Published on: Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Abellio Greater Anglia is to invest anadditional £4 million in service improvements across its network. Key upgradesinclude:
A refresh for 40 of the Class 321 electrictrains used on services to Southend, Chelmsford, Witham, Braintree, Colchester,Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich, with new seat covers, better lighting and anenhanced deep cleaning programme
An extended programme of specificreliability modifications for the Class 317 trains used on West Anglia servicesto Hertford East, Harlow, Bishops Stortford and Cambridge and the Class 321trains used on services to Southend, Chelmsford, Witham, Braintree, Colchester,Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich
A more frequent "heavy clean"programme for all trains
New platform seating at mainline stationsincluding Norwich, Diss, Stowmarket, Ipswich, Manningtree, Colchester, Witham,Chelmsford and Shenfield, as well as Cambridge on the West Anglia route
Upgraded waiting rooms at Diss, Stowmarketand Manningtree
New Customer Information screens at 35stations: Audley End, Battlebridge, Billericay, Bures, Burnham-on-Crouch,Chappel and Wakes Colne, Cheshunt, Cromer, Dovercourt, Great Bentley, GreatChesterford, Great Yarmouth, Halesworth, Harwich Town, Hatfield Peverel,Hoveton and Wroxham, Kelvedon, Lowestoft, Needham Market, Newmarket, OultonBroad North, Reedham, Saxmundham, Shenfield, Sheringham, Stowmarket, StMargarets, Sudbury, Thetford, Thorpe Le Soken, Thurston, Ware, Wickford, Withamand Wroxham
Refurbishment of the waiting rooms atstations between Southend and Shenfield
Improvements to waiting facilities,platform seating and information screens at Lea Valley stations (includingEnfield Lock, Brimsdown, Ponders End and Northumberland Park) on the WestAnglia route
Improved accessibility arrangements at Elystation (with an accessible ticket window and improved access to the waitingroom and toilets on platforms 2 and 3)
Upgrades at Newmarket station (includingnew customer information screens, better waiting facilities and a ticketvending machine).
The new set of enhancements, which will beimplemented over the next 4 months, mean that the train operator is nowinvesting more than £35.5 million in upgrades during its short franchise (whichruns until October 2016), with an additional £15.5 million worth of upgradesadded to the £20 million programme announced when the company agreed thecurrent contract with the Department for Transport in April 2014.
Commenting on the new investment programmeAbellio Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, Jamie Burles said: "We arepleased to confirm a further programme of customer-focused improvements withinvestment in a refresh for a significant number of the Class 321 trains,additional train reliability initiatives, more station upgrades and schemes todeliver better customer information. Despite a short franchise we havecontinued to invest above and beyond the commitments we agreed with theDepartment for Transport (DfT), constantly seeking to provide a better servicefor our customers. We will keep on investing and working to raise servicestandards throughout the remainder of our current franchise as well as makingthe case to Ministers and the DfT for investment in major upgrades in the nextfranchise."