Proposals announced by transport minister Baroness Kramer could give community groups and passengers in East Suffolk and the Tyne Valley more say over the design and operation of their local rail services.

A consultation is currently being held on plans to designate the routes between Ipswich and Felixstowe, Ipswich and Lowestoft and the Tyne Valley Line between Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle, as community rail services.

If the plans are approved, they could give the communities the chance to offer rail services according to local needs, improving connectivity to important destinations and boosting regional economies.

Since 2005, 19 rail lines across the country have been designated as community railways. While train companies operate the services, power over how they should be run is devolved to local councils, citizens' groups and other volunteers.

Transport minister Baroness Kramer said: "By designating these services as community rail services, we will breathe new life into the local rail network."