Doncaster can still play a key role in reinvigorating Britain’s rail system - Ros Jones

Since then, we have seen a change in Prime Minister and her disastrous mini budget, subsequent U-Turns, ministerial sackings and resignations and now we are again awaiting a new Prime Minister following the resignation of Liz Truss.

The country is facing an economic crisis and the potential for a long recession, it is apparent the Truss government made things considerably worse as they backtracked on the very policies that she championed on her leadership campaign.

We are witnessing a total collapse in government, with very little policy or delivery and complete confusion within the civil service. During her election campaign Liz Truss promised to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, this is again in question, following the new chancellor and transport secretary unable to commit. Levelling Up, was another key part of the previous government that currently appears to have been side-lined in favour of policies such as fracking.

This week it would appear that the promised Great British Railways is next to potentially face the axe, as the recently appointed Secretary of State for Transport Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP on Wednesday stated that the Department for Transport had "lost the opportunity" to have the bill in this session of Parliament, but she was "continuing to pitch for a narrow bill" on a specific issue, such as pavement parking or e-scooters.

It is incredibly disappointing that the creation of the Great British Railways (GBR) public body has either been delayed or completely shelved. Doncaster submitted a strong bid to be the home of the new GBR headquarters and was successfully shortlisted down to the final stages of the competition.

A key part of the bid and rail transformation was the plan to place GBR in a location that would contribute to the levelling up of the area and along with our rich rail history, buzzing rail industry and excellent location, Doncaster more than fits the bill. We compiled a bid in partnership with our business sector, highlighting our already strong rail sector, technical and vocational education sector including our University Technical College and the National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure. Our bid had cross party political support and councils from across the north coming out in support of Doncaster.

The Department for Transport has since claimed that the announcement for the Headquarters of GBR will be made in the coming weeks, but as it currently stands, there is no guarantee from government that GBR will still be going ahead.

Doncaster is the town that built the world famous Flying Scotsman and Mallard and is today among the most important rail hubs in the country, at the centre of developing the next generation of rail skills and expertise.

The Railway is our past, present, and future. We are a key part of the railway family and offer a committed and skilled workforce and a community ready to embrace the move of key decision-making functions from London to the cradle of the rail sector.

I hope that Great British Railways will go ahead and that Doncaster can still play a key role in reinvigorating Britain’s rail system.

Ros Jones is the Mayor of Doncaster.