunning Quayside seen today.
- The historic High Level Bridge, designed by Robert Stephenson, was the first bridge in the world to combine rail and road traffic.
- Newcastle Central Station, built in 1850 by John Dobson, was the first station in Europe with a roof over all platforms.
- The Tyne and Wear Metro, created in 1980, was the First light transit railway and the first railway to be fully wheelchair compatible.
Location and Availability
There are suitable sites directly adjacent to the railway station with the site developers, Igloo PLC, and Bloc Group, supportive of this bid. These ‘bespoke’ solutions are aligned perfectly to GBR requirements.
- Newcastle is a gateway to the rest of the UK with London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester all reached in under 3 hours.
- The proposed sites for GBR HQ are within five minutes’ walk of Newcastle Central Station, with frequent rail, Metro, and bus links.
- The proposed sites for GBR HQ offer immediate access to the National Cycling Network (route 72 Hadrian’s cycleway) which alongside investment into the cycling infrastructure within the city, creates opportunities for sustainable travel and access to the National Headquarters
- Close to 9 million people pass through Newcastle Central Station each year and in 2018/19, 36.4 million passengers used the Metro- which has a stop at Newcastle Central Station
Levelling up
- Opportunity to move ‘direct’ power from the SE to the North. There is already a city centre transformation underway and the GBR HQ could act as a catalyst for further regeneration and investment at the historic Stephenson Quarter and Forth Goods Yard sites. The HQ represents a chance to show the government’s commitment to locating the HQ of a large national institutions in the North East.
- Our £50m City Centre Transformation Programme supports the curation of new communities and is part of a ground–breaking partnership built on the principles of place-making and sustainable regeneration.
Connectivity
- Given the Great British Railways national headquarters will serve the interests of everyone in Britain, Newcastle- at the centre of GB- makes the most sense geographically when considering journey times. Newcastle is perfectly located between London and Aberdeen.
- Newcastle is a gateway to the rest of the UK with London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester all reached in under 3 hours.
- The proposed sites for GBR HQ are within five minutes’ walk of Newcastle Central Station, with frequent rail, Metro, and bus links.
- The proposed sites for GBR HQ offer immediate access to the National Cycling Network (route 72 Hadrian’s cycleway) which alongside investment into the cycling infrastructure within the city, creates opportunities for sustainable travel and access to the National Headquarters
- Close to 9 million people pass through Newcastle Central Station each year and in 2018/19, 36.4 million passengers used the Metro- which has a stop at Newcastle Central Station.
Opportunities for GBR
- The sites proposed for the national headquarters offer opportunities to be part of mixed-use developments, which alongside our vibrant city, create natural links with the retail and economic sectors. There is a clear lifestyle benefit for GBR staff, being based in a UK core city with an unrivalled quality of life.
- From coal to coding, the city is now one of the UK’s leading destinations for data, ageing innovation, emerging and immersive technologies, and green energy. With a nod to the past, Newcastle is the perfect location for accelerating the future of the rail industry.
- Our local college also delivers a one-of-a-kind Rail and Civil Engineering Academy, developing new graduates for the rail industry
- Lumo, part of First Group, has recently opened its Northern HQ at the Stephenson Quarter site, in the centre of Newcastle. The company has brought in 110 jobs, is investing £2m in training programmes and is aiming to create more than 13 million additional passenger journeys in the next decade. Part of this vision will be enabled by the new Northumberland Line Economic Corridor.
- South of the city in County Durham, Hitachi is investing £110m into a new manufacturing base.
Read our full expression of interest