The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership has welcomed George Osborne’s announcement today (7th November 2013) of the creation of a taskforce to deliver the Norwich in 90 rail vision.
The Chancellor made the announcement during a visit to Norwich Station, which was part of his tour of Norfolk and Suffolk.
The Norwich in 90 rail vision includes faster, more reliable and more comfortable trains on the Great Eastern main line between Norwich and Ipswich and London.
The Norwich in 90 vision is laid out in “Once in a generation – a rail prospectus for East Anglia” – which was produced last year by the New Anglia LEP working with local authorities, rail user groups and MPs.
Dr Andy Wood OBE, New Anglia LEP Chairman commented: “This is fantastic news for the region and a landmark day. The campaign has been driven by the region’s MPs, especially Chloe Smith, Ben Gummer, Simon Wright and Priti Patel, as well as business leaders, whose belief in the campaign and what it can bring to the region has been unrelenting.
“We are delighted that the Chancellor has recognised the strength of the argument we have made in the East Anglia rail prospectus and is now committed to delivering Norwich in 90.
“It does show the power of working together – LEPs, local authorities, business groups and other stakeholders.
“The boost that this investment will bring to the region cannot be underestimated. It will be a shot in the arm for the economy and will continue to make New Anglia one of the best places in the UK to do business. It will also hugely help our campaign to create 60,000 jobs and 10,000 new businesses by 2025 and provide even more opportunity for the region to compete and win in the competitive global economy.”
As part of the announcement, Mr Osborne also said the DfT had asked Abellio to refurbish and modernise the current fleet of trains.
Key improvements identified in the East Anglia rail prospectus to deliver Norwich in 90 include:
- New trains to enable faster and more reliable journey times.
- A passing loop north of Chelmsford to increase capacity and overtaking opportunities.
- Increased line speeds on sections of the route.
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