Greater Anglia reducing train services in response to pandemic
Greater Anglia is asking rail passengers to check before they travel as the train company is reducing its timetable from Monday 25 January.
The company will continue to run services so that essential travellers can still get to work or medical appointments – with about 72 per cent of usual services still running.
The move is in response to lower passenger numbers due to Covid-19 restrictions and has been taken in consultation with the Government, which is currently funding the railway.
The main changes are:
Peak services on the Great Eastern and West Anglia main lines will be reduced.
Intercity services between Norwich and London Liverpool Street will be reduced to hourly
Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street off-peak services will be reduced
Off peak frequency on the Great Eastern branch lines, such as Manningtree to Harwich and Marks Tey to Sudbury will be reduced
Fast services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street will not run
There will be less frequent services between Bishops Stortford and Stratford and between Meridian Water and Stratford
Off peak daytime services on rural routes in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire will be reduced (generally to two-hourly), with some peak service reductions too
In total, 379 of Greater Anglia’s weekday services are due to be cancelled. On a normal timetable, the company runs 1,372 services every weekday.
Saturday services are being reduced in line with weekday services. Some changes are also planned for Sunday services.
Network Rail is carrying out engineering works at different locations around the network over coming weekends, which are listed in the “service alterations” section of the Greater Anglia website.
Revised timetables will be available on the Greater Anglia website or app.
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “Government advice at the moment is to stay at home and to only travel for essential reasons such as work, medical appointments and other legally permissible reasons.
“Our passenger numbers are significantly lower, so it makes sense to reduce the number of services that we run.
“However, we will continue to run a safe, reliable and punctual service for those essential travellers who need to use our railway.”
Greater Anglia continues to ensure that rail travel is safe for staff and passengers – as outlined in the company’s safer travel pledge on its website.
Measures include enhanced cleaning and sanitisation of trains and stations, concentrating on high touch areas; and signs, markings and one-way systems at stations to make social distancing easier.
It is mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or illness which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them.