MP presses Government on Chester rail improvements

Chester MP Chris Matheson has urged the Government to press ahead with rail upgrades between Chester and Crewe as part of wider improvements in the region.

Chris spoke in Parliament about the local line, saying: “I was really pleased with the Hendy Report on Cross Border connectivity, which talked about improving the North Wales coastline and access to HS2. But central to that is the Chester to Crewe Line, so why don’t we crack on now with electrifying and upgrading this line and the track relayout as part of the Track 360 project at Chester? Will the Minister commit to that?”

Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson MP responded that the HS2 project would soon be underway in Crewe and that options for further investment were being looked at, also committing to work together with local stakeholders to achieve this.

Chris added: “I have long been pressing for these essential upgrades, and though I was pleased to hear a commitment from the Government to work with us locally, it is clear that we need to push forward and get this work underway as soon as possible. This is an extremely important local route, and I know that there are huge numbers of people here in Chester who use it regularly. They have been waiting for a long time to see these improvements, and I will continue to press for affirmative action to push this through. The Growth Track 360 scheme will improve capacity and connectivity at Chester making us a central hub for improved services between North Wales, Manchester, Liverpool and beyond.”