- Dr Luke welcomes Government funding to develop plans for Burton upon Trent to Leicester line.
- Part of the Government’s £500 million commitment to reopen railway lines and stations across the country that were closed during the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has helped to secure a share of £500,000 to develop plans and proposals to reopen the Ivanhoe Line. The funding will be used to explore the feasibility of the project in more detail, after the Department for Transport decided the project was worthy of further consideration.
Dr Luke has worked with neighbouring MPs in support of the Campaign to Reopen the Ivanhoe Line (CRIL), to develop the initial bid, making the case to ministers and officials in Whitehall that the project should progress to the next phase and receive financial support.
The project is part of the Government’s £500 million Restoring Your Railway Fund, delivering on the promise made in the Conservative manifesto to reopen many of the lines and stations that were closed in the 1960s – known as the Beeching cuts. The restoration of many of the Beeching lines is a core component of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister’s agenda to invest in infrastructure to level up economic growth and opportunities across the whole country.
Commenting, Dr Luke said:
“While the Government is protecting lives and livelihoods in the coronavirus outbreak, never has the Conservative Party and the Prime Minister’s agenda to level up and invest in infrastructure been so important.
“I am delighted that we will now receive Government funding to develop proposals for the Ivanhoe Line in more detail, which will bring huge benefits to people living and working in the northern villages of my constituency.
“Good transport links are essential, and I hope this funding marks the first step in getting this project off the ground as quickly as possible”