The UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has established a new Acceleration Unit to speed up the delivery of rail and road infrastructure projects. The unit is set to be in place next month and will be directly accountable to the Transport Secretary.
The new team of specialists will join the Department for Transport (DfT) to tackle delays to infrastructure projects and drive forward progress for passengers.
“We want to accelerate Britain’s recovery by investing in vital infrastructure that will help get businesses back on their feet, create jobs to replace those that have been lost and level up our country. The creation of our new Acceleration Unit and investment in our roads and railways will ensure we build back better, greener and faster in the future,” Grant Shapps said.
The creation of the team follows the establishment of a new Northern Transport Acceleration Council, dedicated to swiftly levelling up infrastructure across the North’s towns and cities, forming a direct link between Westminster and local leaders.
The launch coincides with the announcement of a £360 million (almost EUR 400 million) for infrastructure project. A £343 million (EUR 380 million) investment for railway projects in Wales was announced, to provide better, faster, more reliable journeys for passengers. The projects include the design work to upgrade Cardiff Central station, signalling upgrades on the 241-kilometre Cambrian line from Shrewsbury Sutton Bridge Junction to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. Proposals to speed up journeys between Cardiff and Swansea, Chester and Llandudno Junction, and the Severn Tunnel and Cardiff are also the targeted projects.
Other announced rail investments include:
- £1.1 million (EUR 1.2 million) investment for Network Rail to develop short-term plans to relieve overcrowding at London Liverpool Street station;
- £6.4 million (EUR 7 million) scheme to completed the funding for the construction of a new second footbridge serving all 4 platforms at St Albans City station. The work is expected to be launched in 2021 with completion taking place at the beginning of 2022;
- £4 million (EUR 4.4 million) will be provided to develop the design phase for gauge enhancement and track improvements for freight trains on Great Western, Midland Main Lines and at Darlington to allow longer intermodal freight trains to operate from Teesport to Yorkshire, with the Darlington scheme delivered by October 2020;
- £9.74 million (EUR 10.8 million) will support signalling and infrastructure enhancements on the Wessex route at Twickenham, Bracknell and Virginia Water as part of the Feltham and Wokingham Signalling Renewal Programme, which will help improve the reliability and flexibility of services starting from Easter 2021.
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