Rail passengers in East Anglia can now save more money on great days out thanks to a new partnership between Greater Anglia and East Anglia Pass.

East Anglia Pass is an annual card that gives the named holder discounts to more than 250 attractions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

It also gives discounts to a range of cinemas, up to 30% off food at restaurants and money saving offers at attractions and shops. Usually the annual pass costs £14.99, but by buying it via Greater Anglia customers pay just £12.99.

A good old-fashioned knees up will get rail passengers smiling when Tom Carradine jumps aboard a train with his Ol’ Joanna for a cockney sing-a-long.

The one-off special train has been organised by the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership and will run on Saturday 21 September on the 18.56 from Colchester to Walton on the Naze and return.

Fewer cars descended on Suffolk villages for the FolkEast Festival thanks to a free shuttle that conveyed even more people this year.

Passenger numbers on the free shuttle bus, that met over 90 trains from Wickham Market train station over the 16th to 18th August, were up 39% on last year.

The free shuttle is paid for by the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership which works in conjunction with the festival every year to encourage people to come by train, rather than pollute and clog the villages around the festival with cars.

A Suffolk organisation’s efforts to get people out walking have been shortlisted for a national award.

The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership has created a book of 22 walks around Suffolk – covering more than 160 miles - which has seen them nominated for an ‘Influencing Positive Change’ Award at this year’s Community Rail Awards.

The Partnership also hosts guided walks every month, most of which start and finish at the train station, so that people from far and wide can come and enjoy them.

Technology used to make trains run on time in Japan is being introduced for the first time in the UK to improve punctuality on the Greater Anglia network.

Toshiba Digital and Consulting Corporation (TDX), which has been involved in Japanese railway industries for 100 years, and Mitsui, which part owns Greater Anglia, are providing a digital twin software package to help Greater Anglia plan the region’s rail timetable more efficiently.

Local train operator Greater Anglia is sponsoring this year’s Disability Pride event in Norwich.

Norfolk Disability Pride will take place on Sunday 29 September from 10am to 4pm.

The event is free to attend and it aims to celebrate disabled people and the diverse community. There will be live music and song performances, exhibitions and a range of activities and information provided by scores of stall holders.

Martin Moran, Greater Anglia’s Commercial and Customer Services Director, said: “We are very pleased to be sponsoring Norfolk Disability Pride this year.