Derby Telegraph editor Steve Hall has vowed to fight on in the battle to overturn a government decision that looks set to cost thousands of jobs on his newspaper’s patch.

The Derby trainmaker Bombardier yesterday announced 1,500 job losses after it lost out on a 1.4bn contract to build new rail carriages for the Thameslink service to the German company Siemens.

The company’s move comes days after Steve joined a five-person delegation to Berlin to try to persuade Bombardier bosses that the 170-year-old Derby plant has a future.

Now he is calling for a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron and urging the public to turn out for a mass rally in the city center later this month.

Steve told HTFP:  “Today’s decision is heart-breaking for 1,500 workers and their families. But our fight is far from over. Another 1,500 jobs remain and the livelihoods of a further 5,000 local people in the supply chain hang on the factory remaining open.

“The delegation travelled to Berlin to try to learn from Bombardier what would be required to keep the company’s UK operation – and specifically its Derby factory – going.

“It soon became clear that there were no other upcoming global orders or existing contracts currently being carried out elsewhere that Bombardier thought could be sent here.

“This means that the Government simply must rethink this decision. It could still choose to review the decision now as Siemens still only have ‘preferred bidder’ status and a contract has yet to be signed but it chooses to hide behind legal excuses.”

Transport secretary Phil Hammond has said the government may review the bidding process for future contracts but insists the government’s hands are currently tied by EU rules.

A protest petition against the Thamelink decision has already attracted more than 10,000 names.