THE news that Keolis Amey will take over the running of Wales and Borders rail services – which includes the running of Chester Railway Station – has been welcomed by a campaigning group.

The North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Task Force, the group behind the Growth Track 360 campaign, has backed the 15-year, £5 billion franchise announcement, saying it is looking forward to working with Keolis Amey to deliver better, faster and more connected rail services.

Growth Track 360 has repeatedly made the case in recent years the rail network is not sufficiently supporting the local economy. Effective and affordable rail services can support the strong sustained growth of the North Wales and Mersey Dee economy and help to manage and reduce transport congestion as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Growth Track 360 does not work in isolation and is linked to work to create integrated transport networks that includes bus, private cars and active travel through the North Wales Metro concept, the proposed North Wales Growth Deal and connected proposed investment in the cross border area.

Cheshire West and Chester Council leader Cllr Samantha Dixon, chairwoman of the North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Task Force, said: "The new franchise is an opportunity for transformational change in our rail services.

"Growth Track 360 has worked assiduously with the Welsh and UK Governments and the bidders to propose new services and investments in our rail infrastructure to improve rail services and their linkage to the economy.

"We are particularly grateful to Ken Skates, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport in Wales, who has met us regularly and listened to our ideas for improved services and encouraged us to engage with bidders.

"Through our work with the Minister, we are confident our aspirations for the North Wales and the Mersey Dee area have been impressed upon the successful bidder.

"We are cautiously optimistic that when the details of the franchise are announced, we will see improvements in services and have a platform from which to work with the franchise holder to implement changes in services beneficial for the citizens we represent."

Flintshire County Council leader Cllr Aaron Shotton, chairman of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board and a member of the North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Task Force, added: "At this stage, while the detail of the winning bid is not known, we expect to see improvements to rail services delivered for our area from the new franchise.

"It is essential we obtain improved services and rail infrastructure around which we can build an integrated public transport solutions that reduce congestion and carbon emissions.

"We have linked transport proposals within the North Wales Growth Bid that will help make public transport more relevant to commuting to work and thereby better serve our economy by dovetailing with a better Wales and Borderlands franchise.

"We look forward to having further information on the winning bid and how we can establish a strong working relationship to achieve better rail services in the North Wales and Mersey Dee areas."

The taskforce has in the past campaigned for the electrification of the line from Crewe to North Wales so the region can be linked to HS2 and fast London trains can continue to Bangor and Holyhead.

It has also called for more modern, better-equipped trains plus more trains between Chester and Liverpool, Manchester, Holyhead and Wrexham.

The franchise takeover is subject to any challenges from rival bidders but is due to be completed by October 14.