Shildon disappointment as Durham chosen for Railway HQ bid

County Councillors for Shildon have expressed their disappointment after Durham City was selected as the preferred option to house the new Great British Railways (GBR) headquarters in County Durham.

Speaking to the Crier after Durham County Council’s announcement on Monday, Cllr Matt Johnson, who led the lobbying effort on behalf of the town’s three county councillors for Shildon to be selected said: “I was bitterly disappointed that Shildon was not Durham County Council’s preferred option to be the national HQ of the new Great British Railways.”

Cllr Johnson went on to accuse the county council leadership of failing to consult on the bid. “I found it particularly disappointing that [Leader of Durham County Council, Cllr Amanda] Hopgood and the council kept the matter ambiguous when we first asked about the possibility of a Shildon bid some weeks ago.

“We were told we’d be kept informed of progress, but the next we heard was that it had been decided that the bid would be for Durham City, a few days before the submission deadline.

“Not to be too cynical, but I think the timing was deliberate to prevent us having much chance to discuss it.

“A bid like this would not be drawn up in a matter of days if the council were being professional about it, so my instinct is that they will have known it was going to be Durham City all along.

“If that were the case, I would have preferred being told frankly at the outset that Shildon wasn’t a consideration.

“Shildon is the cradle of the railways and it would have been a real opportunity to ‘level up’ a town which is considerably less affluent than Durham City.

“Imagine the jobs that would have been created. Imagine the benefit that would have had to Shildon businesses.”

Fellow Shildon County Councillor, Shirley Quinn added: “Cllr Hopgood appreciated the strong links with Shildon’s Railway Heritage but felt that Durham City would be a better place to house the HQ.

“However, Cllr Hopgood has made a promise to include Shildon and our heritage throughout the bidding process.

“Durham City has tough competition with the likes of Crewe and York also making a bid.

“All three of us [including Cllr Samantha Townsend] gave a good argument to be the host town as we all share a common pride for Shildon and will continue to promote Shildon and its heritage and its place in the future.”

Responding to Cllr Johnson’s comments, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “Our bid to be the home of the new national body for the railways would, if successful, benefit the whole of County Durham.

“A major national organisation being based here would show to the rest of the country that County Durham is a great place to do business, attracting other investment and creating high quality jobs for residents.

“We very much recognise and celebrate Shildon’s importance in the history of the railways.

“As the world’s first railway town and home to Locomotion, Shildon is an exemplar of our heritage and that’s why we are supporting the celebrations of the bi-centenary of the railway with commitment and resource.

“In recognition of Shildon’s significance, we did consider the town’s Railway Institute as a potential site.

“While it was a strong candidate, to give our county the best chance of succeeding in a nationally competitive process, it was imperative we went with the location that most closely matched government criteria.

“Bidding locations were required to be well connected and easy to access by rail and other sustainable forms of transport.

“By virtue of its East Coast Main Line station and new bus station currently being built, Durham City most closely matches the criteria for readiness and accessibility.

“If our bid is to succeed it is really important that we can demonstrate strong public support and we would therefore encourage people right across County Durham to get behind it.”

GBR is a new public body that will oversee rail transport in the UK from 2023, replacing Network Rail as the operator of rail infrastructure.

It will also control the contracting of train operations and the setting of fares and timetables for most of England.

The creation of GBR comes at a special time for County Durham and the wider region, with preparations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 2025 now well underway.