Priti to Chair Rail Taskforce
Witham MP Priti Patel has become the Chair of the Great Eastern Main Line Rail Taskforce at a meeting held in Parliament today (26 February 2018). Priti was a founding member of the GEML Rail Taskforce when it was established in 2013 and secured commitments to improve rail services. Priti is taking over the chairmanship from Colchester MP Will Quince and the Taskforce I made up of representatives from elected MPs, and the business community along the GEML. Priti said:
“I am pleased to be leading the work of the Rail Taskforce and look forward to working with colleagues and key stakeholders across the region to deliver the rail improvements the region needs. The East of England and Anglia region is an engine of economic growth and we can support more jobs creation and business growth with investment in modernising the rail network.”
“In 2014 the Rail Taskforce published a prospectus highlighting the clear strategic case for a series of infrastructure investment projects on the Mainline to improve services. The new rail franchise is already set to provide new trains but we must now escalate our campaign to get the new infrastructure we need delivered. I will be working on updating our economic and business cases for investment and bringing stakeholders across the region together so we can lobby the Government with one united voice.”
“Commuters are paying a lot of money for a service that is often poor and causes misery to many. Getting new investment in key new infrastructure improvements will make a big difference to improving services and improving capacity and performance for the future.”