08.11.13
‘Norwich in Ninety’ taskforce launched
A new taskforce has been launched to speed up journey times to East Anglia, the government has announced. Network Rail professionals, DfT officials and local MPs will make up the taskforce.
‘Norwich in Ninety’ will look to cut service times to London by around 30 minutes, as well as identifying practical and affordable options to improve services to stations along the line.
Operator Greater Anglia has also been asked to develop plans to refurbish and modernise the current fleet, update interiors and provide improved facilities.
Chancellor George Osborne said: “East Anglia is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and is establishing itself as a world leader in science, technology and manufacturing. To support this growth we need to have modern, efficient rail services and improved connections.
“I am absolutely behind the region and that’s why I’ve set up a taskforce to see how we can build on the excellent work by [East Anglia MPs] Chloe Smith, Ben Gummer, Priti Patel and Simon Wright and set our sights on getting to ‘Norwich in Ninety’.”
Greater Anglia managing director Ruud Haket said: “We will continue to make a positive contribution to plans for the development of longer-term upgrades for the Great Eastern Main Line (between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford and London), whilst in the short term we can confirm that we are in discussions with the Department for Transport and our suppliers about potential improvements to rolling stock. However, at this stage, we cannot make any further comment on those discussions.
“We can, though, reiterate our commitment to continue to improve service standards for passengers across our network on an ongoing basis, building on the improvements to performance and customer service that we have already delivered.”
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