Marcus Jones, the MP for Nuneaton yesterday welcomed the announcement by the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, for a multi-billion pound investment to dramatically boost the capacity of Britain's railways over the next four years.

The plans unveiled in Parliament included plans to modernise the network, tackle overcrowding, improve reliability and speed up journeys to make Britain's rail network fit for the 21st century. The £8bn investment includes buying 2,000 new carriages to tackle overcrowding, electrifying some lines and pressing ahead with the Thameslink programme in London.

Following the announcement, Marcus Jones welcomed the substantial investment but asked the Transport Secretary how smaller projects such as the important Coventry to Nuneaton rail upgrade would be assessed for future funding. Mr Jones was due to meet with Philip Hammond and other local MPs to discuss the Ricoh rail upgrade yesterday, but the meeting has been postponed until mid-December.

Commenting on the investment, Marcus said: “We should be clear that this investment is absolutely critical to ensuring that the UK’s rail network is fit for the 21st Century. We all see the problems with overcrowding and issues with reliability. I am very pleased that £8bn will be invested and that rail users will start to see the early benefits in only a matter of months.

“I took the opportunity to again raise the Coventry to Nuneaton rail upgrade because it is a matter of significance to many people in my constituency and the wider sub-region. The upgrade has been on the table for almost a decade and little progress has been made so I am very keen to ensure that it doesn’t fall by the wayside. I look forward to meeting with colleagues and the Transport Secretary to discuss this issue in more detail.”