George Freeman celebrates rail investment for Norfolk
16th July 2012
Today the Government has unveiled a £9 billion pound package of investments for England's rail network and I am delighted to see that Norfolk is one of the main beneficiaries. This is great news for our region and the Norfolk economy in particular. For too long in East Anglia we have received less than our share of infrastructure spending, whilst contributing more than most to the Exchequer. Our commuters and local economy have paid the price with delays and endless maintenance works.
The Ely junction bottleneck prevents half hourly services from both Norwich and Kings Lynn to Cambridge, and holds up freight links from Suffolk's coastal container ports with the rest of the UK. Ely junction is particularly important to unlocking the potential of the Cambridge to Norwich 'innovation corridor' and the growth of a vibrant small company economy, and ensuring the planned housing growth in Wymondham, Attleborough and other towns on the line doesn’t lead to gridlock and congestion.
This a strong endorsement for the joint Anglian rail campaign and the 20 year Prospectus for investment that fellow East Anglian MPs and I presented to the Secretary of State recently. I shall be following up to make sure Ely is given the right priority and to ensure the full works required for the Cambridge to Norwich service are properly scheduled.
