Forum welcomes appointment of Great British Railways chair

Rail Forum has welcomed the appointment of a chair for Great British Railways – the new rail body which will be headquartered in Derby city centre.

This month, the Government confirmed that the new base for GBR, which will be responsible for both the country’s track and trains, will be based at 3 Springwell Square – a new office development to be built on the former Duckworth Square in Becketwell.

The Department for Transport then followed this up by announcing that the chairman of Barclays Bank UK, Sir John Kingman, had been appointed to the post at GBR.

Rail Forum said it welcomed the appointment of Sir John Kingman – and the announcement that GBR’s HQ will be built at Becketwell in Derby.

The forum is already based in Derby, from where it serves a national membership of over 400 rail-related businesses.

Elaine Clark, chief executive of Rail Forum, said: “Rail Forum is proud to welcome Great British Railways to Derby, which sits at the heart of the railway. 

“We also congratulate Sir John on his appointment as chair, a role that will be crucial in establishing the culture of the new organisation.

“Alongside our 400 members we look forward to working with GBR’s leadership team to deliver a truly customer focused railway at home, while using this opportunity to grow exports overseas.

“With other members of the Rail Employers Skills Board, including Derby College Group and the Derby UTC, we look forward to working with GBR to support the announcement of 600 GBR apprenticeships that will be delivered in our city over the next four years.

“We are also particularly pleased to see that the announcement commits to creating better links between Derby railway station and the city centre – which will help connect Derby College Group, Derby UTC and the many rail businesses based on Pride Park with Derby’s city centre and the new home of GBR.”

Derby was selected as GBR’s headquarters location in 2023 after a competitive process that showcased the city’s rail expertise, proud industrial heritage and central national location.

3 Springwell Square will be a Grade A office building delivered by St James Securities as part of the £200 million regeneration of Becketwell.

Planning permission has recently been submitted for the scheme.

Construction of the new office is expected to begin early next year and is expected to be complete by spring 2029.

The site will accommodate up to 450 GBR staff and bring an estimated £151 million boost to the region’s economy.