The UK government has confirmed that Derby will be the headquarters of the Great British Railways (GBR) public sector body, which will take over the rail infrastructure, procure passenger services and set most fares and timetables.
The Department for Transport announced that Derby was chosen after winning a public vote and a government assessment process against five other shortlisted locations in the Midlands and northern England.
The new public sector body, Great British Railways (GBR), which will own the rail infrastructure, buy in passenger services and set most of the timetables and fares has chosen Derby as its headquarters.
The city beat five other shortlisted locations in the Midlands and northern England, including Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York, to win the bid.
According to Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Derby will now become "the heart of Great Britain's rail industry," he explained: "This means we will finally treat the railway as the whole system it should be, rather than a web of disparate interests that it's become.
" The new GBR was announced by the previous Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, and aims to replace the "overcomplicated and fragmented" rail system.
The BBC states that Derby's confirmation as GBR's HQ has not yet been officially confirmed, while The Guardian reported that the decision had been made and confirmed by the Department for Transport.