Rail Investment to benefit West Suffolk residents

West Suffolk should benefit from the government’s Network North transport plan including more trains connecting to Bury St Edmunds and less lorries on the A14.

The government has announced funding reallocated from the HS2 project, will be invested in upgrades to rail junctions at Ely (pictured above) and Haughley. Improvements at these junctions have been urgently needed for years to improve passenger services and to increase the amount of freight that travels on the rail network.

While the amount of investment is to be determined, upgrades to these priority junctions could lead to a doubling of passenger services stopping at Bury St Edmunds travelling on the Ipswich to Peterborough line.

Passenger services currently run every other other hour, this increase will enhance connectivity within West Suffolk and the wider county as well as to other regions through interchange at Peterborough.

While the junction is located in Cambridgeshire, the improvements to Ely junction will benefit West Suffolk and the county through enabling six extra freight trains per day in each direction to and from the Port of Felixstowe.

This will help reduce the amount of long distance HGV traffic travelling through Suffolk on the A14, which can be very congested. This project benefits this international trade route as well as the local regional and national area.

West Suffolk has been a long term supporter of these rail projects working with other Suffolk public sector leaders, Suffolk County Council, Transport East and England’s Economic Heartland to push for these improvements.

The timescales and share of the £6.5bn funds are to be confirmed.

Indy Wijenayaka, cabinet member for Growth for West Suffolk Council, said: “Moving people, goods and data around our district easily and improving links to public transport is key to improving economic growth and quality of life for our communities.

“We, with partners, have been lobbying hard for these improvements and welcome the news that at last government may be investing in this much needed rail infrastructure which will mean less lorries on the A14 and more passenger rail services. As ever, the devil is in the detail, and we await confirmation from the government on timescales and funding.”