Rail improvements for East Anglia promised by Rishi Sunak after he scrapped the HS2 line from Birmingham to Manchester could still be almost a decade away, it has emerged.
Two crucial upgrades were announced following the prime minister's Tory Conference speech - rebuilding Ely North junction and improving Haughley junction near Stowmarket.
Ely junction is important because it links five lines connecting Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and King’s Lynn, but it is currently operating at full capacity.
The improvements, long called for by business bosses and MPs, would mean capacity for freight trains would increase from 6.5 trains per hour to 10, while it would double passenger services on the Ely to King’s Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes.
But the work - which would cost north of the January 2020 estimate of £500m - would need a great deal of planning and trigger considerable disruption.
As well as a three-way junction, about a mile north of the station, there are homes and three level crossings on a busy B road that would 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.
There is also some confusion about what Ely work has been approved - the government statement refers to the "Ely Junction", but the Network Rail plan was to also double the track east of the station towards Soham, to enable many more freight trains from Felixstowe.
READ MORE: Hopes Norwich Western Link could get HS2 scrap cash boost
The investment was welcomed by Kay Mason Billig, Tory leader of Norfolk County Council, said: "The investment in the Ely Junction is good news for Norfolk: increasing the number of trains that can run into our county will help bring new jobs and investment to Norfolk as well as giving a boost to our tourism industry.
"However, there are many more opportunities to improve transport links into East Anglia, and I’d urge the government to see this investment not as a one-off, but as a first step towards a more connected and prosperous East of England."
Analysis
Rishi Sunak's decision to scrap the northern leg of the HS2 rail line was essentially an open secret in the run-up to the actual announcement at the Conservative Party Conference.
But what was rather more of a surprise was the announcement about how £36bn 'saved' by not building the high-speed link between Birmingham to Manchester would be spent.
Given the sheer number of road projects which transport secretary Mark Harper listed as potentially getting cash, it remains to be seen just how much there will be to go around the named Norfolk schemes.
So, perhaps it is premature to think this means the Norwich Western Link will definitely go ahead or that more money will be found for the Long Stratton bypass.
But there is much more certainty over the improvements due to be made to Ely North Junction - and that is hugely significant for the region.
A revamp of a bottleneck railway junction might not sound as significant as getting millions of pounds to build new roads, but the reality is, it has the potential to make a massive difference to Norfolk and Suffolk.
Combined with improvements to another railway junction at Haughley, near Suffolk, the improvements at Ely will dramatically increase the capacity of our rail network.
That will mean more passenger services to King's Lynn and extra freight trains - crucial to the economic health of the region.
Capacity for freight trains would increase from 6.5 trains per hour to 10 – an increase of nearly a third, while it will double passenger services on the Ely to King’s Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes.
There have calls for improvements to the junction for years, with MPs, councillors and business bosses having repeatedly made the case to Whitehall.
But there had been concerns the scheme would miss out on money after a transport minister said some projects would have to be "cancelled or indefinitely paused".
So, it is extremely welcome news that this much-needed scheme will now happen.
The work will not be cheap and it is sure to cause considerable disruption for a lengthy period of time, but the gains ought to be well worth the pain.
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