Derby
Railway engineering capital from 1839, Rolls-Royce HQ since 1907 (14,500 employees, £90B valuation). Great British Railways HQ coming. Merlin engines built here won Battle of Britain.
Derby exists because Samuel Crompton's spinning innovations needed a home—but it became a city because of what rolls on rails. In 1839, the North Midland Railway established its headquarters here, and the Midland Railway followed in 1844. Derby became Britain's railway engineering capital: the Midland Railway Locomotive Works at Derby built engines that powered an empire.
But the more transformative arrival came in 1907, when Rolls-Royce relocated from Manchester. Charles Rolls had died in a flying accident the year before; Henry Royce chose Derby for its skilled workforce, trained in precision engineering by decades of locomotive building. The same hands that machined railway parts now built aero engines and luxury cars. During World War II, Derby's factories produced Merlin engines for Spitfires and Lancasters—the engines that won the Battle of Britain.
Today Rolls-Royce remains Derby's keystone species: the company employs 14,500 people locally and anchors a supply chain extending across the East Midlands. Under CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç, the company's share price rose from £1 to £11 between 2022 and 2025, making it the fifth-largest company in the FTSE 100 at £90 billion. A planned expansion at Raynesway will create 1,170 additional skilled jobs for nuclear submarine propulsion systems.
Rail engineering never left. Toyota's UK headquarters sits in nearby Burnaston. Alstom (formerly Bombardier) builds trains here. Great British Railways will establish its national headquarters in Derby—a £5 billion program returning the city to its 19th-century role as the hub of British rail.
By 2026, Derby's dual heritage—railways and aerospace—will be tested as the UK invests in both high-speed rail and next-generation propulsion.