James Sunderland MP has welcomed new rail upgrades including Wessex route at Twickenham, Bracknell and Virginia Water that will directly benefit the Bracknell constituency.

The £9.74 million investment will fund signalling and infrastructure enhancements delivered on the Wessex route at Twickenham, Bracknell and Virginia Water as part of the Feltham and Wokingham Signalling Renewal Programme. This will help improve the reliability and flexibility of services starting from Easter 2021.

Alongside this local boost, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today (Friday, 21 August) announced the launch a new Acceleration Unit to ensure that vital rail and road upgrades that will create jobs, increase connectivity, and boost the economy will be delivered faster and on schedule.

Comprising of experts, like those who built the Nightingale Hospital in London in nine days, this new team of specialists will join the Department for Transport (DfT) in order to tackle delays to infrastructure projects and drive forward progress for passengers.

The unit is set to be in place next month and will be directly accountable to the Transport Secretary. It will be led by Darren Shirley, currently Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport and formerly of Which? Magazine.

Commenting, James Sunderland said:

Investment in transport infrastructure will help boost our economic recovery from coronavirus. That’s why I’m delighted to welcome this announcement today.

Not only does it mean improvements in Bracknell constituency now, but it means future projects up and down the country will be delivered more quickly.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“As Britain begins to get moving once again after four months of lockdown, no-one should underestimate the scale of the challenge ahead.

“We want to accelerate Britain’s recovery by investing in vital infrastructure that will help get businesses back on their feet, create jobs to replace those that have been lost and level up our country. 

“The creation of our new Acceleration Unit and investment in our roads and railways will ensure we build back better, greener and faster in the future.”