Business leaders have made a fresh plea for the government to tackle a railway bottleneck which they say is preventing Norfolk and Suffolk from unleashing their full economic potential.
Pumping money into improving the rail capacity around Ely Junction would remove barriers to Britain’s trade with the rest of the world and allow better connections for freight between East of England ports and the rest of the UK, it is argued.
The claims were made in a hard-hitting new report that outlines the benefits the work would bring to businesses and passengers.
The report has been backed by many of the region’s business leaders and MPs.
Chris Starkie, chief executive of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "Ely area capacity enhancements are significantly important, both nationally and
internationally, in terms of enabling growth in the efficient transport of goods for trade between Britain’s biggest and busiest rail freight port at Felixstowe, through the Midlands’ golden triangle, to the north and elsewhere on the national rail network.
"The scheme would also support a range of new passenger routes and services from Ipswich and Norwich through Ely to destinations across the East of England and beyond, reducing journey times and improving access to both economic centres and housing.
"This will help maintain all scales of economic growth, as well as relieve congestion on our roads and reduce carbon dioxide emissions across Norfolk and Suffolk."
Under proposals put forward by Network Rail, capacity for freight trains would increase from 6.5 trains per hour to 10 – an increase of nearly a third.
And it would double passenger services on the Ely to King’s Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes.
Put together by Transport East - made up of local councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships and businesses across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex - the report aims to make a strong case for the government to commit to improving the junction.
READ MORE: Revealed: Road and rail schemes in region's 2050 transport push
Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney and co-chair of the East of England All-Party Parliamentary Group, said: "The upgrading of Ely junction and the improvement of Haughley junction [near Stowmarket] will have a beneficial knock-on impact that will cascade right across East Anglia.
"These schemes will not only increase capacity, but will also facilitate the transfer of freight from road to rail, will enable passenger services to be increased and will help achieve our legally binding decarbonisation targets.
"These projects must be funded as a priority."
The report states that the improvements to Ely junction would:
- Boost economic growth in the East, Midlands and North
- Cut emissions and congestion
- Unlock better passenger services
- Support the government’s Freeport East initiative
- Fit in with the national priority for rail freight
James Palmer, chair of the Eastern Powerhouse, a business-led organisation with members such as Lotus and Norwich Research Park, said: "Locally the impact from the investment would be huge. The ambition to deliver a half-hour service between Cambridge and the major centres of Ipswich, Norwich and Peterborough plus a new link to deprived Wisbech cannot be imagined without an upgrade to Ely.
"If you want a 21st century rail network in the East that will match the burgeoning economy here, you have to deliver Ely."
"The time is now. The Eastern Powerhouse recognises the importance of an
upgrade to Ely North Junction and on behalf of its members, urges the government to commit to this vital scheme."
READ MORE: Norfolk and Waveney rail services must get better - report
Why is the Ely junction so important for Norfolk and Suffolk?
Ely Junction is important because it links five lines connecting Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and King’s Lynn.
But it is currently operating at full capacity, which limits the opportunity for growth of routes for passenger and cross-country freight services.
Network Rail has put forward proposals to improve it - which would allow more trains to run through the junction.
They say that will meet the demand for more rail freight, but it would also enable more frequent passenger services, including between King's Lynn and London.
An outline business case was submitted to the Department for Transport last year for the next stage of the design process, but the government has yet to commit money for the project.
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