NUB News is backing Crewe's bid to become the home of Great British Railways.

As a hyperlocal news network we know the importance of community, tradition and heritage – and if there is anything that binds the glue between town and residents in Crewe then it's the railways.

Crewe was the original UK railway town and once the site of the largest rail works in the world. It's growth and enterprise was built around the tracks and it remains as well connected today as it did during the Victorian and modern era industrialisation.

We all know there's not a rail traveller here and abroad who will not have spent some time in our town.

But securing the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR) will raise our profile beyond just changing trains at our busy junction.

It will be a real barometer of the future revitalisation of Crewe, shaped not only by the railways and HS2, but new industries and major investment in retail, leisure and community facilities.

A Town Investment Plan will see £24.9 million of government money poured into 10 exciting town centre projects, including the Lyceum Powerhouse music venue, a community hub at the former Flag Lane Baths and a Crewe Youth Zone.

The prospect of significant regeneration will sit well with housing the headquarters of Great British Railways (GBR) - the new organisation which is to take over the running of the nation's rail infrastructure.

Crewe is at the heart of rail in this country and the town's rail heritage is an important source of local pride

Years of town centre decline have hit townsfolk hard, but the benefits and status afforded of having GBR would be something that Crewe folk would shout loudly about.

It is not just a nostalgic call, but a forward-thinking one with the incentive for a rail-led transformation of the town.

There are many who can remember Crewe's glory days and they can return again.

Crewe's bid, which was submitted last month by Cheshire East Council alongside 41 other towns and cities, has stirred the imagination of those who can recall the good old days of rail.

People such as Nan Walton, Crewe's new Town Mayor elect, who spent most of her working life in the rail industry.

Starting off as a receptionist at Rail House when it was opened by British Rail in 1968, Nan's life has been steeped in railway history.

"It would be great for Crewe to get it. It would be something for the town and it would really put us on the map," says the 77-year-old Crewe town councillor.

"We've always been known for the railways and that is important to have as there have been difficult times and it appears we don't have much going for us at the moment.

"I look around and think 'come on where are you Crewe? But this would lift the town so much with everyone knowing that the country's rail headquarters are here."

Rail House's 13 floors, towering above Crewe Railway Station, were once a thriving hub of the rail industry – and success in the government's competition can restore that sense of purpose.

Nan spent 21 years working in the building and remembers a vibrant atmosphere.

"It was full of office staff back then. I arrived there after working at the old General Office (G.O) in Edleston Road and I also worked in rail offices down Gresty Road.

"Rail House was packed with all kinds of railways staff. It was different from work places now. The bosses were upstairs and I was on the ground floor, where I started off as a receptionist. I also spent time in the typing bureau.

"It was a big place to be in, always busy and you felt that you were at the centre of the rail industry.

"I had a great time, it was a good place to work - I was there from 1968 to when I retired to look after my parents in 1989.

"Crewe felt a railway town. If you didn't work for the railways you worked for Rolls Royce."

When the government launched its competition to find a location for the headquarters of Great British Railways, places with strong historical links to the railways were encouraged to make their case.

There will be a non-binding public vote and the winner of the competition will be announced later this year.

It is hard to see how Crewe does not meet the criteria being used to measure suitability. They include aligning with the government's levelling-up objectives. And Crewe has already secured Towns Fund regeneration cash, which will help transform the town in future years.

Connectivity is another large tick in the box for Crewe. Is there a better-connected place in England by rail and road? Crewe is the only station on the mainline connected to all regional capitals, including Scotland and Wales.

While our railway heritage is plain to see.

Crewe offers unique opportunities and an established infrastructure in place to become the heart and home of the British railways.

We are already the base of thriving rail firms such as Bombardier/Alstom, Freightliner UK and Arriva TrainCare.

Rail is central to our local economy and GBR will bring more growth and jobs.

As a town which has been at the heart of Britain's rail network for decades, Crewe has an exceptionally strong case to win this competition and create new opportunities for people and businesses in our town.

That is why Nub News - a local news network which itself it set to base its own headquarters in Crewe – strongly believes there can be no other choice for GBR.

It simply has to be Crewe!