Newton-le-Willows has missed out on the title of Great British Railways Headquarters following its unsuccessful bid to be shortlisted to host.

The area was selected by St Helens Borough Council and Liverpool City Region to host the GBR HQ.

Newton was one of the 42 locations to enter the bid to be the host, however, only six have made the cut.

The borough was hopeful for Newton-le-Willows to secure a place in the shortlist, as the GBR will see significant improvements to services and networks, as well as source in further jobs into the area.

Read > Ambitious bid to bring the Great British Railway HQ to Newton-le-Willows

The Star also showed support for the campaign to bring the title to Newton-le-Willows, with readers agreeing that Newton was a strong contender with its accessible location between Liverpool and Manchester, and its rich railway history as home of the first viaduct in the world.

The shortlisted locations to host the Great British Railways headquarters were announced by the Department for Transport and are as follows: 

Birmingham

Crewe

Derby

Doncaster

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

York

The public now have a key role in selecting which shortlisted location should be the headquarters, with an online voting service active.

Voters will influence the outcome, however, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will make the final call.

The Transport Secretary said: “Our world-leading railways have served this country well for 200 years and this is a huge step in the reforms, which will shape our network for the next 200.

“Great British Railways will create a truly sustainable, modern and fair railway network for passengers and freight customers.

“I’m calling on people across the country to play a key part in this once-in-a-generation reform and vote for the new home of our railways.”