Rail passengers
in East Anglia are on track for more comfortable and convenient
journeys thanks to a range of measures to be introduced on the
region's rail network, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers has
announced today.
Abellio Greater Anglia Limited has been chosen as the new
operator for the 'Greater Anglia' franchise
which is currently operated by National Express East Anglia and
stretches across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. It
will be part of the transport provision for the London 2012 Games,
serving the Olympic Park area. Under the terms of the deal, the
new operator will carry out a range of improvements during the 29
month contract. These will include improvements to stations, new
ticket facilities and better passenger information. In addition,
the majority of the train fleet will be
'deep-cleaned', some will be refurbished and
more carriages will be fitted with CCTV.
Theresa Villiers said:
“This new franchise will start delivering important improvements
for passengers, with more to come in the longer contract that will
follow it. The franchise will also play a significant role in
transport for the London 2012 Games providing crucial services to
the Olympic Park area.”
“We want to make it easier for passengers to use the railways so
the new operator will extend Oyster pay-as-you-go services to ten
stations on the Shenfield and Hertford East lines and introduce
mobile phone and print-at-home ticketing facilities. Passengers
will also get better access to information as the new operator is
introducing a text messaging service to keep passengers informed
if disruption occurs and new information desks at major stations
including Liverpool Street, Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich and
Stansted Airport.”
Other improvements to be delivered by the new franchise include:
· A new cycle hire scheme at Norwich station and cycle storage
points at 15 stations, including space for 500 bicycles at
Chelmsford.
· Up to 300 new car parking spaces, plus a further 300 at
Shenfield and Wickford stations, subject to planning approval.
· Cleaning and painting of 141 stations across the franchise.
Notes to Editors
1. Other improvements to be made by the new operator will
include updates to existing ticket machines to make them more
user-friendly, the installation of 28 new ticket machines at
stations across the network and the introduction of online season
ticketing. 2. Oyster pay-as-you-go will be extended to cover the
following stations: Theobalds Grove, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt,
Brentwood, Shenfield, Broxbourne, Rye House, St Margarets, Ware
and Hertford East. 3. Car drivers will see improvements with the
provision of a total of 300 new car parking spaces at specific
stations (subject to planning approvals). Meanwhile 300 new
parking spaces will be provided at Shenfield and Wickford stations
(subject to planning approvals) while 100 pay and display machines
in station car parks will be replaced. The new operator will also
be required to install electrical car points at 20 stations. 4.
The new operator will also run a six month trial of a scheduled
bus service between Saffron Walden and Audley End station, the
introduction of a PlusCab service that will allow customers to
book a taxi from 45 stations with pre-agreed fares based on a
zonal pricing structure and a complimentary refreshments service
for first class passengers on the London to Norwich and Stansted
Express services. 5. Information desks will be built at Cambridge,
Norwich and Stansted Airport, and six new kiosks will be built at
Bishops Stortford, Chelmsford, Colchester (two), Ipswich and
Stratford. A new information desk will also be installed at
Liverpool Street Station. 6. Two new customer panels will be
established and the new operator will also recruit a team of
multi-lingual volunteers to provide information to customers in or
around affected stations during the Olympics and Paralympics.
Meanwhile a Smartphone App specifically for the Olympics will be
developed which will provide real-time service information and
directions to stations. 7. A total of 141 stations will be
refreshed and the whole the train fleet will be deep cleaned
(except the class 379s), including all surfaces and floor
coverings, toilets and lighting. In addition the interior of the
class 321 units will be refreshed and CCTV will be fitted to 68
class 321 vehicles. 8. Although Abellio Greater Anglia Limited has
been announced as the winning bidder for the franchise, they will
not be formally appointed until 1 November because of the
requirement for a procurement standstill period. Press Enquiries:
020 7944 3108Out of Hours: 020 7944 4292Public Enquiries: 0300 330
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