Passengers in East Anglia consulted on rail services
An East Anglia rail franchise consultation has opened to seek passengers' views on the future of rail services across the region.
Passengers in East Anglia can help shape the future of rail services across the region by taking part in a government consultation launched today, Tuesday 9 December 2014.
Significant improvements are already planned for the East Anglia rail network as the government forges ahead with plans to reduce journey times between Norwich and London to 90 minutes.
In order to ensure that the next Anglia rail franchise is delivering what people want, the Department for Transport is asking passengers, businesses and local councils for their views.
Rail minister Claire Perry said:
We are committed to putting passengers at the heart of the rail network. This consultation will help us prioritise the improvements that people want to see. I really encourage everyone who uses the railway in East Anglia to tell us what they think.
We have issued a comprehensive consultation document that includes some challenging questions and the views of passengers are critical to improve services.
The next franchise will start in October 2016, when the current Greater Anglia franchise expires. This consultation will help shape the services offered by the next operator. No decisions will be made without considering the consultation responses.
The consultation asks passengers for their views on a range of subjects, including:
- how existing services can be improved
- the need for improved rolling stock and additional seating
- the punctuality of existing services
- how stations, security and customer information can be improved
Last week, the government gave its backing to the key recommendations of the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce. Bidders for the next Anglia franchise must now submit plans that will reduce journey times between Norwich and London to just 90 minutes. Alongside this, Network Rail will carry out track upgrade work to support faster journey times.
The consultation will run until 16 March 2015 and can be found on GOV.UK.
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