Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Ely Junction upgrade scheme has entered the Road Improvement Strategy (a) programme and (b) development stage; whether formal approvals have been granted; and whether it will progress into the next strategy phase.

It is important to be clear that the Ely Junction upgrade scheme is a rail project and not a road project. The recently announced Network North programme of investment included confirmation of government’s support for the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) programme and the substantial benefits this will bring, including a doubling of passenger services on the Ely to Kings Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes together with additional freight paths into the Port of Felixstowe.

Network Rail have developed the scheme to Outline Business Case stage; next steps will involve further investment case development and delivery planning.