Regional newspapers are canvassing votes for their patches to become the home of a new national rail body.

Both the Derby Telegraph and the Crewe Chronicle are campaigning for the new headquarters of Great British Railways to be housed in the areas they serve after both Derby and Crewe made the shortlist of a Department for Transport competition.

The DfT is aiming to find the town or city where the new body, that will oversee rail transport in Great Britain from 2023, will be based.

The Telegraph splashed on Derby’s inclusion on the shortlist on Wednesday, pictured below.

Editor Natalie Fahy told HTFP: “We are incredibly proud that Derby has made the shortlist and we backed it from the word go.

“Derby is the home of the rail industry with industry greats like Alstom calling our city home. The trains on the new Elizabeth Line in London were made in Derby too.

“Now we’re going for the final push and we’re asking the public to vote for Derby on the Great British Railways website as this will be crucial to show local support.

“Having the headquarters here would bring jobs and millions of pounds of investment into the city.”

HTFP previously reported how the Chronicle had won the backing of music mogul and noted rail enthusiast Pete Waterman for its campaign for Crewe to win the honour.

Speaking to HTFP, Chronicle editor Marc Waddington said: “I think everyone was quietly confident that Crewe would make it onto the shortlist, but it’s a big relief to see it in black and white.

“We believe whole-heartedly there is nowhere that can lay as good a claim to being the home of rail as our Cheshire town, and now it’s about making sure we get the public out to puts its weight behind Crewe in the public vote.

“We will be looking to mobilise as much support as we can over the coming weeks.”

Birmingham, Doncaster, Newcastle and York are also shortlisted.