Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock has urged the Furness community to make a "concerted case" for rail electrification line after a warning from the boss of Network Rail.

Network Rail Chairman Sir Peter Hendy confirmed that a new programme of rail upgrades due to start in 2019 has not yet been decided and that campaigners must 'make the case' for electrification of the Furness line to be prioritised.

Sir Peter was responding to a question raised by Mr Woodcock at a meeting of parliamentarians on Thursday about the prospects of the Furness line upgrade being included in ‘control period six’ which is due to begin in 2019.

Mr Woodcock has been campaigning for improvements to rail services in Furness and formed the Cumbria Better Connected campaign to lobby for better services for rail users.

The campaign, which secured a victory with the announcement of a continued direct service to Manchester thanks to collaboration between local campaigners and businesses, has now shifted focus to the campaign for electrification of the Furness line.

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Although Sir Peter’s answer gives some hope to the campaign, he also stressed the lack of government funding available for such schemes and made the point that proposals that can secure private funding from local communities and businesses had a higher chance of success.

Mr Woodcock said: “With new nuclear infrastructure arriving in Cumbria it is vital to our economy that Furness is properly connected to the rest of the country, especially by rail.

“The Cumbria Better Connected campaign has had success before when businesses and rail users unite to make the argument for improvements, and it is crucial now that a concerted case for electrification is made to Network Rail."