Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, secured commitments from Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy during a meeting in Westminster this week to drive forward progress on key local projects.
At the meeting, Josh led discussions on the urgent repair of the Bransty rail tunnel, the long-term solution to the orange water flowing into Whitehaven Harbour, and the much-needed upgrade of the Cumbrian Coast Line.
The Rail Minister agreed that repairs to Bransty Tunnel must go ahead and confirmed that the necessary funding will be found, following Josh’s ongoing campaign on the issue.
Josh also secured the Minister’s support to bring together departments across government to discuss funding for the plan to divert the orange water in Whitehaven Harbour out to sea. A meeting with relevant ministers and agencies will take place before the end of the year.
On the future of the Cumbrian Coast Line, the Minister reaffirmed his commitment to work with Josh and Cumbria’s MPs and local authorities to develop a long-term upgrade plan, beginning with replacing the Victorian-era signalling system. This follows months of cross-party work led by Josh with Cumbria’s political and business leaders, who continue to support improvements to the line as a shared regional priority.
Cumberland Council is convening a workshop this month with officials from across government to develop options. A further cross-government meeting will be arranged in January, involving transport, energy and defence ministers alongside Cumbria’s political leaders, to agree next steps.
Josh MacAlister MP said:
“I’m pleased to have secured clear commitments from the Rail Minister on all three of these vital issues. West Cumbria deserves modern, reliable infrastructure and a long-term solution for Whitehaven Harbour.
“I will keep driving this work forward. Progress is happening because of strong cross-party support across Cumbria to upgrade our railway and improve the resilience of the Cumbrian Coast Line.”
Josh MacAlister MP 