Published on: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Abellio Greater Anglia has announced thatnew and additional train services on Saturdays and Sundays on the Norwich toLondon, Norwich to Great Yarmouth / Lowestoft, and Ipswich to Felixstowe /Lowestoft / Peterborough routes will feature in the 2015 summer timetable dueto commence from Sunday 17 May.
One of the benefits agreed with theDepartment for Transport as part of the operator’s existing franchise is toimprove the frequency of services between Norwich and London, Norwich andLowestoft and Ipswich and Lowestoft on summer Sundays. This will provide morejourney opportunities for rail passengers, as well as helping to boost economicactivity through the additional journeys that will be generated.
From Sunday 17 May, an extra morning andafternoon service will operate in each direction between Norwich and Londonimproving frequency at busy times, through an additional 08.20 and 15.20Norwich to London service and 11.00 and 18.00 London to Norwich service. Theseextra trains will operate on Sundays until 27 September.
A new hourly summer Sunday service will beintroduced from Sunday 17 May between Norwich and Lowestoft (in each direction)with extra trains running until Sunday 27 September. Currently a two-hourlyfrequency operates. The extra trains (in addition to the existing two-hourlyservice) will depart Norwich at: 08.05, 10.05, 12.05, 14.05, 16.05, 18.05 and20.05. And from Lowestoft at: 08.56, 10.56, 12.56, 14.56, 16.56, 18.56 and20.56. An extra Sunday service in each direction will also run between thesedates on the Lowestoft to Ipswich route over the busy late afternoon / earlyevening period, departing Lowestoft at 17.05 and Ipswich at 19.07.
In addition to these new Sunday services,the traditional extra summer Saturday services will operate between Norwich andGreat Yarmouth on Saturdays from 23 May until 5 September inclusive. The extratrains (in addition to the scheduled hourly Saturday service) will departNorwich at: 09.06, 09.55, 10.25, 11.20, 12.18, 13.18, 14.18 and 15.18. And fromGreat Yarmouth at: 09.47, 10.42, 11.14, 11.55, 12.55, 13.55, 14.55 and 15.55.
On Sundays, an additional service (tosupplement the scheduled timetable) will also operate between Ipswich and Felixstoweand Ipswich and Peterborough from 17 May until 6 September inclusive. Theseextra trains will depart Ipswich for Peterborough at 07.55 and Felixstowe at09.55. An extra service will depart Peterborough for Ipswich at 09.50 andFelixstowe for Ipswich at 10.25. All other Sunday services on the Ipswich toFelixstowe / Peterborough routes will run as per the existing Sundaytimetable.
Andrew Goodrum, Customer Service Director,Abellio Greater Anglia said: “One of the key commitments in our current franchiseagreement is to improve the frequency of Sunday services between Norwich andLondon and also between Norwich and Lowestoft, and Ipswich and Lowestoft. We’repleased to introduce these new and additional services in our summer timetablefrom 17 May, offering more frequent journey opportunities for our customers,and helping to provide an economic boost to the region.”
Pete Waters, Executive Director, Visit EastAnglia said: “These additions to the timetable are very welcome from a tourismperspective, making it more convenient to visit some of our stunning seasideresorts as well as Ipswich and Norwich.
“Norfolk and Suffolk have already benefitedfrom a rise in day visitors in the past couple of years and initiatives likethis can only help further grow those numbers. Better still why not make aweekend of it!”