30 Nov Essex Chambers quiz Network Rail on their performance
Essex Chambers of Commerce recently hosted a dinner for Chamber members to hear from and quiz the Anglia Route Director of Network Rail, Meliha Duymaz, about her plans for investing in the rail infrastructure of the county.
Speaking after the event Denise Rossiter, Chief Executive of Essex Chambers of Commerce, said “We regularly lobby for improvements to the transport infrastructure of Essex and the rail network is a vital part of that for both passenger and freight transport.“
“Unfortunately despite investment in new rolling stock by both of the county’s rail operators there still seems to be problems with the actual rail infrastructure and businesses were keen to hear what Network Rail were going to do to address the issues we seem to read or hear about every day”
“I was grateful for the support given by the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP in arranging this dinner and to Colchester MP Will Quince for his support as well. Next year we will see new trains arriving over much of our network and we now need to be confident we will have the infrastructure to enable them to perform to their full capacity”
The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP added “I was delighted to host the Essex Chambers of Commerce, Network Rail and a number of outstanding Essex businesses in Parliament on Monday night.
“Businesses in Essex are at the forefront of investing in jobs, skills and innovation and they depend on the reliability of the rail networks to support their operations and growth.
“I am delighted that Network Rail Anglia has secured £2.2 billion for the railway from 2019 to 2024 and this long overdue investment for infrastructure upgrades should improve the reliability of rail services in the region. The movement of freight is also crucial to supporting business and economic growth and discussions with Network Rail on the future of freight in the region were positive.
“I applaud the Essex Chambers of Commerce for facilitating this important meeting and for the outstanding work they do ensure the voices of our great Essex businesses are at the forefront of the agenda.”
