18.05.12
Campaign for East Anglia rail picks up pace
MPs in East Angliaare campaigning for infrastructure improvements to increase speed and capacity on the region’s railways. Ahead of the 15-year franchise that will start in July 2014, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) aims to lay out their priorities for the region in ‘A Rail Prospectus forEast Anglia’.
Following a meeting atWestminster, the LEP will work with Network Rail to determine how improvements can be made.
This June, the group hopes to hand the document to transport secretary Justine Greening, alongside evidence of the economic benefits of endorsing the improvements. This could include new rolling stock, as well as an upgrade of the Great Eastern Main Line.
GreaterAngliahead of corporate affairs Jonathan Denby said: “We have moved along significantly in the region but we’ve got to a point now where in terms of expansion we need to take a step up.
“We have been trying to help to get everybody working on a clear plan for the future. If it’s put forward collectively it stands a much better chance. A rail plan is good, but it’s even better if it comes with a social plan, an economic plan and a political plan as well.”
Ipswich MP Ben Gummer told the Ely Standard: “We know there are major constraints but we want to see significant improvements on the rail service in this region to bring it into line with services elsewhere in the country.
“We want to have more trains, more capacity on the trains, and we want services to be faster. It should be possible to reach Ipswich in 60 minutes for all trains from Liverpool Street– and to reach Norwichin 90 minutes.”
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