A regional daily has backed a bid to base a new national rail body on its patch – despite a rival campaign being run by a sister title.

The Derby Telegraph has lent its support to a campaign to make Derby the new headquarters of Great British Railways.

The Department for Transport launched a competition last month to find the town or city where the new body, that will oversee rail transport in Great Britain from 2023, will be based.

In bidding for the contest to go Derby’s way, the Telegraph is going up against a Reach plc stablemate after the Crewe Chronicle launched its own campaign for GBR to be based on its patch.

The campaign’s launch featured on the Telegraph’s front page yesterday (10)

In a piece for the Telegraph’s Derbyshire Live sister website, agenda editor Zena Hawley wrote: “As well as its historical and futuristic pedigrees, Derby is also the home of Britain’s largest railway trade association.

“The Rail Forum has over 360 member companies drawn from rail related businesses across the UK.

“The East Midlands is also home to rail connected logistics centres such as East Midlands Gateway which contains a 50 acre strategic rail freight interchange.

“Derbyshire Live, along with many people including captains of local industry, businesses, education leaders and politicians, is backing Derby to bring GBR to our great city – where else could it possibly go?

“And let’s face it, if GBR located to Derby, it would make a game-changing transformation in the city’s confidence, pride and economic prosperity.”

The Crewe Chronicle launched its ‘Destination Crewe’ campaign last month, arguing that the Cheshire town was “synonymous with railways.”