Passenger numbers grow on East Suffolk Line

Published on: Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Record numbers of passengers travelled on Abellio Greater Anglia’s East Suffolk Line train services last year, with the line recording its highest ever number of passengers.

More than 10,000 additional passenger journeys were made in 2015 on the line - which runs from Ipswich to Lowestoft – bringing the annual total to a new high of over 685,000 passenger journeys.

The passenger growth continues after Abellio Greater Anglia invested in improvements to stations and trains, including repainting at Melton and Woodbridge rail stations, as well as an upgrade to the lighting at Melton.

In partnership with Suffolk County Council and the Designated Community Rail Development Fund, a new automatic ticket vending machine and CCTV was also installed at Halesworth rail station last summer.

In addition, a £100K project to improve the travelling environment on the train operator’s fleet of Class 170 trains, which serve the East Suffolk Line, is continuing. The trains will have all the upholstery replaced on over 2000 seats over the coming months to provide passengers with cleaner, smarter interiors.

The line will also continue to benefit from the support of the East Suffolk Line Community Rail Partnership.

Abellio Greater Anglia’s Area Customer Service Manager, Neil Grabham, said, "By working together with partners who share an interest in the success of the East Suffolk line, we are committed to making the Ipswich to Lowestoft route even more successful and an even more valuable asset to the communities it serves, supporting tourism and the local economy."