Much-needed improvements to the Norwich-London rail line are on the right tracks – thanks to campaigning by Shaping Norfolk’s Future.

 

Andrew Chivers, managing director of rail operator National Express East Anglia, told the 2010 conference that major steps forward had already been achieved – but stakeholders still needed to pull together to secure longer-term improvements.

 

Mr Chivers said a new fast 07.40 Norwich-London train would be introduced this month (December 2010), with a journey time to the capital of 1 hour 44 minutes and a first-class breakfast service. Norwich in 90 is still lobbying to cut the trip time eventually to 1 hour 30 minutes.

 

He told the conference that in the last year thousands of extra peak time seats on the Norwich-London line had been added, 20 trains a day were now faster and that wi-fi on intercity trains was set to be delivered in early 2011 through a partnership scheme with EEDA and Norfolk and Suffolk county councils.

 

There were also longer Norwich-Cambridge trains and four additional trains on the Norwich-Yarmouth line.

 

Mr Chivers highlighted improved punctuality, an ongoing programme of station upgrades, a £1 million package of customer service improvements (including extra carriage cleaners), better train reliability and the formation of a new Passenger Panel.

 

With the East Anglian rail franchise up for renewal next year, Mr Chivers stressed: “What we are not going to do is simply ‘run out’ the service to October 2011. We are going to continue to do our very best with it and make it an excellent service for our customers.”