This week in Parliament, I sponsored and co-hosted the East Anglia Rail Summit. This Summit followed the highly anticipated announcement last month that Abellio Greater Anglia had successfully bid on the East Anglia Rail franchise; delivering the next ten years of rail travel across the East of England. The Summit brought together Network Rail, Abellio Greater Anglia, the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), as well as Rail Minister, Paul Maynard MP and MPs and businesses from across Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. They gathered to explore, and drive forward, the exciting potential for the future of rail in East Anglia.
For as I see it, the East of England is on the cusp of an exciting and potentially transformative future. Unlike the Northern Powerhouse, the Eastern region is a net contributor to the national economy and is projected to return a £2.2 billion surplus this year and over £8 billion by 2020. Our region could also be the leading model for the ‘devolution revolution’, unlocking the potential of local leadership, investment and opportunity.
With Abellio Greater Anglia ‘laying the tracks’ to connect our region, now is a crucial opportunity to truly drive our region forward. Already, the new franchise is promised to deliver a huge £1.5 billion investment, which will bring a new fleet of 1,043 spacious, electric, and Wi-Fi connected vehicles by 2020; the single biggest fleet overhaul in franchising history. There is to be a 13% increase in service, with 1,144 more weekday trains as well as 32,000 more seats in and out of London during peak hours. Importantly there will an hourly service for the Ipswich to Peterborough line as well as improved punctuality and performance delivered through a robust timetable and investment in both infrastructure and personnel. The challenge Abellio Greater Anglia has in order to deliver on its promises, is that Network Rail need to step up to the plate and markedly improve on the 60% of delays that are laid at their door. These changes when delivered will be a very welcome improvement for residents and commuters across the region.
However it is the further possibilities to be gained from this opportunity, which the summit focused on. I know for the one million yearly passengers who use Stowmarket station in my constituency, the push for a Stowmarket to London service in 70 minutes would be immensely beneficial. However, reliability is not only my, but all customer’s key complaint.
Furthermore, the ambitious programme and timetable Abellio has put forward, whilst co-ordinating with Network Rail, makes substantial station improvements like step free wheelchair access and improved parking, a possibility.
Ultimately, however, developing our infrastructure can only be successful, if it comes hand in hand with improved economic vitality across the region. With the next ten years of Eastern rail mapped out, it is up to MPs, businesses, government and providers to make this happen, making the ambitions of East Anglia, a reality.
Published in the East Anglian Daily Times