Published on: Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Last updated: Wednesday, 25 July 2018
A new rail/bus ticket to the popular resort of Aldeburgh has just been launched – making it easier to get to the Suffolk coast by public transport.
The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership has worked with train operator Greater Anglia and bus company First Eastern Counties to develop a new through ticket.
The new ticket, which combines rail and bus travel to Aldeburgh, was made possible after First’s hourly number 64 bus service was retimed to allow better connections to & from the East Suffolk Railway Line at Saxmundham.
It is hoped the new through ticket, which is available to use on bus services running Monday to Saturday, will mirror the success of a previous Community Rail initiative just along the coast which introduced integrated rail and bus tickets to and from Southwold, connecting the resort with the railway at Halesworth.
Tickets can be bought at any Greater Anglia ticket office, on our website or app, or from the conductor on the train. Adult return tickets from Ipswich to Aldeburgh cost £14.30, from Colchester £21.60 and from London Liverpool Street £51.90.
Buses to Aldeburgh travel to the coast through the nearby town of Leiston. Through tickets will be available to Leiston to allow visitors to explore the market town, which is home to the world famous Long Shop Industrial Museum.
Aaron Taffera, Chairman of the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, said: “We are delighted to have worked with First Eastern Counties and Greater Anglia to introduce a new through ticket, which makes travel by rail and bus to the Suffolk coast much easier.
“For any area not physically connected to the rail network, travel via public transport can prove problematic with buses and rail tickets having to be purchased separately. However this new initiative will make it easier to travel to and enjoy the beautiful Suffolk coast.
Paul Wilkinson, Greater Anglia’s Integrated Transport Manager, said: “We are very pleased to work with the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership and First Eastern Counties to introduce this exciting new ticketing initiative. By having both bus and rail travel on one ticket, it will make passengers’ lives a little easier and boost tourism in the area.”
David Jordan, Marketing Manager for First Eastern Counties said, “We are always keen to find ways to make leisure use of public transport a more attractive option when planning a day out. We look forward to our continued partnership with Greater Anglia and the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership in promoting the opportunity for a day on the Suffolk coast by train and bus.”
A former Tudor Port, Aldeburgh was granted Borough status by Henry VIII. Each year the popular Aldeburgh Festival brings thousands of visitors to the area with its a varied programme of world class music.
The town is also home to an array of independent shops and eateries and was the adoptive home of Lowestoft born composer, Benjamin Britten and believed to be his inspiration for the Opera Noye’s Fludde.
The East Suffolk Lines, which run from Ipswich to Lowestoft and Ipswich to Felixstowe, have seen record passenger numbers in recent years with almost a million journeys now taking place annually.
From 2019 Greater Anglia will be replacing its entire fleet with brand new trains and will introduce direct services between London and Lowestoft via Ipswich, Woodbridge, Saxmundham and Beccles.