Objective 3: Enhancing connectivity

Summary of Objective

Working in partnership with others to help achieve connectivity across borders, whether influencing policies or making a case for improvements across counties. This includes working to assessing the carbon impacts of schemes and scoping potential methodologies in collaboration with the Sub National Transport Bodies. 

Policies

• Policy 8: Our priority will be to improve major road and rail connections between larger places in the county, and to major ports, airports and cities in the rest of the UK 
• Policy 9:  Our priority for improved connectivity will be that the network is used by clean transport modes 
• Policy 10: We will seek to improve connectivity between rural areas and services in urban centres 

Objective 3: Delivery highlights

• In August 2024 construction began on dualling sections of the A47 North Tuddenham to Easton and Blofield and North Burlingham to ease congestion, improve safety and support economic growth in the area. 
• In March 2025 the A47 Alliance held a Parliamentary Drop-In event sponsored by Jess Asato MP, where the Alliance successfully engaged the Minister on the topic of A47 Dualling and the need for a better East-West Strategic Route to the East of England. The A47 Alliance representation at the meeting included Norfolk County Council, The Norfolk Chambers of Commerce, Transport East, the Road Haulage Association and Peel Ports. 
• Working with a wide range of partners, we have assisted with installing around 60 additional electric vehicle charge points during 2024/25 in rural and tourist areas, as well as more urban areas where there is limited off-street parking. There are now around 800 publicly available vehicle charging points across Norfolk.   
• The delivery of major schemes has also been a highlight of the period including the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital roundabout improvement scheme, working closely with developers to improve pedestrian and cycle access to the hospital and research park.  
• Long Stratton Bypass has progressed in 2024-5, due to be opening in 2025. The bypass will unlock improved transport and economic opportunities for residents in South Norfolk.  
• We have secured £8.8m from government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund and are currently finalising a new procurement framework, which will see this funding being used to support a significant roll-out of additional charge points starting from 2026. 
• There are now 44 on street chargers in Norwich including twelve funded through the Norfolk Investment Framework (NIF) and eight chargers provided by the Levi Pilot. There are a further 20 chargers installed within the heart of communities through our 'Plug In' Norfolk initiative. 
• We continue to attend East West Rail Main Line Partnership Board and Eastern Section Group to discuss responses to consultation for the new railway. NCC responded and made the case for connections to Norwich and Ipswich. 
• The Norfolk Rail Prospectus was endorsed by NCC Cabinet in March 2025 and sets out the council's priorities for rail, both in the county and beyond, including regional infrastructure upgrades such as Ely Improvement, East West Rail and Haughley junction. The previous Prospectus was adopted in 2013, and the review has considered achievements since 2013 as well as changes in the rail industry.  
• Greater Anglia have been recognised as one of the best train operators in the UK for punctuality and reliability achieving the 'most reliable train' accolade for the fourth year in 2024. They have been the most punctual operator in the UK since April 2023, largely due to their upgrade to new bi-mode trains and positive relationship with partners at Network Rail. Norwich to Great Yarmouth route has the highest punctuality at 98.4%. 
• The Norwich e-cargo bike library has been operational since 2023 following a successful funding award from DEFRA and usage is being closely monitored.  Norfolk County Council awarded the delivery contract to Outspoken Cycles Ltd (in partnership with Norwich Delivery) to provide an e-cargo bike library service for businesses in Norwich, which enables businesses to borrow an e-cargo bike free of charge for up to eight weeks. To date the project assets have covered more than 6,414 kilometres across the Greater Norwich area with an associated CO2e saving of 1,096kg (as of end of March 2025). 

Work for next period

A review of the Major Road Network in Norfolk will be finalised, which will establish priority areas of the network to seek funding to deliver improvements to. This assessment will include using vehicle movement data to establish how reliable journey times are for each section of the Major Road Network. 

The A47 Alliance continues to work towards the ultimate ambition to see a fully dualled A47 from Lowestoft to the A1 at Peterborough. We recognise this needs to be delivered incrementally therefore we will focus on the three priority dualling schemes for the next Roads Investment Strategy (RIS3) from 2025-2030. These are Acle Straight dualling, including Vauxhall junction improvements, Tilney to East Winch dualling and Peterborough to Wisbech dualling. We want to see these schemes delivered using low carbon construction methods as outlined by National Highways and support biodiversity net gain. 

Further to the completion of the Norfolk Rail Prospectus Norfolk County Council has commissioned a high level feasibility study into the seven potential new railway stations which have been proposed by a variety of organisations and groups to support growth in those areas. We will look at sites at King's Lynn, Thetford North, Broadland Business Park, Rackheath, Postwick, Long Stratton and South West Norwich and continue engagement with the districts, Rail sector and Norfolk Rail Group.