Government fails to act to improve Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail route

12.20.02pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 2nd Jul 2007

Liberal Democrats at the East of England Regional Assembly have led calls to promote the Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail line in order to move freight from road onto the railways. Chair of the Assembly's Europe Panel Kathy Pollard said "The East of England has the opportunity to benefit from millions of pounds of European funding for the Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail line, as it is part of the Trans European Network. However the Department for Transport has been dragging its heels. It has failed to draw up plans for this route and is in danger of missing the deadline unless it acts quickly. There was real anger at the panel meeting across party. I asked for this item to be added to the agenda so that members of the Panel could add their voice to the protests. If the Government is serious about reducing congestion on roads like the A14 it needs to put its money where its mouth is. We heard on Friday about the delays caused by accidents on the A12 and A14. This means that lorries are held up getting to and from Felixstowe and Harwich ports which is bad for business. If it wants to ensure the future prosperity of the region the Government must act now."

ends