TWO York-based railway giants have thrown their weight behind the city's campaign to become the national headquarters of Britain's railways.

Train operator LNER says York would be 'an ideal and natural home' for new rail body Great British Railways.

The National Railway Museum also says York would be 'an excellent choice' for the new rail HQ - with the huge York Central site behind York railway station the obvious location for the headquarters building.

"The York Central development close to the station is one of the largest brownfield development projects in Europe," said NRM director Judith McNicol.

"It would be a fitting choice for the location of a Great British Railways headquarters which references York’s railway past, but also looks forward to its future as a thriving, modern city at the heart of the rail industry.”

The Department for Transport says the new railways body will be ‘the heart of the rail network’. It will, the DfT says, ‘integrate the railways, owning the infrastructure, collecting fare revenue, running and planning the network, and setting most fares’.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps launched a competition earlier this month to find a home for the new railway body. The government has pledged, as part of its ‘levelling up’ commitment, that the HQ will be outside London - and that an online public vote will be held.

York is in the process of preparing a ‘comprehensive bid’.

Backing York's campaign, David Horne, managing director of York-based rail operator LNER, which operates more than 150 services every day along the East Coast Main Line, said: "York is an ideal and natural home of the Great British Railways (GBR) national headquarters.

"York is steeped in railway history, with many highly skilled railways professionals already based in the city.

"Its selection as GBR's HQ would be a major vote of confidence in Britain’s East Coast Main Line and would also move towards levelling up the country, bringing additional major organisations to the heart of Yorkshire.”

The NRM's Judith McNicol added: “York would be an excellent choice for the headquarters of Great British Railways.

"As well as historic links to the development of the railways dating back to the 1830s, the city is home to the National Railway Museum and remains an important rail hub with around 14 per cent of the UK rail industry based close to the city.

“York is roughly halfway between London and Edinburgh and retains excellent high-speed rail connections today."

The two rail organisations join a growing list of backers for York's bid to be home to Great British Railways.

The Liberal Democrats' national leader, Sir Ed Davey, has already backed York, as have both the city's MPs and politicians from across the region. The Press is also backing York's campaign.

Local authorities have until March 16 to make formal ‘expressions of interest’. A shortlist of towns and cities will then be announced in May – with an online public vote also being held. The location will be announced in the summer.