CREWE has been invited to bid to become the headquarters of Great British Railways.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has revealed he wants "traditional" railway towns to put their case forward to be the base for the new state-owned company, which is to replace Network Rail as the organisation responsible for rail infrastructure and contract awarding from 2023.

Crewe and Nantwich MP Kieran Mullan says he has already urged the government to make Crewe the home of GBR.

He said: "I can't think of a better place than Crewe. Crewe as we know it was born from the railways and would be the perfect place for it's future home in the UK.

"I have already written to the Transport Secretary and will push to get this win for Crewe. I am sure the whole community will get behind this."

Shapps says the government is looking to locate the head office of Great British Railways "outside of London in a place with rail history and connectivity"

He said: "I'm sure York and Crewe and other famous railway towns will want to bid for it."

Crewe Town Board Chairman Doug Kinsman says it is an opportunity that the town cannot afford to miss.

"I welcome the opportunity this presents Crewe and look forward to working with other stakeholders and the community to ensure we develop a compelling and successful submission once the competition details are announced," he said.

"Crewe was once at the heart of the worldwide rail industry and with an unrivalled rich rail heritage and a connection to the future of rail transport, through it's potential as an HS2 hub station, Crewe is surely the natural home of the new Great British Railways HQ."

Crewe could have the ideal infrastructure in place for GBR with new developments at Basford East or perhaps at Rail House, although currently there are plans to convert the office block next to Crewe Railway Station into 168 apartments.

Shapps has also revealed the logo for the organisation will embrace the famous "double arrows" symbol used by the former British Rail, although with a Union flag in the background.

The development comes with the news that the eastern leg of HS2 between Birmingham and Leeds will be delayed.

But Shapps - speaking at the Conservative Party's conference which is being held in Manchester this week - has insisted he wants to "reverse" the cuts made to the rail network in the 1960s - the Beeching cuts - which could be good news for long-forgotten rail links such as Crewe to Middlewich and Northwich.

The Mid Cheshire Rail Users group has proposed for many years the reopening of the freight line between Northwich and Sandbach, with new stations sited at Middlewich and Gadbrook Park, allowing through trains from Mid Cheshire to Crewe.

Shapps added: "I am a huge enthusiast for undoing a lot of the butchery of the Dr Beeching era, the closures since 1964. We are going to reopen the first line under our Beeching reversal plan before this year is out. Others are in the works. It is really exciting."