Norwich North MP Chloe Smith led a team of MPs at a meeting to lobby the new transport secretary for better rail services in the East of England.

The group, including Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey and Ipswich MP Ben Gummer, met Patrick McLoughlin who replaced Justine Greening at the Department for Transport in the recent government reshuffle.

At the meeting yesterday they handed the East Anglian Rail Prospectus to him, a document setting out how the region's network should be upgraded.

Ms Smith said: 'We put the case for strategic investment in the East Anglia rail network over the long term.

'We believe that East Anglia faces a once-in-a-generation opportunity right now to boost rail services for passengers, businesses and our economy through the combination of the new Greater Anglia rail franchise and Network Rail's funding periods.'