Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the cost to the (a) freight sector and (b) economy of the time taken to commence work on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme.
The EACE was assessed as having a Benefit Cost Ratio of 4.89 against a cost estimate of £489m at Outline Business Case stage, at the point the programme was paused by the previous Government in 2022.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2025 to Question 86919 on Railways: East of England, if he will take steps to estimate the funding required for Network Rail to undertake detailed planning for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme.
EACE will be kept under review. It is a worthy scheme that will be considered for potential progression in the future as funding becomes available.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to progress the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government had committed to a number of projects that were unfunded, including the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme.
EACE will be kept under review. It is a worthy scheme that will be considered for potential progression in the future as funding becomes available.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the funding required for Network Rail to undertake detailed planning for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July regarding which rail and road infrastructure projects will progress following the completion of the 2025 Spending Review. The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement and upgrades to Haughley Junction were not among those projects funded at this time.
The previous government had committed to a number of infrastructure projects that were unfunded, this includes the EACE and Haughley Junction schemes.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on the Ely Junction Upgrade Scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme was paused by the previous government in 2022.
The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July on which rail and road infrastructure projects will proceed following the 2025 Spending Review.
At this stage, the EACE programme was not allocated funding. I fully recognise the strategic importance of the EACE programme. It has a strong case for future investment, and we are committed to working with stakeholders to support its place in the pipeline of future rail enhancements.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of upgrading transport infrastructure upgrades on economic growth.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Growth is this government’s top priority and formed a fundamental part of the analysis informing the Spending Review. Our significant investment in transport infrastructure will deliver a step-change in transport connectivity across the country, which is vital for economic growth. It boosts productivity by reducing travel time for businesses; widening access to markets and supporting trade; better matching workers’ skills to high quality jobs; and increasing the economic density of the country.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to strengthen retrospective rural-proofing of her Department's policies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department keeps the impact of its policies on rural communities up and down the country under continual review and has strengthened retrospective rural-proofing in three ways.
Firstly our Transport Appraisal framework is rigorous and provides structured guidance during the appraisal process. It ensures that local context is effectively captured and that place-based analysis is appropriately conducted, including within rural communities.
Secondly, the Department consistently considers the distributional impacts of its policies through the application of equalities impact assessments. These assessments include a thorough review of potential differential impacts on communities including rural communities, ensuring that Ministers are fully informed when making policy decisions.
Thirdly, we are commissioning and publishing independent evaluations of programmes with significant rural reach- such as Demand Responsive Transport pilots funded through the Rural Mobility Fund and the Tackling Loneliness with Transport pilots - and will publish further evaluation outputs in the coming months to inform future policy and guidance.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of commencing the Ely junction upgrade project.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State updated Parliament on 7 July regarding which rail and road infrastructure projects will progress following the completion of the Spending Review. The Ely junction scheme was not among those projects funded at this time.
The previous government had committed to a number of infrastructure projects that were unfunded, this included the Ely junction scheme.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rail fares on the cost of living.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, we must ensure passengers and taxpayers get a fair deal. Since the pandemic, the amount of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter in 2018/19 to almost half of total income in 2023/24. Our goal is to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers, while ensuring the railway’s long-term financial sustainability.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase access to rail links in rural communities.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government knows that public transport needs to be better integrated in order to improve the experience for passengers, providing access to services and keeping communities connected. We also know that in rural areas, bus services can be a lifeline for many and can be the only means of accessing services, including other modes of transportation such as rail links. The government is taking action to help improve local bus services and encourage greater integration between transport modes.
We introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December to put the power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas. In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has been allocated £10.5 million of this funding, helping to improve bus services and connectivity across the area.
The government will also be publishing an Integrated National Transport Strategy this year to set the vision for transport in England. It will focus on how transport should be designed, built and operated to better serve the people who use it, including those in rural areas.