A BID to bring the proposed high speed rail college to York has been given formal backing by one of the city’s MPs.

York Central MP Hugh Bayley has responded to the Government’s consultation, pointing the Department for Business Innovation and Skills towards selecting York as the location for the new college.

Mr Bayley’s response is in support of an official bid which is being put forward by city leaders in York, through the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.

The bid is also being supported with a campaign by The Press called On Track for York, which has so far welcomed backing from every secondary school in the city, ahead of launching a petition.

Mr Bayley said: “The creation of HS2 creates a window of opportunity for young people wanting to forge a career in the rail industry.

“York’s location on the east coast main line and as the most interconnected rail hub in the north of England makes it the perfect location for the new college.

“York already has a rail academy which delivers a wide range of courses with its purpose-built training rooms and a rail track training facility. The new HS2 training college will work in partnership with the rail academy, as well as schools and colleges, so that York has a generation of highly skilled workers who go on to find jobs in all areas of the rail industry.”

“York has always been a railway city with a first class reputation for rolling stock manufacture, maintenance and repair. The new college will ensure that the next generation of rail workers have the skills they need for the 21st Century.”