Eight million pounds of European funding has been provisionally allocated to develop the Felixstowe to Nuneaton rail route, it was reported today (17th July) at the Annual General Meeting of the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) in Hertford.

The application for funding was approved by EU Member State government officials in Brussels this week and will go before a Committee of MEPs for final sign-off in September.

The rail line between Felixstowe and Nuneaton is part of a significant European transport route and improvements will allow more freight to be shifted from the port by rail, reducing congestion on the A14.

Cllr Derrick Ashley, Chairman of the Regional Planning Panel, said "This is great news for the East of England. It will boost economic competitiveness and growth by delivering a reliable and efficient rail route; it will reduce carbon emissions and improve safety, security and health by making the roads and transport networks safer.

"The Assembly has worked with partners across the region and our MEPs to realise this project and it has paid off. The East of England's Brussels Office provided both detailed technical information and crucial intelligence to those working on the bid and provided advice on the application and the lobbying."

EERA has driven the process throughout with significant lobbying of Network Rail, the Department of Transport, the European Commission and through the organisation of a number of technical meetings and high level political summits which ensured the timely submission of the bid.

The regional support for this application was commended by both the European Commission and Department for Transport. It is hoped that this route will bid for European funding for works planned post 2013.

Two other projects were also provisionally approved which are located in the East of England - one to develop the London Gateway Port and the other for ICT measures to reduce congestion and accidents on the A14. These three projects together will see a total of £30 million of EU funding spent on transport in the region.