Alongside other East Midlands MPs, I made the case to Lord Peter Hendy, Minister for Rail, for why the government should electrify the remainder of the Midland Mainline.

Electrification would mean faster trains and more space in the timetable to accommodate additional stops at stations such as Belper, Duffield and Spondon.

This investment would also bring lower operational costs, greater efficiency and reliability, and environmental advantages – setting us on a pathway to catching up with the rest of Europe where rail travel is undergoing a renaissance.

We are shackled by our Victorian infrastructure, which limits the potential of commuter services and freight transport, stunting investment in our cities and holding back economic growth.

With Derby now established as the headquarters of the new publicly owned railway company, Great British Railways, and home to the largest rail supply chain cluster in Europe, we must seize this moment. The future of British rail cannot remain bound by the constraints of the past.