Rail improvements for East Anglia that were promised as part of Rishi Sunak's announcement on the cancellation of the HS2 line from Birmingham to Manchester are unlikely to completed anytime soon, it has emerged.
Two crucial upgrades were announced by Downing Street following Mr Sunak's Tory Conference speech - improving Haughley Junction near Stowmarket and rebuilding Ely North Junction.
The Haughley work is reasonably straightforward and not expensive in terms of major Network Rail projects - its cost has been estimated at £20m.
But improvements at Ely are on another scale. The most recent cost estimate for improving tracks in that area was £500m - but that was in January 2020 and inflation has had a big impact as promoters of HS2 know!
Both projects have had considerable preliminary work but the final designs are not set - and the Ely work is likely to require a great deal of planning.
As well as a three-way junction about a mile north of the station there are homes and three busy level crossings on a busy B road that need to be bypassed before the track can be upgraded.
Industry sources believe it is unrealistic to expect the Ely work to be completed within five years - and suggest it could be the early 2030s before it is finished.
Haughley could be done much faster - but there is not a pool of engineers waiting to move in to complete the work.
It will probably have to wait until after projects to build new stations near Chelmsford and Cambridge, due for completion in 2025, before work can start.
Once it is underway, however, it should only take a few months so in theory it could be completed by 2026.
There is also some confusion about what Ely work has been approved - the statement refers to the "Ely Junction" but the Network Rail plan was to also double the track east of the station towards Soham which would enable many more freight trains from Felixstowe to use the line.
There is widespread local support for the plans. Suffolk County Council cabinet member for transport strategy Richard Smith said: “This is really excellent news for Suffolk.
"The infrastructure at these junctions currently lacks capacity for the demand from freight and passenger traffic.
"This investment will reduce those constraints and allow more trains to run through Ely and Haughley, including freight on rail out of Felixstowe and more passenger services between Ipswich and Peterborough.
“This will ease congestion on our roads, help us on our journey towards net zero by reducing carbon emissions and provide a significant boost to the local economy.”
Suffolk Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Dugmore added: “This announcement is a massive win for Suffolk, the East of England and for sustainable national growth.
"It is also a ringing endorsement for the collaborative lobbying that has taken place over many years across county boundaries, political divides and between businesses and the public sector.
“Suffolk Chamber is proud to have been at the forefront of the Suffolk contribution to these campaigning efforts – in the case of Haughley Junction for many, many decades.
"Working with Transport East colleagues and Suffolk’s MPs, we have been incredibly active in in reaching out to ministers and others to get this project across the line.
“Our task now is to ensure that the project is activated as soon as possible and that it goes ahead regardless as to the outcome of the next General Election. We will be unstinting in this regard as the voice of business in Suffolk.”
That remains the big question mark that hangs over the whole project - what will happen after next year's general election?
Most politicians and pundits feel that Labour is well ahead in the polls at present and while local party members have generally been in favour of the rail investment, it is possible that major projects like Ely could be delayed while incoming ministers take a long hard look at the proposals.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here