Lib Dems reveal ambitious transport plan

11.30.39am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 25th Sep 2007

Hereward Cooke

The Liberal Democrats will reveal at a Council meeting tonight, their ambitious plans to create a new regional approach to the development of the Norwich to London railway line.

This is how the Norwich Evening News reported the story:

Could Eurostar come to Norwich?

An ambitious vision to bring Eurostar-style trains to the city, shuttling commuters from Norwich to London and beyond was outlined today.

City councillors will be asked to give their seal of approval to a bid to bring the high-speed trains to the city.

The standard of travel between Norwich and the capital has long been a bug bear of commuters and campaigners alike.

However, if the dream of bringing the new trains to the city were to be realised, it is believed people could be shuttled to the capital within a mere 40 minutes.

The proposal was made by Lib dem leader Hereward Cooke, who believes high speed trains could link Norwich up with the Eurostar service to whizz travellers off to Paris and Brussels.

The city's Liberal Democrats want the council to agree to join forces with other authorities up and down the rail line to London to call for cash to be pumped into the route, and in particular investigate the possibility of extending the Eurostar line along it.

Councillor Cooke, who has prepared a motion which will be discussed at a meeting of Norwich City Council tomorrow, said: "The main line between London and Norwich is of crucial importance, yet is often seen as a Cinderella line with second hand stock and a lack of investment.

"We are proposing that the Norfolk Rail Alliance co-operates with all the councils along the line right down to London to lobby for a better service. We need to speak with one voice to make that line first class and fit for the 21st Century.

"The Eurostar is going to run from St Pancras from next month but we know in due course it will also use Stratford station. That could provide East Anglia with a wonderful opportunity to make use of that link and connect to Europe.

"That would bring people to this part of the world and at the same time make us part of the European scene. If we are all speaking with one voice we can lobby, persuade and cajole for the necessary investment to make that happen."

Eurostar has shifted its entire London operation from Waterloo to St Pancras and will start services from there next month. Earlier this month a new record was set for a train travelling from London to Paris - taking two hours, three minutes and 39 seconds.

Last week another record fell, when the inaugural service between Brussels and St Pancras broke the two hour barrier, travelling at speeds of more than 186mph. The 232-mile journey took one hour and 43 minutes, shaving 20 minutes off the time it previously took to get from Brussels Midi to Waterloo.

If Eurostar was to come to Norwich it is likely a new line because the current track would not be able to cope with its high-speeds.

However, despite this councillor Cooke said his idea was a serious one, adding: "I must stress, this is a long-term dream, but there is an untapped demand for this sort of travel.

"People are not using the train because of their frustrations over having to get buses and the breakdowns and disruption on the line from Norwich to London."

The Lib Dems will ask fellow councillors to back their motion calling for a working party to be set up made up of representatives from all local authorities affected by the present and future service on the Norwich to London line.

Adrian Gunson, county council cabinet member for planning and transportation, and chairman of the Norfolk Rail Alliance, said while they did liaise with their counterparts in Suffolk and Essex, it was just a matter of continuing to chip away at the Government to get a better deal.

He said: "The other counties are fighting hard, but because Norfolk is at the end of the line they are more interested in improving their own parts of the route.

"As for the future I would not rule out a high speed link, but I have to wonder where the investment would come from. I think we would be better off pressing for improvements to the existing service."

A spokesman for Eurostar said today: "We support the growth of high speed travel and the regeneration benefits have been shown in France and will be shown in the UK once St Pancras station opens. But Eurostar does not build or maintain track, so whether a direct link to Norwich will be made I cannot say."

A year ago three Norfolk MPs - Dr Ian Gibson, Labour MP for Norwich North, North Norfolk Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb and South Norfolk Conservative MP Richard Bacon - grilled railway bosses over the problems with the line from Norwich to London.

It came after barley a weekend passed when services were not replaced by buses on some parts of the route to and from Liverpool Street station.

Network Rail bosses said after the meeting with the three MPs that it would bring forward a planned £40m investment from 2009 to this December to help tackle the problem.

Dr Gibson said today he welcomed the bid, but was dubious that the track would be up to scratch for Eurostar.

He said: "The problem has always been the rail line to London from Norwich. If we can get that right then maybe this could happen, but I'm dubious that Eurostar would want to come here given the track's record.

"We haven't seen the improvement on that line yet - they promised they would start this Christmas."