Great British Railways’ planned headquarters will be built at Becketwell in Derby, with construction expected to begin in early 2027 and finish by spring 2029. The location decision, announced on 15 October, is paired with plans for up to 600 rail foundation apprenticeship places over four years, with the first cohort based in Derby.
A new base at Becketwell
The headquarters is planned for a brownfield site in Derby city centre. It is expected to accommodate up to 450 staff and provide a focal point for Great British Railways, the organisation intended to bring the country’s railways together. The building is not yet constructed, and the timetable remains prospective: work is expected to start in early 2027, with completion anticipated in spring 2029.
Derby City Council says the new office will occupy 3 Springwell Square within the wider Becketwell development. Its plans describe approximately 106,000 square feet of Grade A office space on the former Duckworth Square site. The council says public transport links and walking routes are intended to support the site, in partnership with the Department for Transport and the East Midlands Combined Authority.
The council says funding arrangements for delivering the building are still being worked through with the regional authority. That underlines the difference between confirming a preferred headquarters location and completing the development. The selection is a significant step, but it does not mean the headquarters is open or that the organisation has already moved in.
Apprenticeships planned over four years
The rail foundation apprenticeship programme is expected to enrol up to 600 people aged 16 to 21 over the next four years. The first starters are due to be based in Derby. Foundation apprenticeships combine workplace experience with a qualification, giving participants an entry route into skilled work while they learn.
The announcement does not say that all 600 places have been filled, nor does it give a recruitment timetable, selection process or detailed breakdown of roles. The places are a planned programme rather than a count of apprentices already working for the new railway body. The Department for Transport says the scheme is intended to strengthen the future skills pipeline for the rail industry.
The government has said that fewer than seven per cent of the railway workforce is under 25. That figure frames the age profile the scheme is intended to address; it does not indicate how many young people will apply or complete training. The programme’s eventual reach will depend on recruitment and delivery in the coming years.
One milestone in a longer transition
The headquarters announcement forms part of a wider plan to bring rail services into public ownership and establish a unified organisation. The transition is ongoing. The new location and apprenticeship plans do not by themselves establish Great British Railways as a legally operating body, and they do not immediately alter how passengers use trains.
For now, the confirmed development is the choice of Becketwell as the headquarters site and the outline of a multi-year apprenticeship programme. The next visible steps are expected to come through project delivery and recruitment, rather than an immediate change to rail operations. The proposed building remains several years from completion, while the apprenticeship places are to open progressively over four years.
