CHESHIRE East Council says Crewe's HS2 fleet-build win will help the town press its case to be the location for the headquarters of Great British Railways.

HS2 Ltd confirmed last Thursday that Crewe works owners, Alstom and partners Hitachi Rail have been awarded the contract to build the fleet of high-speed trains.

The work will be spread across Alstom's factories in Derby and Crewe and Hitachi Rail's plant at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham.

All the bogies, housing train wheelsets, will both be assembled and maintained at Crewe – the first time since 2004 that both jobs have been done in the UK.

The contract win could boost the economy by more than £157m per year of the contract and support 2,500 jobs across the UK, including opportunities for apprenticeships and graduates.

Cheshire East Council is backing Crewe's bid to become the home of Great British Railways (GBR), the new public body responsible for running Britain's railways.

It is hoped Crewe's unique position on the rail network, its railway heritage and skilled railway workforce will enhance its case.

Of the HS2 contract, Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council Craig Browne said: "Crewe already has an undeniable rich rail heritage, but news such as this will ensure that its status as the railway town is cemented for generations to come.

"As we await further information about the competition to find a national headquarters for the new public body Great British Railways, so that we can progress our bid, this announcement also reinforces our belief that Crewe is absolutely the best and ideal location for this."