Infrastructure is one of the cornerstones of building a stronger economy. I am proud that I have secured over £1 billion in transport investment for Reading East since becoming your MP in 2005. Prime Minister David Cameron said on his visit in 2015 that “Rob seems to have a magical effect on the Chancellor of the Exchequer in terms of getting things done for Reading.”
I have led the way on securing funding for the spectacular refurbishment of Reading station, the electrification of the Great Western line, the construction of a direct rail link between Reading and Heathrow, and enabling the extension of Crossrail to Reading.
The last Labour Government made a terrible mistake when it chose Maidenhead as the western terminus for Crossrail and I am proud that I was able to change this. But the service currently envisaged isn’t the right one for people in Reading.
I have already persuaded the government to reconsider the benefits and costs of providing a much faster and more direct Crossrail service between Reading and central London. Unlike others who seem happy to take whatever we’re given by the government even if it doesn’t really meet our needs, as your MP I will continue the fight to ensure that we get the right Crossrail for Reading.
The current bridges across the Thames at Caversham and Reading are no longer fit to accommodate the enormous volume of traffic. The result has been frequent traffic gridlock. A third bridge across the Thames and a bypass road are vital. A third bridge could take around 55,000 cars out of the town centre every day. Survey evidence in the last few years has found that 80% of people Reading and the surrounding areas favour a third bridge being built. A recent petition calling for action was signed by nearly 4,000 people in under a month, demonstrating the strength of feeling.
Arguments between the area’s different local councils and their refusal to co-operate with each other have held up the project for 50 years. In March 2014, we achieved a big step in the right direction at a summit I co-chaired. For the first time, we were able to get all the local councils to agree to share their information, allowing them to work together to identify the area that will be affected by a new bridge. They can then quickly move on to modelling the likely traffic impacts and look at practical measures to reduce the possible knock-on effects of a bridge in parts of south Oxfordshire.
I am committed to ensuring that Reading is one of the best connected areas of the UK. With the plans for Crossrail and Heathrow links, proposals for a third bridge and many other commitments I want to make sure that we finish the job and that these schemes are implemented in a way that is as beneficial as possible to local people. I have a strong track record on delivering these projects for Reading, and want to ensure that we receive more investment in the future.