Urgent action needed on transport links

Referring to the heavy storms experienced in the UK since early December and the news that the main railway line linking Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the country is unlikely to re-open for many weeks, Dr Adam Marshall — executive director of policy and external affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce — said it is “high time that the resilience of our transport networks moved higher up the Westminster agenda.

“For too long, businesses have been warning of key routes that are stretched to breaking point. In too many places across Britain, it takes only a single incident to cause chaos, as recent storms and flooding have shown. Businesses demand a transport network that can cope better with accidents, severe weather, and major events.

“Whitehall must be tasked to immediately identify all the places where the road and rail networks need urgent attention to ensure their resilience — starting with Dawlish — and ministers must then take action. No area should have to suffer being cut off from the rest of the country because successive governments fail to fix obvious ‘black spots’ on our key transport corridors.”