Local MPs have written a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in a bid to make Milton Keynes the home of Great British Railways.
The Government set out plans earlier this year to make the biggest change to the railways in 25 years.
The Transport Secretary announced a competition for cities and towns to submit a bid to be home to the new Great British Railways (GBR) headquarters.
The competition puts cities against each other in a bid to become home to the new HQ.
Milton Keynes MPs Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart have written to Grant Shapps highlighting why Milton Keynes should be home to the new headquarters.
In the letter to the Secretary of State, the MPs have promoted Wolverton’s historic ties to the railways with Wolverton Works, Bletchley train station’s ongoing refurb, MK sitting at the heart of East-West Rail, and of course being home to Network Rail’s The Quadrant.
A meeting has also been arranged between the MPs and Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris to discuss bringing the GBR HQ to Milton Keynes.
Iain Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South, said: "I firmly believe that GBR should locate their new HQ in Milton Keynes, and I have put across a strong case for this to the Transport Secretary with Ben Everitt MP.
"There is so much potential here in Milton Keynes, with local educational institutions providing the city with high-skilled employees of the future as well as the EWR and Santander's new HQ being built, amongst many other things, the scene is ideally set for GBR to join in on the success."
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, commented: “The history, present and future of Milton Keynes are all fantastic reasons why we should be the home for the new HQ of Great British Railways.
“From our historic ties to the railway with Wolverton Works, to being home to Network Rail’s The Quadrant, to the future where we will be at the centre of East-West Rail – Milton Keynes is the place to be for the rail industry.”
The MPs say they also received reassurance jobs at Network Rail in Milton Keynes are not at risk due to the GBR announcement.
