Chloe Smith: Secretary of State for Transport committed to East Anglian rail

Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, has questioned the Secretary of State for Transport and secured his commitment once again to the works required to achieve a faster, more reliable rail service in East Anglia. The Secretary of State will take action today as a result.

As co-chair of the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce, Chloe spoke this morning in Parliament and obtained Patrick McLoughlin's fresh commitment to the Taskforce's asks, which benefit every county on the Main Line's route. She demanded that Network Rail deliver the necessary improvements to track and the Secretary of State committed to discuss these requirements directly with Network Rail head Sir Peter Hendy this afternoon.

The Taskforce's report calls for new rolling stock and investment in the track, which together add up to a regular service able to get between London and Norwich in 90 minutes without compromising on service to the counties in between. The Taskforce has the backing of thousands of passengers throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

The Taskforce will also meet Sir Peter Hendy shortly to put East Anglia's needs directly. The Government has committed Network Rail to delivering the necessary track improvements over their Control Periods 5 and 6. New trains will be delivered through the next franchise.

Commenting on the campaign and today's exchange, Chloe said:

“The Taskforce is succeeding, having secured agreement at every level for new trains and track upgrades. The day-to-day and economic benefits of our work will be immense for each county on our route and we are grateful to all the thousands of passengers who back our campaign to get these results.

“The Government's commitment means that these improvements will come about within ten years, as promised.”