Derby in the Spotlight Again: GBR Picks Its Headquarters
Derby has landed its second major rail jobs announcement in barely a month. Today the Department for Transport confirmed Becketwell, in Derby city centre, as the site of the Great British Railways headquarters. It comes just weeks after Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works secured the contract to build TransPennine Express’s new battery-electric fleet.
Together, the two announcements put Derby at the centre of both how Britain’s railway is run and how its trains are built. Here’s what has been confirmed, and why it matters for those of us on the Trans-Pennine corridor.
GBR Picks Its Home: Becketwell
Derby was chosen as GBR’s home in March 2023, after a public vote in which it took 22% of the vote. What was missing until today was an address. That is now 3 Springwell Square, a new office building on the Becketwell regeneration site — a brownfield plot in the city centre.
| Detail | Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Site | 3 Springwell Square, Becketwell, Derby city centre |
| Developer | St James Securities |
| Construction start | Early 2027 |
| Completion | Spring 2029 |
| GBR staff | Up to 450 |
| Apprenticeships | Up to 600 rail foundation apprentices aged 16–21, over four years |
| Economic impact | Estimated £151m regional boost (government figure) |
The first apprentices will be based in Derby. The DfT says the building will be supported by better public transport links and walking routes, delivered with Derby City Council and the East Midlands Combined Authority.
One detail is still unclear. Reports disagree on the building’s height: Building Design describes the planning application as seven storeys, while another report citing Derby City Council says eight storeys and around 106,000 sq ft.
The First Announcement: Alstom Litchurch Lane Wins the TPE Fleet
In September, Alstom signed contracts worth more than £1bn with TransPennine Express for 29 five-car battery-electric trains. The package splits into around £800m for the trains and around £200m for long-term maintenance.
The trains will be designed, built and tested at Litchurch Lane Works, on Alstom’s new Adessia Stream platform. They are billed as Britain’s first mainline battery-electric trains and the first new-build trains to be operated by Great British Railways. Rolling stock company Rock Rail will buy them and lease them to TPE.
The jobs case is the headline for Derby:
- More than 350 skilled jobs at Litchurch Lane
- Around 40 apprentices and 40 T Level students over the contract
- Thousands more across the UK supply chain — Alstom says over 5,500 supply chain roles; the government puts it at 6,000
The first trains are due for delivery from 2032, with entry into service from winter 2034. Litchurch Lane has been building trains since 1876.
Why It Matters for the Trans-Pennine Corridor
The Alstom order is tied directly to the Transpennine Route Upgrade. The new fleet is part of a longer-term replacement of TPE’s diesel-only trains as the route is upgraded, and the trains will run on batteries over sections without overhead wires — while electrification continues to be rolled out. For passengers, the design also promises level boarding at every door, removing the step and gap between train and platform.
So the two Derby announcements are linked. The Becketwell HQ will run the railway, and Litchurch Lane will build the trains that run across the Pennines once TRU is complete.
Elsewhere This Week: Two Derailments in Four Days
Both incidents involved empty trains moving at low speed, and only one minor injury was reported.
Liverpool Street, Thursday 15 October. London Overground Class 710 unit 710112 hit the buffer stop and derailed shortly before 01:00, arriving on an empty stock move from Chingford. The rear bogies of the leading two carriages came off the rails. The driver was taken to hospital as a precaution with minor injuries, and Platforms 1 to 3 were out of use for much of the day.
Ramsgate, Monday 12 October. A Southeastern Class 395 Javelin derailed at Ramsgate depot with no passengers aboard. Services between Margate and Ramsgate were reduced, and the 17:16 high-speed service to St Pancras was cancelled.
It is the second Javelin derailment at Ramsgate depot in under two years. In November 2024, unit 395008 ran through a buffer stop there, derailing its front two coaches. It stayed stranded for more than two months before recovery in February 2025.
No cause has been given for either of this week’s incidents. On Track With Tim will follow up if the Rail Accident Investigation Branch publishes findings.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Great British Railways takes shape as HQ and apprenticeship scheme confirmed
- Rail Business UK: Derby city centre location confirmed for GBR headquarters
- Derby City Council: Becketwell is the new home of Great British Railways
- Building Design: Corstorphine & Wright office to become GBR headquarters
- The European: GBR HQ in Derby
- Marketing Derby: Alstom signs £1 billion contracts for battery-electric trains
- Renewable Energy Magazine: Alstom and TPE sign £1 billion contracts
- Global Railway Review: Government backs £1bn TPE fleet
- Railway News: Alstom to build 29 battery-electric trains in Derby
- RAIL: London Overground unit derails in Liverpool Street buffer stop collision
- KentOnline: Train derails at Ramsgate depot
- Isle of Thanet News: Javelin train derails at Ramsgate (2024)
- KentOnline: Recovery of derailed Ramsgate train complete (2025)