Sekoura Benissad, Chair of RIA Midlands & Eastern signs letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging for progression on Ely Junction

14 July 2023

RIA Midlands & Eastern’s Chair, Sekoura Benissad has signed a letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt along with national, regional and local business leaders to call on the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Transport to approve the £466m required for Ely Area Capacity Enhancements (EACE).

The EACE will unlock economic growth, not just for the Midlands & Eastern local economy but also the North of England as well as boosting international trade.

Currently, the mixture of single-track sections, restricted speeds, level crossings and signalling limitations at Ely are creating a bottleneck at the junction. This significant barrier means that UK businesses are unable to import and export goods, via freight, and are turning to lorries, which are less reliable and worse for the environment.

Sekoura Benissad, Chair of RIA Midlands & Eastern said: “It is vitally important that the Chancellor and Transport Secretary push on with rail schemes like Ely Junction as well as the Midlands Rail Hub, HS2 and East West Rail.

“The upgrade of Ely Junction is a relatively low-cost scheme in terms of transport infrastructure projects but would reap huge benefits.

“There are many benefits of EACE as the scheme would support wide economic growth in the East of England, Midlands Engine, Northern Powerhouse and up into Scotland. EACE also supports the national priority of Rail Freight as is the most intensively used freight corridor in the UK but is facing bottlenecks prohibiting freight use. Importantly, EACE also reduces CO2 emissions by 1.7m tonnes and cuts congestion by removing 98,000 lorries off the roads each year.

"We look forward to seeing the Chancellor and Secretary of State’s response.” 

Notes to Editors

  1. RIA Midlands & Eastern includes and represents members across the West and East Midlands, and East Anglia. Rail in the Midlands & Eastern region supports some 160,000 jobs and generates £8.3bn in economic growth and £2.6bn in tax revenue. RIA Midlands & Eastern works to make the case for rail investment across the region, including calling for projects like HS2, Midlands Rail Hub, East West Rail and others to be delivered in full.
  2. Letter to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt here.
  3. About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community. We help to grow a sustainable, high-performing, railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. RIA has 350 companies in membership in a sector that contributes £43 billion in economic growth and £14 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 710,000 people. It is also a vital industry for the UK’s economic recovery, supporting green investment and jobs in towns and communities across the UK; for every £1 spent in rail, £2.50 is generated in the wider economy. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). https://www.riagb.org.uk/