Since I was elected last year, I have been trying to secure a debate either in Westminster Hall or the Chamber on the issue of the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Scheme (EACE), but without success.
Finally, I managed to secure one for this week, which was particularly timely after the Scheme yet again missed out on being approved in last week’s Budget. Another year, another disappointment for our region.
The EACE programme was first raised as a possibility 25 years ago. Since then, we have had 8 Prime Ministers, 10 Chancellors and 16 Transport Secretaries in various guises, and 0 shovels in the ground.
Every Government since has provided warm words and recognition of the Scheme’s undeniable benefits, yet it still remains stuck at a red signal.
The EACE programme has clear benefits for the environment and the economy. It is estimated that if it were to be approved, it would take 98,000 HGV journeys off the road every year, and cut car journeys by 376,000. When we add that to the increased capacity it would provide for passenger rail services, it would reduce carbon emissions by 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over 60 years, and reduce road congestion by 5.6 million hours every single year.
This would relieve pressure on local roads which suffer the brunt of multiple HGVs damaging them every day, which would save local councils a small fortune in road maintenance and extend the life of roads. Sadly, there are too many accidents and fatalities involving goods vehicle drivers, so naturally having less of them and moving freight onto rail could save lives.
The Ely Junction Scheme’s name does not give it full credit for its potential impact, this is a truly national Scheme which would have national benefits. It features in the strategies of Transport for London, Transport for the North and Midlands Connect, and the additional rail freight services would go as far north as Scotland.
This brings me onto the economic benefit. The various publications and business cases have found that for every £1 the Government invests into the Scheme, it will have a return of £4.89. This is as a result of freeing up rail capacity elsewhere and getting our economy moving. If the Government is serious about going for growth, this Scheme is a no brainer.
The Scheme would encourage an additional 277,000 rail passenger journeys per year as a result of the additional capacity. The logic is simple. It would allow for more passenger trains, meaning more choice for passengers. To misquote that famous phrase ‘build it and they will come’, if you put on the additional rail passenger services, ensure they run on time and are frequent, more people will use them.
There is genuine cross-party support for this Scheme as evidenced in my debate. Representatives from the freight, ports and rail sectors back it, in addition to local government, businesses and Parliamentarians.
What we need now is not more strategies, business cases and arguments for the Scheme, those have already been made and we are well aware of them.
We now need the Government to crack on with getting the Scheme back on track, and to finally get those shovels in the ground as quickly as possible. Doing this will not only benefit Ely, Cambridgeshire or even the East of England, but the whole of the UK.
Time to get the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement Rail Scheme back on track
