Latest news with #railimprovement
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Why are Ely North junction improvements taking so long?
There are dozens of rail schemes waiting for government funding but few have had their hopes raised and then dashed as often as Ely North 25 years campaigners have argued that improving it would make it possible to run more freight and passenger services and help grow the local despite the project getting the go-ahead from previous governments on at least two occasions, the work is yet to costs, complicated engineering and a slowness to make decisions are being the government about to publish its 10-year infrastructure strategy, there are hopes that the project will make it on to this list for funding. But why is it taking so long? Lines from Norwich, Cambridge, King's Lynn, Peterborough and Ipswich all meet at Ely North first started talking about improving the junction back in 2011 the politicians were involved with the South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss bringing together local councils and business then, there have been numerous meetings, reports written and several ministerial visits to Ely argument has never really changed: extra track and improve the signalling would lead to an increase in services, encouraging more passengers to use the train and take thousands of lorries off the why has nothing happened? Engineering challenges The more you study the problem, the more complicated it becomes."Ely isn't called the Isle of Ely for nothing," says Charlotte Cane, the local Liberal Democrat MP."It is surrounded by wetland, making the soil difficult to build heavy infrastructure on. But we know how to do it; it just needs commitment and money"And that isn't the only problem."The B1382 Ely and Prickwillow Road is another serious sticking point" says Chris Burton from lobbying group Rail Future."It crosses the line to Norwich, the line to King's Lynn and the busiest line to March and Peterborough."Local people already keep getting caught at the [three] level crossings and it will be even worse if they start running more trains."There is no space to put a bridge in so you will need another project to get the road out of the way of the railway."It is these obstacles that have driven up the estimated cost of improving the junction to £0.5bn. Treasury delays The longer the project is delayed, the more the cost goes up."Every new government or [rail] minster wants to look at everything again," says Cain."You do a business case under one set of criteria and then, five years later, you're asked to do a business case under another set of criteria."Governments need to be less fixated on making new announcements which are their announcements, and more willing to continue things that have already been started."There is also a fear that the Treasury is reluctant to commit money to the scheme."I think we have been making enough noise and making the best case that can be made, but Ely never seems to glow well enough in the political spectrum to move itself up the list," says Mr says rail schemes linking bigger conurbations in other parts of the country, particularly the north, seem to get funding more wonders if governments think too much about seats that could be under threat at the next election when they allocate Palmer, the former Conservative Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and now chair of the Eastern Powerhouse lobbying group, is more damning."The Treasury does not look at infrastructure as a way of bringing growth," he says."They just look at it as a cost to the Treasury. They don't particularly care if you say to them 'Build this infrastructure and it will bring you economic growth over a sustained period and therefore give you more money.'"Treasury insiders insist that every scheme is judged on its economic merit and the benefits it can bring to the economy. What next? Network Rail was given £13m by the government in 2020 to develop options for the junction and prepare an outline business says the report was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2022 and is awaiting a DfT was given extra money for capital projects in last week's spending review. It has already announced £6.4bn for East West Rail between Oxford and Cambridge and more announcements are expected MPs insist that the government understands the importance of Ely and remain confident that it will soon receive even if it does, producing a new business case, finding a solution to the B1382 issue, applying for planning permission, acquiring land and then actually doing the work means that it is likely to be the best part of a decade before Ely North junction is improved.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Reeves's Midlands Rail Hub announcement a funding 'milestone'
Confirmation of government funding is an "important milestone" for a £1.75bn scheme which plans to add 300 trains a day to the West Midlands rail Midlands Rail Hub is set to improve rail links between Birmingham and more than 50 locations including Lichfield, Worcester, Nuneaton and outlining government spending plans on Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "I can announce today that I'm providing funding for the Midlands Rail Hub, the region's biggest and most ambitious rail improvement scheme for generations."Midlands Connect chief executive Maria Machancoses said details were unclear but were welcomed. She added: "We really need to celebrate that this government, in these very tight constrained budgets, has decided to continue to support the rail hub."We want support from government not only [in] the development stages but we need to start also talking about securing the capital investment that is required to make this a reality."Midlands Connect said the scheme would provide "faster, better and more frequent" connections, adding 20 million extra seats and creating 13,000 construction Machancoses said it would be delivered "in the next few years". The upgrade proposes to deliver six trains per hour through the core of the Cross City Line, with four starting at Lichfield Trent Valley and two at Four MP for Lichfield Dave Robertson said the funding news was "absolutely brilliant" for people travelling between Staffordshire and described how a decrease since the pandemic to just two trains an hour between Lichfield and Birmingham had led to overcrowding and was "stifling... opportunity" for local people."The Midlands Rail Hub would not only bring our trains back but it'll guarantee them. So actually we can be safe and secure in the knowledge that those opportunities will be available for people in the future," he said. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
No trains on line between Dingwall and Wick for most of June
Rail passengers have been urged to plan ahead as train services on the Far North Line will stop for most of June. Network Rail is carrying out an £11.5m improvement project on the line, which connects Inverness with Wick and work will be undertaken, with some parts of the line trains are scheduled to operate north of Dingwall from Sunday June 8 until Monday June 30, with replacement bus services to be put in place. The railway company said the project will help to improve the long-term reliability of rail services in the north of Scotland."This essential investment will breathe new life into one of Scotland's most scenic and historic routes," Ross Moran, Network Rail's Scotland route director said. "By replacing and refurbishing infrastructure - some of it nearly a century old - we'll help provide safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys." As part of work, a five-mile (8km) stretch between Brora and Helmsdale will be refurbished, with almost nine miles (15km) of track between Invergordon and Fearn said it is committed to keeping customers moving throughout the between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh will not be affected.
