CHESTER MP Stephen Mosley has called on the Prime Minister to back calls for the electrification of the Crewe to Chester railway line.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Mosley posed a question to David Cameron about the issue at Prime Minister’s Question Time.
He said: “Will the Prime Minister join me in calling for the electrification of the Crewe to Chester railway line, which would provide a major and immediate boost to people in Chester and beyond in north Wales that would also eventually link us to the much needed High Speed 2?”
David Cameron replied: “I am well aware of this campaign... my honourable friend’s suggestion is not in the current programme, but we will look sympathetically at it. We want to see more electrification of railway lines in our country.”
Mr Mosley’s question came after he recently quizzed the Minister of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers MP, on the issue, and discovered that Network Rail is currently reviewing its Electrification Network Route Utilisation Strategy published in 2009.
Commenting on the developments, Stephen Mosley said: “Transport links are vital to the prosperity of any region, and Chester’s link to Crewe, the gateway to the West Coast Mainline, is integral to the growth of our city.”
With the Government pressing ahead with the proposed new high speed rail network, aimed at bridging the longstanding north-south economic divide by significantly reducing journey times, the Chester MP is seeking to highlight the benefit of linking Chester to the new network for local residents and businesses.
“There is no better time to be trying to get some momentum behind this campaign,” said Stephen Mosley.
“Over recent years we have seen a dramatic reduction in journey times from Chester to the south, but the benefits could be even greater if our links to Crewe
were to be electrified.
“I was encouraged with the Prime Minister’s response, and I will be keeping this on the agenda.”CHESTER MP Stephen Mosley has called on the Prime Minister to
back calls for the electrification of the Crewe to Chester railway line.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Mosley posed a question to David Cameron about the issue at Prime Minister’s Question Time.
He said: “Will the Prime Minister join me in calling for the electrification of the Crewe to Chester railway line, which would provide a major and immediate boost
to people in Chester and beyond in north Wales that would also eventually link us
to the much needed High Speed 2?”
David Cameron replied: “I am well aware of this campaign... my honourable friend’s suggestion is not in the current programme, but we will look sympathetically at it. We want to see more electrification of railway lines in our country.”
Mr Mosley’s question came after he recently quizzed the Minister of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers MP, on the issue, and discovered that Network Rail is currently reviewing its Electrification Network Route Utilisation Strategy published in 2009.
Commenting on the developments, Stephen Mosley said: “Transport links are vital to the prosperity of any region, and Chester’s link to Crewe, the gateway to the West Coast Mainline, is integral to the growth of our city.”
With the Government pressing ahead with the proposed new high speed rail network, aimed at bridging the longstanding north-south economic divide by significantly reducing journey times, the Chester MP is seeking to highlight the benefit of linking Chester to the new network for local residents and businesses.
“There is no better time to be trying to get some momentum behind this campaign,” said Stephen Mosley.
“Over recent years we have seen a dramatic reduction in journey times from Chester to the south, but the benefits could be even greater if our links to Crewe were to be electrified.
“I was encouraged with the Prime Minister’s response, and I will be keeping this on the agenda.”