The Government has awarded a £1.4bn contract to Abellio Greater Anglia to run rail services in our region for the next nine years.
The new service promises to deliver more than 1,040 new state of the art carriages and cut journey times by an average of 10%.
It will also deliver one of the biggest orders for British-built trains – almost £1 billion for 660 carriages from the Bombardier factory in Derby – as part of a contract that will secure 1,000 jobs into the next decade.
Key benefits of the new franchise include:
- At least four 90 minute services (two in each direction) between London and Norwich each weekday and two 60 minute services per day between London and Ipswich
- Free WiFi for all passengers on trains and at stations
- 1,043 new, state of the art carriages between January 2019 and September 2020 to support the faster timetable, with a full programme of refurbishment for the current fleet in the meantime
- Tough new targets for operational performance levels at 93% – up from 89.7% currently
- By 2021, there will be more than 32,000 more seats on services arriving at London Liverpool Street in the morning peak, while the new franchise will introduce 1,144 additional weekday services- an increase of 13% – to stations including Ipswich, Norwich, Stansted Airport, Lowestoft, and London Liverpool Street.
- Most Norwich to Cambridge services will be extended to Stansted Airport.
- There will be later trains between Norwich and Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:
“We are making the biggest investment in the railways since the Victorian era. By awarding this franchise to Abellio East Anglia we will improve journeys for people in East Anglia.
“Abellio’s decision will ensure our train building industry in Derby remains strong.
“This is part of our plan to make an economy that works for everyone – not just the privileged few – by ensuring prosperity is spread throughout the country.”
Dominic Booth Managing Director of Abellio UK said:
“This is great news not only for Abellio but for the whole of East Anglia. We are pleased to become preferred bidder to deliver a transformation in rail services across the region.
“It will enable us to build on the successes of the two short East Anglian franchises we have run since 2012, and we commend the DfT in running a transparent and rigorous procurement process.
“Our plans will greatly improve our customers’ experience with faster and more reliable journeys on new trains with higher frequencies and reduced journey times, to support the socio-economic well-being of East Anglia, one of the country’s most successful and fastest growing areas.”
Jonathan Cage, President of Norfolk Chamber said:
“We are delighted that Abellio, who are a gold patron of Norfolk Chamber, have been awarded the franchise. The new franchise represents a significant investment in our region’s railway and the business community looks forward to seeing a faster, more reliable rail service with new rolling stock as soon as possible.”
Also commenting on the awarding of the new franchise, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“Norfolk Chamber has been calling for an improved rail service for many years and we are very pleased with the awarding of the new franchise. The contract will deliver a faster more reliable service; new rolling stock; free wifi; and improved branch line connections for our members. As the franchise has been awarded for a period of nine years, Abellio will have time to deliver a transformation of rail services for commuters and business travellers alike, which will be worth billions of pounds of investment to Norfolk and East Anglia.”
Chloe Smith MP for Norwich North, co-chair of the GEML rail taskforce said:
“Today’s announcement is a great win for East Anglian passengers thanks to our long campaign.
“We have now succeeded in getting huge investment into our rail line in the form of new trains, which are confirmed today.
“These trains are finally what we deserve in the East, giving a more pleasant journey for passengers and most of all giving reliability back to all the people who use the trains for work and jobs. Together with investment in the track and other infrastructure, this is what our campaign has achieved.
“It will deliver ‘Norwich in 90’ along with benefits to all three counties as expected over the next eight years. It means East Anglia is open for business and will bring thousands more jobs to the region, which means a massive boost for the economy and for households.”
