Commenting on the Government’s announcement to invest £350 million on new digital signalling on part of the East Coast Main Line between London and Lincolnshire, Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council and East Coast Main Line Authorities (ECMA) Chair, said:
“Today’s (Monday 22 June) announcement is an important step forward in delivering a more reliable East Coast Main Line, so we welcome the Government’s commitment to invest £350 million on digital signalling.
“However, without long-term funding to help tackle issues of capacity and resilience, the line will remain increasingly vulnerable to major disruptions which is why ECMA will continue to call on the UK and Scottish governments to secure additional funding for Network Rail to deliver a more reliable rail network for customers.
“This is all the more crucial now considering the key role the line will play as an enabler to economic growth and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”