Can I still travel on Greater Anglia trains with the new Covid alert levels?

When you travel with Greater Anglia, you can travel with confidence because we’re doing everything possible to keep you safe – from cleaning and sanitising trains, to making it easier to socially distance.

Much of the Greater Anglia network is in tier 1 – covid alert level: medium. This includes our stations in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. Only our stations in London and most of Essex are in tier 2 – covid level alert: high. You can check the covid alert level for where you’re travelling on the Government website

What are the rules for most of Essex and London?

You can still use our trains all over our network, but if you’re travelling in Essex (excluding Southend Victoria and Prittlewell) and London, which are in alert level: high, then Government advice is to make fewer journeys in this area if possible. You can use our less busy trains page on our website so that you can travel on a quieter train with fewer people. Please note that Southend Victoria and Prittlewell stations are in tier 1 – covid level alert: medium, because they are within Southend local authority.

What are the rules for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire?

These areas are all in tier 1 - covid alert level: medium, where you can continue to travel with confidence as normal on our trains. Southend Victoria and Prittlewell stations are also in this tier.

I use a wheelchair – will someone still be able to help me, if I need it?

Yes, of course, we’ll be happy to help you. The travel rules for different alert levels are the same for all passengers. If you need assistance, we will still help you, although it’s a little bit different since pre-Covid as we must make sure we keep you and our staff safe. Our staff will discuss with you what assistance you require and how they’ll do it maintaining social distance until the assistance is required. Our staff will wear a face covering while they assist you, but if you’re having difficulty hearing them or you need to lip read, they’ll remove it. If you need staff to push your wheelchair or handle your luggage, they’ll sanitise the handles first.

If you need sighted guiding, please sanitise your hands before making physical contact. We don’t expect you to wear gloves. Please wear a face covering, unless you’re exempt, and maintain a safe social distance until the member of staff is ready to help.

If possible, please pre-book your assistance to give us time to prepare.

Whichever alert level you’re in, check out our Safer Travel Pledge

You’ll find everything we’re doing to keep you safe including:

• Increased cleaning and sanitisation of trains – especially high touch areas such as push buttons, grab rails and door handles – using new hi-tech cleaning equipment, detergents and disinfectants and extra staff.
• Making it easy for you to socially distance, with clear signs, one-way systems at some stations, protective screens between ticket machines

Our timetable is pretty much back to normal – there are just some Norwich-London intercity and London-Stansted Airport services which aren’t running. Our passenger numbers are still about a third of pre-Covid levels, so you should find plenty of room on board to socially distance.

There are things you can do to keep the railway safe for all of us.

Do not travel if you have any symptoms of coronavirus such as a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a change or loss to your sense of smell or taste.

Whenever you’re on our stations or trains remember to wear a face covering.

Wearing a face covering helps us to all protect each other by reducing the spread of the disease. It is the law to wear face coverings all the time you’re at our stations or on our trains – and you could be fined up to £6,400 if you don’t. There are some exemptions, including children under 11, disabled passengers and some medical conditions. You can download an exemption badge to either print out or save on your mobile phone.

Wash or sanitise your hands

We’re keeping soap and water topped up in our toilets on stations and trains. We’ve also got hand sanitiser at all of our staffed stations. Please make sure you wash or sanitise your hand regularly when travelling with us.

Keep your distance

Please do you best to keep at least one metre away from other passengers, unless they’re in your bubble. You could take the window seat if you’re travelling by yourself on the train so that you’re further away from anyone who walks past. Stand back to allow people off the train before you get on. Use the whole length of the train and platform and please don’t congregate at the front of the train on the approach to Liverpool Street or Norwich.

If you buy your ticket online or using our app, you can spend less time queuing for tickets at the station and just turn up and go.