To accelerate regional growth and delivery in the West Midlands, a Government centre for Transport and Infrastructure is to be established in the region, along with a new campus.

As well as bringing together expertise in transport, it will also deliver property and housing to deliver economic growth in the region.

Leading the development of the campus will be the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). Its Project Director will be a senior civil servant, based in Birmingham, who will work to expand the campus and to improve opportunities throughout the West Midlands.

The establishment of the new campus was announced in Birmingham on Monday, 2nd February, by Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley, during the launch of a non-profit initiative, ‘The Forward Institute’. The new campus will enable transport, property and housing infrastructure expertise from multiple departments throughout the West Midlands to be brought together.

Anna Turley commented that the West Midlands is Britain’s transport heartland, and the new campus will accelerate the infrastructure projects that communities need. Moving decision-making out of Whitehall into the West Midlands will enable decisions to be informed by local expertise, and deliver real, tangible benefits for every part of the UK.

The campus will be central to supporting the construction of 1.5 million new homes and the fast-tracking of 150 major infrastructure projects. With the recent announcement of a new management apprenticeship scheme in Birmingham, the campus will enable civil servants to pursue a career path to senior levels in the civil service whilst remaining in the West Midlands.

In 2024, a new rail training academy opened in the West Midlands to provide training and job opportunities in the railway industry for the region. The new high-speed railway, HS2, also regularly recruits people from the area for its apprenticeship schemes.

“The West Midlands is a fantastic home for this new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, with a real strength in delivering major projects like the Midland Metro, the expanding SPRINT bus network, and the opening of five new rail stations later this year. By basing the campus here, we’re backing local expertise and bringing decision-making closer to communities, helping deliver the infrastructure needed to drive growth across the country.”

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander