Plan B is over, are the trains going back to normal?

Now that Plan B restrictions have been lifted and people are being encouraged to return to the office, we’re going to start running more weekday services from Monday 7 February. We’re adding more rush hour commuter services to London Liverpool Street from Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend Victoria, Cambridge, Bishop’s Stortford and Hertford East.

Our intercity service between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and London Liverpool Street will become half hourly for most of the day, with just some evening services remaining hourly.

All the usual regional weekday services will operate, including four additional peak services on the Norwich to Great Yarmouth line which will be reinstated.

Weekend services remain unchanged and people are enjoying travelling by train for fun activities with family and friends.

Check on our website before you travel for all train times.

Our railway has changed since the pandemic. Although passenger numbers are starting to go up and we anticipate them rising further as companies prepare to welcome employees back into offices, we currently have fewer passengers, especially commuters and business travellers. We’re now funded entirely by the government, so as well as wanting to provide a safe, reliable and punctual service for our customers, we also want to give best value for money to the taxpayer. We’re trying to match our services to the demand for them, closely monitoring passenger numbers so we can make any adjustments if necessary. The extra services we’re putting in on Monday 7 February will provide extra capacity for more people returning to the office.

I’d booked a ticket in advance and now my train’s not running. What do I do?

If you’ve booked a ticket for a train which is no longer running, you can catch the service either side of the one you booked. Or if it’s no longer convenient for you to travel, you can request a refund from wherever you originally bought your ticket from free of charge.

Is it safe to travel on your trains?

We’ve provided a safe, reliable and punctual service throughout the pandemic and we’ll continue with that so you can travel with confidence on our trains.

We have spent extra money on new equipment and staff to clean and sanitise our trains to keep you safe. We have fogging guns which spray a fine mist of disinfectant, powerful vacuum cleaners - which clean the air as well as the upholstery - and biological testing equipment we use to double check our cleaning regime is effective. You can see them in action in this video.

We have even been carrying out random Covid tests on our trains and every single one of them has been negative.

We’ve got ventilation covered too. Our new and refurbished trains have air conditioning, which sucks in fresh air every six to nine minutes. Trains without air con have opening windows – and all trains have doors which open at stations, so while you’re travelling you’ll still get some fresh air.

If you’re still worried, and you’d rather travel on quieter trains and you have some flexibility about when you travel, you can use our less busy train tool on our website to find out which trains have fewer passengers on board. It’s really easy to use – just tap in which rush-hour journey to London Liverpool Street you want to make and we’ll show you at a glance how busy the train is at every station along the route.

On our new trains, you can check which carriages have more seats available by looking at the passenger information screens in every carriage. There is a diagram showing all the carriages and toilets on the train. If your carriage is full, head for a green carriage where there will be fewer people.

Do I still have to wear a face covering?

We’d like you to carry on wearing a face covering if you can when you’re on our trains and stations, please. Public health advice is still to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed places, such as trains and stations. So please keep wearing your face covering out of respect for other passengers. Thank you to all our customers who wear their face coverings when travelling with us. It’s a simple way for us all to keep each other safe.

What can I do to keep myself safe on the trains?

Please keep wearing your face covering – over your mouth and nose. Remember also to keep up the good habit of washing or sanitising your hands. We’ve got hand sanitiser available at all our staffed stations, but it’s a good idea to pop a little bottle of hand sanitiser and a face covering in your pocket or bag when you travel in case you need them.

Use the full length of the train and platforms. Please stand back and let people off the train before you board. There’s more room for everyone to walk to the ticket gates on the platform than through the train, so please don’t gather at the front of the train while you’re waiting for it to arrive.

You can also buy tickets online or via our app to minimise the time you have to spend at the station. It’s easy to do – you can find out how in this blog, which also explains how to get a great value fare How to save money while travelling with Greater Anglia | Greater Anglia . You can also find out about the many discounted fares available in this blog How to save money on train travel in 2022 | Greater Anglia.

And of course, if you have any Covid-19 symptoms, please stay at home and get a test.

Welcome back

Whether you’re travelling to work, to school or college or for leisure, we’re looking forward to welcoming you back.