The principal parties have published their Manifestos ahead of the General Election on 8 June. All agree increasing investments in transport, energy, housing and broadband are essential, but with plenty of variety to the way that's addressed. We've broken the main parties' infrastructure pledges down into bitesize chunks, in no particular order:

Conservatives

Infrastructure is nearly on the top line of Theresa May's Conservative manifesto, second only to the party line of 'strong and stable leadership'. It does then recognise the importance of infrastructure for a strong economy – one of five 'giant challenges' set out. Infrastructure isn't merited its own section, but there's plenty to woo the industry vote:

• Trade: negotiate new free trade agreements with EU member states; nine new regional overseas trading posts; a more active role in supporting British consortia to win contracts; ensuring SMEs can identify markets to win contracts abroad;
• Increasing innovation: delivery of promised increase in R&D funding to 2.4% GDP; allowing international scientists to work in the UK;
• National Productivity Investment Fund: £23bn of planned spending announced in 2016, including £740m for digital infrastructure, £1.1bn for local transport and £250m for skills by 2020;
• Backing small businesses: pledge to channel 33% of all central government through SMEs; promise to ensure large contractors comply with the Prompt Payment Code;
• Transport: continuing existing programmes of investment including HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, Heathrow and the roads investment strategy; plus £600m to help all cars and vans get to zero emissions by 2050; a focus on rail capacity; but no mention of Crossrail 2 or other specific projects in the north;
• Housing: 'homes for all' is granted a whole section, including the promise to deliver on the housing reform agenda, build a million homes by 2020 and a million more by 2022 and to work with public and private sector to capture rise in land values for investing in more infrastructure and housing;
• Digital infrastructure: autonomous vehicle investment, digital railway and smart grids; a step up in support for companies developing new technology.

Labour Party

Labour goes all out with a promise for a £250bn, 10-year infrastructure investment. This comes as part of Labour's version of a modern industrial strategy. Other bold promises include the following:

• Ensuring 60% of UK energy comes from zero-carbon or renewable sources by 2030;
• Promising to spend 3% of GDP on research and development by 2030;
• A Department for Housing;
• Skills: free lifelong further education; maintaining the Apprenticeship Levy but giving employers more flexibility on how it's deployed;
• Transport: Nationalisation of rail services, imposing a fares cap, retaining Network Rail whole; completing and connecting HS2 to a Crossrail for the north connecting major cities; building Crossrail 2; completing the 'science vale' transport from Oxford to Cambridge via Milton Keynes; investing in devolved administrations' transport; rail electrification across the whole country; continuing roads investement while resetting targets for road safety; recognition of need for airport capacity within noise and pollution tests, not mentioning Heathrow or any airport by name. 

Liberal Democrats

The Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has set out an alternative approach in his party's election manifesto; one based on campaigning to become the opposition so that he and his party can oppose a hard Brexit. His foreword to the document promises this instead of a vision for a different government. But the Lib Dem manifesto does list the party's pledges for how it would build the UK's economy. The list includes a commitment to a 'responsible and realistic' £100 billion package of additional infrastructure investment. This will prioritise:

• New direct spending on housebuilding to help build 300,000 homes a year by 2022.
• A programme of installing hyperfast, fibre-optic broadband across the UK.
• Capital investment in schools and hospitals to support capacity increases and modernisation.
• Significant investment in road and rail infrastructure, including a continued commitment to HS2, Crossrail 2 and rail electrification.
• Additional funding to bring more private investment into renewable energy.
• £5 billion of initial capital for a new British Housing and Infrastructure Development Bank, using public money to attract private investment for these priorities.