The ability of local and national private businesses and public sector organisations to work together to maximise resources has always been, and will continue to be, a pre-requisite of effective local economic development.

A good case in point is the Cumbrian coastal railway, improvements to which will open up greater accessibility and freight and passenger capacity and capability for businesses and residents in West Cumbria.

As part of Cumbria’s infrastructure plan and in line with our strategic economic priorities, especially around developing nuclear excellence and improving transport, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership is now spearheading a consortium of parties and developers with vested interests in moving forward with upgrades to the coastal railway.

The Rail Programme Board, chaired by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, involves NuGen, Sellafield, the Low Level Waste Repository, National Grid North West Coast Connections, West Cumbria Mining, Network Rail, Northern Rail and others as key partners.

They are now working together through combined engagement with Network Rail on the next stage of capacity and capability modelling and designs for improvements.

This will also involve the production of a business case to secure funding to upgrade critical infrastructure.

A detailed study of current capacity on the Cumbrian coastal railway shows that it will be exceeded by 2019/20.

So the consortium is putting together a package of measures and collective investment in the project to work with Network Rail to undertake the next stage of vital work.

Our plans are aimed specifically at modernisation and improving line capacity and reliability, with increased passenger and freight services including Sundays.

Signalling changes, station upgrades and better access will also help increase capacity, usage and resilience to protect lines from flooding and coastal erosion, as well as meeting demand from new developments.

Our rail infrastructure priorities are brought into sharper focus when considered alongside the latest Growth Deal investments being made in the local area, and the ongoing work to introduce new facilities for the transport hubs at Workington and Maryport railway stations.

Through Growth Deal, a £5m investment for Lillyhall North is to be used for developing this key employment site, creating and safeguarding jobs and providing new workspace.

Meanwhile, Whitehaven Town Centre is to benefit from a £4.5m investment for commercial office development.

Both sites will benefit from improved local transport links, services and connections.

Better transport and rail connectivity is vital to stimulate the local economy in West Cumbria and to support businesses, especially with major investment projects planned there in the coming years, which are of national importance.

As an integral part of our strategic objectives, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership will lead this key programme on behalf of the developers, partners and the local community.

It aims to drive forward the improvements needed on the coastal railway, and increase capacity to make the line suitable to serve existing and future industrial developments.