Published on: Monday, 10 May 2021
Last updated: Monday, 10 May 2021
Further rail services are due to be added to Greater Anglia’s timetable from Sunday 16 May, bringing it up to about 85 per cent of the usual summer timetable.
Although the company will continue to run a reduced timetable on some routes, an extra 14 services are being introduced on Saturdays between Norwich and Great Yarmouth to help holidaymakers get to and from the seaside resort’s holiday parks until Saturday 11 September.
There will also be an additional 8 services a day on Mondays and Fridays on the same route, during the peak summer season from Monday 19 July to Friday 10 September.
An extra service each way between Ipswich and Peterborough is also being introduced on Sunday mornings for the summer until Sunday 12 September.
All Ipswich to Peterborough Sunday services will now call at Manea, giving the station a service throughout the day on Sundays, as well as Mondays to Saturdays.
Meanwhile on Greater Anglia’s West Anglia route, all Bishops Stortford to Stratford services and the shuttle service between Stratford and Meridian Water will resume all week.
Greater Anglia is now running all of its rural services between Norwich and Sheringham, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Cambridge/Stansted Airport; Ipswich and Lowestoft, Felixstowe, Peterborough and Cambridge; and Marks Tey and Sudbury.
The main changes to the pre-pandemic timetable which are continuing in May are reductions to:
- Some peak services on the Great Eastern and West Anglia main lines
- Some Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street services
- Intercity services between Norwich and London Liverpool Street to one an hour each way
- London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport Stansted Express services to operate half-hourly
Fast services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street will continue to be suspended.
However, travel patterns and passenger numbers will continue to be monitored daily, with potential further adjustments to services over the summer if appropriate.
Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles said: “As lockdown is easing, we’re adding some extra services to our timetable. Although we’re beginning to see passenger numbers increase, they are still only one third of pre pandemic levels.
“Government advice is still to work from home, at least until June 21, which is currently the final date in the roadmap out of lockdown, when remaining Covid-19 restrictions including social distancing could be lifted.
“We are carefully monitoring passenger numbers and where and when people are travelling , so that we can adjust our service if necessary.
“Passengers can travel with confidence, as we have put in place several measures to keep them safe including enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of trains and stations and new longer trains on many routes.
“As some services - especially some early morning commuter trains - get busier, it may not always be possible to socially distance, but there are other factors that will keep you safe – we have very high levels of face covering compliance and our new trains have air conditioning which draws in fresh air from outside every six to nine minutes, the older trains have opening windows and all trains allow air in when their doors open at stations.
“If you’d rather travel on a quieter train, you can check our website to find out which trains are busiest and to see if there’s a convenient alternative to catch instead.”
More information about Greater Anglia’s “Safer Travel Pledge” is on the company’s website, as are details of the new timetable.
