EDM 1397: Funding for Ely and Haughley Rail junction upgrades

That this House recognises the critical role of the Ely and Haughley rail junctions in supporting national economic growth, regional development, and the transition to greener transport; notes that these long-overdue infrastructure upgrades have been in planning for decades and are now essential to unlocking capacity for both freight and passenger services across the East of England and beyond; further notes that the Ely Area capacity enhancements and Haughley junction upgrade would enable 2,900 additional freight services annually from the Port of Felixstowe, reduce road congestion by removing 98,000 HGV journeys, stimulating 277,000 extra rail passenger journeys per year, it would also reduce carbon emissions by 1.7m tonnes of CO2 over 60 years and it will reduce congestion by 5.6 million hours per year; highlights that the schemes would generate a return of £4.89 for every £1 invested, with an additional £60 million in wider economic benefits already identified; acknowledges the alignment of these projects with private sector investment; and therefore urges the Government to allocate funding to enable Network Rail to proceed with detailed planning and delivery of these essential infrastructure improvements, thereby supporting regional growth, decarbonisation, and national connectivity.