York council leader Keith Aspden urges government to stick with Great British Railways plan

The city is one of six shortlisted to be the new headquarters for GBR, which would oversee rail infrastructure, ticket prices and timetables.

The scheme was led by former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, but he was sacked by Liz Truss earlier this year and is now a vocal critic of the Prime Minister.

National newspaper reports over the past few days have suggested the project is at risk, with a source telling the i newspaper that work had slowed down significantly since Ms Truss entered Downing Street.

The Department for Transport did not respond to the claims directly.

City of York Council leader Keith Aspden said he had written to Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan “to make the case for York, ask for clarity on the progress of the project and urge for it not to be cancelled”.

City of York councillors supporting York's bid to be home to the Great British Railways HQ

York was shortlisted as a potential base for GBR from a longlist of more than 40 following a campaign supported by politicians, business leaders and major York institutions.

When announcing the plans, Mr Shapps hailed the reforms as a remedy for “years of fragmentation, confusion and over-complication” on the railways.

Cllr Aspden said: “The GBR project also represents a real opportunity for integration of railways and improvements to services, from ticketing to infrastructure. The Government must deliver comprehensive investment and an integrated rail service in the North, which would see the full potential of the region unleashed.

• Plans for new Great British Railways may be axed - reports

“If the recent rumours in the media are to be believed that the GBR plans could be scrapped, it would be a very worrying sign that would speak to this new Prime Minister’s lack of commitment to levelling up.”

It was estimated that basing GBR in York would add £110 million to the city’s economy, creating 1,600 new jobs.

Cllr Aspden said he hoped infighting among the Consevative Party was not to blame.

He added: “Not only would it be a wasted opportunity to create more jobs and grow the rail sector in York, but would also fail to deliver much needed service improvements for passengers.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said this week that they were “not aware” that plans had changed for GBR, but was not able to confirm whether the location of the headquarters would still be announced this year as planned.