When the new summer timetable comes into operation on Sunday, 15th May, Greater Anglia will be running more services, including extra trains for people travelling to the region's holiday resorts.
The company is increasing some commuter services to match demand, which remains fairly steady at less than 55 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, as fewer people are travelling into their offices every day of the working week.
The new timetable will include:
- Intercity services between Norwich and London will run half-hourly all day until 21.00 Monday to Friday when they become hourly, half-hourly on Saturdays, and mainly hourly on Sundays;
- some additional services and longer trains will run on services between Ipswich, Colchester, Clacton/Walton, Harwich, Braintree, Chelmsford, Southend Victoria, Southminster, and London Liverpool Street, including in the evening rush hour;
- More new and longer trains will run on services between Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford, and London Liverpool Street. They will also be introduced on the Hertford East line once platform lengthening works are complete later this year;
- Stansted Express services between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street will be mostly half-hourly, with some extra trains at busier times;
- Services between Norwich and Lowestoft, Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Sheringham, and Great Yarmouth; between Ipswich and Cambridge, Felixstowe, Lowestoft, and Peterborough; and between Marks Tey and Sudbury will continue with the current service;
- Additional early Sunday services will operate from 15th May to 11th September between Ipswich and Peterborough, departing Ipswich at 07.55 and returning from Peterborough at 09.50.
Extra summer services will run between Norwich and Great Yarmouth on Saturdays from 21st May to 10th September, and on Mondays and Fridays from 18th July to 2nd September, providing over 66,000 extra seats for holiday-makers over the peak summer period;
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We're making a number of service improvements in our May timetable changes.
“We've been monitoring our passenger numbers and listening to customer feedback, so we're increasing services or running longer trains where possible and appropriate – building on our actions over recent months, where we've been adding extra capacity in line with increasing demand.
“The pandemic has changed our railway. We have a different contract with the Government which is wholly funding us. It's important that we provide the best possible service to our customers and also value for money for taxpayers.
“Over the coming months, we'll see even more of our new longer trains with all mod cons replace our older trains on commuting routes into London, which will lead to more seats available for our customers and a much-improved travelling experience.
“New trains already in place on our Intercity, Stansted Express, and regional services have markedly improved service standards on those routes – including helping us to achieve record-breaking punctuality.
“We'll continue to monitor passenger numbers and make further adjustments as necessary, always seeking to run a very good service and to encourage more customers to take the train.”
An extra 44 Class 720/1 5-Car trains are also on order and will work alongside with the 89 Class 720/5 5-Car and to work as 5-Car and 10-Car trains on the West Anglia main line and Great Eastern main line routes.