Published on: Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Abellio Greater Anglia has announced that new and additional train services on Saturdays and Sundays on the Norwich to London, Norwich to Great Yarmouth / Lowestoft, and Ipswich to Felixstowe / Lowestoft / Peterborough routes will feature in the 2015 summer timetable due to commence from Sunday 17 May.
One of the benefits agreed with the Department for Transport as part of the operator’s existing franchise is to improve the frequency of services between Norwich and London, Norwich and Lowestoft and Ipswich and Lowestoft on summer Sundays. This will provide more journey opportunities for rail passengers, as well as helping to boost economic activity through the additional journeys that will be generated.
From Sunday 17 May, an extra morning and afternoon service will operate in each direction between Norwich and London improving frequency at busy times, through an additional 08.20 and 15.20 Norwich to London service and 11.00 and 18.00 London to Norwich service. These extra trains will operate on Sundays until 27 September.
A new hourly summer Sunday service will be introduced from Sunday 17 May between Norwich and Lowestoft (in each direction) with extra trains running until Sunday 27 September. Currently a two-hourly frequency operates. The extra trains (in addition to the existing two-hourly service) will depart Norwich at: 08.05, 10.05, 12.05, 14.05, 16.05, 18.05 and 20.05. And from Lowestoft at: 08.56, 10.56, 12.56, 14.56, 16.56, 18.56 and 20.56. An extra Sunday service in each direction will also run between these dates on the Lowestoft to Ipswich route over the busy late afternoon / early evening 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 and Great Yarmouth on Saturdays from 23 May until 5 September inclusive. The extra trains (in addition to the scheduled hourly Saturday service) will depart Norwich at: 09.06, 09.55, 10.25, 11.20, 12.18, 13.18, 14.18 and 15.18. And from Great Yarmouth at: 09.47, 10.42, 11.14, 11.55, 12.55, 13.55, 14.55 and 15.55.
On Sundays, an additional service (to supplement the scheduled timetable) will also operate between Ipswich and Felixstowe and Ipswich and Peterborough from 17 May until 6 September inclusive. These extra trains will depart Ipswich for Peterborough at 07.55 and Felixstowe at 09.55. An extra service will depart Peterborough for Ipswich at 09.50 and Felixstowe for Ipswich at 10.25. All other Sunday services on the Ipswich to Felixstowe / Peterborough routes will run as per the existing Sunday timetable.
Andrew Goodrum, Customer Service Director, Abellio Greater Anglia said: “One of the key commitments in our current franchise agreement is to improve the frequency of Sunday services between Norwich and London and also between Norwich and Lowestoft, and Ipswich and Lowestoft. We’re pleased to introduce these new and additional services in our summer timetable from 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 East Anglia said: “These additions to the timetable are very welcome from a tourism perspective, making it more convenient to visit some of our stunning seaside resorts as well as Ipswich and Norwich.
“Norfolk and Suffolk have already benefited from a rise in day visitors in the past couple of years and initiatives like this can only help further grow those numbers. Better still why not make a weekend of it!”