Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that Great British Railways will base its headquarters in Derby, with up to 450 staff and as many as 600 apprenticeship places for 16- to 21-year-olds over the next four years.
The Government says construction at Becketwell, a brownfield site in Derby city centre, is expected to begin in early 2027 and finish by spring 2029, bringing an estimated £151 million boost to the regional economy.
Heidi Alexander: 'Derby at the heart of its future'
Heidi Alexander said Great British Railways would bring the railway together around better services for passengers, with Derby at the heart of that work.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people had put up with a railway that often let them down, and that putting essentials back in public hands was how the Government was "bringing back hope".
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the foundation apprenticeship forms part of a £2.5 billion youth employment support package creating up to 500,000 opportunities for young people to earn or learn.
East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward welcomed hundreds of jobs into Derby and said young people should be able to build careers without feeling they have to move away.
The announcement builds on a recent £1 billion investment in a new northern train fleet set to be built at Alstom's Derby site. Less than 7 per cent of the railway workforce is currently under 25.
