Britain's railways are going through a major, once-in-a-generation change, with Great British Railways established by the UK Government to serve as the single, accountable public body to manage both track and train.

And, as part of this change, the UK Government has announced a competition to find a home for the Great British Railways headquarters, which must be outside of London. 

Councillor Paul Kelly, Depute Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, believes Motherwell is perfectly placed to host Great British Railways' headquarters.

“I'm delighted to announce that, this week, North Lanarkshire will enter that competition in a bid to bring the headquarters to Motherwell,” he said.

“The town is at the heart of Scotland's rail network and has outstanding connectivity to Scotland and the rest of the UK.

“We have a highly skilled workforce and, with one of the fastest-growing economies in the country, we're ambitious in attracting further investment 

“Our expression of interest will be considered by the UK Government before they announce their shortlist in May.”

Work is already well underway with a range of partners to considerably improve Motherwell Railway station and transform it into a major UK transport interchange. This will vastly improve connectivity for all modes of transport – rail, bus, cycling, taxis and cars – as well as pedestrians.

Access to the station will be expanded, developing the station facilities for all rail travellers, complementing the major improvement works within the station itself.

There will be more room for buses, taxis, cyclists and pedestrians, putting Motherwell firmly on the map as a transport interchange, as well as opening up access to Motherwell town centre.