INVESTMENT in the region’s railways could transform the east of England into the California of Europe, according to a business leader.

But Mark Pendlington, chairman of local enterprise partnership New Anglia, says if the Government does not spend enough money the trains will become so out of date they will be illegal.

Mr Pendlington, speaking to MPs at the Houses of Parliament, said spendingmoney on the Norwich to London line would return any investment tenfold.

He said: “We have suffered enough. Without investment you are turning the Great Eastern mainline into a heritage line.”

Mr Pendlington is leading a campaign to get more than £400million investment from the Government.

He said the business case put to Chancellor George Osborne was the most compelling case for investment he had seen in 30 years.

Mr Pendlington said it would boost the economy three or four times more than HS2 and could turn the East of England into the California of Europe, bringing £4.5billion into the area.

He said: “There has been no line speed and no capacity investment for 20 years. There must be a better way to manage.”

He said the line was one of the worst funded in the country and claimed the train stock was about 25 years old already and it would be illegal to run the trains by 2019.

Local enterprise partnerships between local authorities and businesses were set up by the Government three years ago to set priorities for areas and to bid for funding.

New Anglia covers Suffolk and Essex. It is calling for commuters to support the campaign for funding for the region’s railways at newanglia.co.uk/gerailcampaign

The business case for the £400million is due to be submitted this week.