Council leader renews calls to upgrade Ely junction
Talks to fund improvements have continued for more than two decades
A council leader is renewing calls to get the Ely rail junction upgraded.
Councillor Anna Bailey, who leads East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC), is expected to write to the Transport Secretary - Heidi Alexander MP - to ask the Government to rethink its decision not to fund improvements at the rail bottleneck.
"The Government has earmarked this area for growth and this situation needs dealing with, so we have to keep the pressure on," Cllr Bailey said.
"I think it's important we keep reminding the Government this delivers on some of the things it's trying to do."
Lines from King's Lynn, Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge and Peterborough all meet at Ely junction.
In its Spending Review earlier this year, the Government announced no funding to improve the area with talks continuing for more than 20 years.
'Wholehearted support'
Campaigners believe improving would increase the number of passenger journeys, as well as run an extra 2,900 freight services a year from Felixstowe.
A joint letter signed by the county's MPs and mayor Paul Bristow calling on the Government to invest in Ely junction has also been sent to Ms Alexander.
James Palmer, chair of the Eastern Powerhouse, has previously said there is "wholehearted support" from MPs in the East of England to fund the upgrade.
In July, the Government gave the go-ahead to more than 50 road and rail upgrades, something ECDC members have described as a "grave concern".
Upgrade 'crucial' for growth
A report by the Railway Industry Association argues that rail plays a crucial role in boosting productivity, creating jobs, and reducing regional inequality.
The Department for Transport has said it's set aside nearly £9 million for local authorities to make public services deliver quicker and more reliable journeys.
"It (Ely junction) has massive potential to improve the rail network for freight and passenger journeys, and sooner or later, the Government's going to realise this has to be dealt with," Cllr Bailey added.
"We've got the Oxford to Cambridge corridor (and other growth projects), so this is crucial to delivering on the Government's agenda and we need to keep it in front of them."