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- 6 UK Cities have been chosen as the potential home of Great British Railways
- Bookmakers have begun offering betting odds on who the winner will be
- York have sprung to the front of the betting after early interest from punters
The Department for Transport and The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP announced on the 5th July a shortlist of Cities in the UK that are in the running to become the home of Great British Railways, and betting sites quickly priced up some betting odds on which would be eventually selected.
Smarkets were first to offer betting odds on where the home of GBR would eventually be with York the first to see interest from bettors speculating on the final decision.
Other UK cities on the shortlist include, Derby, Doncaster and Crewe among a final shortlist of 6
Where will be the home of GBR Betting odds
Betting is tight at this early stage with little to choose, but the first bets have come for York. We will be keeping a close eye on developments and any changes in the odds
| City | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| York | 4.7 | 21.3% |
| Birmingham | 5 | 20% |
| Crewe | 5 | 20%
|
| Derby | 5 | 20%
|
| Doncaster | 5 | 20%
|
| Newcastle | 5 | 20%
|
Whilst this may look like an unusual betting market, there is growing interest in these niche markets. We have seen huge interest in the recent UK City of Culture betting with Bradford running out the latest winner, where locals took a keen interest in the chances of their home towns and sharp punters dug a little more into research looking for value in the betting odds.
We have even seen betting on the possibility of further rail strikes in the UK.
Why a Shortlist of 6?
An initial application arrived from 42 cities, which has been whittled down to a final shortlist of 6 by considering the following criteria
- connected and easy to get to
- opportunities for GBR
- value for money
- railway heritage and links to the network
- public support
People interested in having a say in the eventual winner have the chance to express their thoughts in a Public Vote, then Ministers will take on board all expressed views, the qualification criteria and make a final decision later in the year on a date yet to be announced.
