It may be operating fewer trains and carrying a fraction of the passengers it was - but Greater Anglia’s trains are now much more reliable for essential workers, figures show.
The company ran almost 92% of services on time across its network during March, and the figures improved after the revised timetable began on March 23 for key workers.
That was also the punctuality figure for main line Intercity services from Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester to London – but there were better figures on some of the regional and rural routes.
The best results for March were on the Manningtree to Harwich line at almost 99%, the Norwich to Sheringham line at just under 97%, the Marks Tey to Sudbury line at 96%, and the Ipswich to Felixstowe line at 95%.
The Norwich to Cambridge line ran almost 94% on time, the Ipswich to Cambridge and Peterborough lines at just over 93%, the Norwich to Great Yarmouth line at 93%, and the Norwich to Lowestoft line at 92.%.
More on the coronavirus crisisIn the first nine days of the revised timetable, designed to provide a core service for key workers, punctuality was consistently between 93% and 99%. Greater Anglia emphasises that only essential journeys should be made, with everyone else staying at home in line with government advice. The number of passengers has fallen by between 90% and 95% during the lockdown.
But for those whose journeys are absolutely essential, the core service, which sees an hourly frequency on most routes, is providing enough trains with enough seats to ensure social distancing guidelines can be fulfilled.
Jamie Burles, managing director of Greater Anglia, said: “I’d like to thank everyone at Greater Anglia for delivering a very good service during these challenging times.
“We are committed to providing the best possible service for key workers and anyone else who still needs to travel.
Greater Anglia is monitoring passenger numbers on a daily basis to ensure the revised timetable remains fit for purpose.
The cleaning programme for trains and stations has been stepped up, with particular attention to touch points, including push buttons, grab rails and door handles, and topping up of soap, water and toilet roll, to help prevent the spread of the virus.
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