A BOSS of a York rail firm today assured his staff their jobs were safe.

David Marsden, director of Corus Railway Infrastructure Services, said his 300 staff in York would not see their futures under threat.

Mr Marsden was reacting after the Evening Press reported how York MP Hugh Bayley told the House of Commons that 1,000 rail jobs in the city could be at risk if GNER lost its franchise.

Along with 409 jobs at GNER headquarters at Station Rise, Mr Bayley claimed that if GNER was not given a new mandate "other jobs in the supplier industries, such as Corus Rail Consultancy, which must employ 300 or 400 civil and mechanical engineers, could also move elsewhere".

Mr Bayley said rail supply firms found it convenient to locate near GNER's base in York.

Today, he said: "I was wrong to suggest that Corus would leave York if GNER didn't win the franchise. I am delighted that they have confirmed their long-term commitment to the city."

Mr Bayley said he was questioning the long-term future of the city's railway industry if a major operator was not based in the city.

Mr Marsden said the prospects of Corus, which specialises in off-track design engineering and is based at Toft Green, would not be swayed by the movements of rail companies.

He said: "Less than one per cent of our business comes from GNER. The majority of our work comes from working directly or indirectly with Network Rail.

"Of our 350 staff, most understand the structure of the business, but there may have been some who felt their jobs were at risk as a result of this.

"The jobs of our staff at York are not affected by any changes in the franchise holder of the East Coast Main Line."

GNER is expected to find out later this month whether it has been selected by the Strategic Rail Authority to continue to run services on the country's flagship rail line between Scotland, and York to London, via York.

The company, which has its main headquarters in the city, is fighting for a minimum seven-year extension to its services and is up against a consortium of Virgin and Stagecoach, as well as Danish Railways and FirstGroup.

Updated: 10:07 Friday, February 11, 2005