Rail campaigners pledge to keep up the pressure for improvements amid Network ... - East Anglian Daily Times
In their General Election manifesto, the Conservatives had pledged to “improve rail connections to East Anglia, delivering Norwich in 90 minutes and Ipswich in 60 minutes”. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin told MPs that electrification work was being “paused” on the Midland mainline and the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester. But Mark Pendlington, who co-chairs the Great Eastern Rail Campaign, said the announcement did not change his intention to have the region’s required upgrades done over the course of the next decade, with “behind-the-scenes work” set to continue... In the announcement yesterday, Mr McLoughlin said he would bring about modern, faster trains to Ipswich and Norwich, through a new contract to operate the train line, which is expected to start in 2016. MPs said they would be putting pressure on... Ipswich MP Ben Gummer, a member of the East Anglian Rail taskforce since it was set up, said it would be necessary to keep up the pressure on NR to ensure the £1billion investment in the region’s rail service was safeguarded. He said: “This region needs major investment in its rail service and that has been recognised by those at the top of the Government. Source: www.eadt.co.uk
