Faster progress is needed on two major railway junction improvements which supporters say are vital to boost Norfolk and Suffolk businesses and get more passenger trains running.

Two crucial East Anglian railway upgrades were announced by prime minister Rishi Sunak at the Conservative party conference in October.

After scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 rail route, Mr Sunak said money would instead be used to rebuild Ely North junction and improve Haughley junction near Stowmarket.

Eastern Daily Press: An aerial view of Ely junctionAn aerial view of Ely junction (Image: Network Rail)

Ely junction is particularly important to Norfolk because it links five lines connecting Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Peterborough and King’s Lynn, but has become a bottleneck because it is 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.

Eastern Daily Press: Waveney MP Peter AldousWaveney MP Peter Aldous (Image: PARLIAMENT)

However, Waveney MP Peter Aldous is worried about the lack of apparent progress since Mr Sunak's announcement.

The Conservative MP raised the issue in Parliament, where he said Network Rail is ready to get on with the schemes - and pushed the government to kickstart the projects.

Mr Aldous said: "Network Rail has done much of the preparatory work and is poised to get on with it as quickly as possible."

Eastern Daily Press: Transport secretary Mark HarperTransport secretary Mark Harper (Image: Press Association)

Mark Harper, transport secretary, said: "I know it is an important issue for colleagues in the east of England and I am delighted that we are able to make progress as a result of the decision on Network North.

"I have discussed it with Network Rail and the next steps involve the development of the full business case. Network Rail has what it needs to make progress."

READ MORE: Ely rail junction improvements could be nearly decade away

Network Rail said it could not comment, but a spokeswoman for the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was at the "early stages" of planning next steps, including delivery timelines for the schemes.

Eastern Daily Press: Ely junctionEly junction (Image: Archant)

She said the DfT was "working closely" with Network Rail and other partners to develop and deliver the government's priority schemes.

The latest price tag for the Ely work has yet to be revealed, but the last publicly released estimate, in January 2020, was that it would cost £500m.