Extracts from Westminster Hall debate on East Suffolk Railway Line - Jan 18
Thursday, 19 January 2017 08:40
Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con):...Last October a new franchise was
granted to Abellio Greater Anglia. Many of the new
arrangements rightly focus on improving the main line, the Great
Eastern from Liverpool Street to Norwich, but many elements of the
package will have direct benefits for the East Suffolk, such as
brand new trains on the line from 2019-20. The new trains will have
air-conditioning, wi-fi and plug points, and they are particularly
welcome because for too long East Anglia...Request free trial
(Waveney) (Con):...Last
October a new franchise was granted to Abellio Greater Anglia. Many of the new
arrangements rightly focus on improving the main line, the Great
Eastern from Liverpool Street to Norwich, but many elements of the
package will have direct benefits for the East Suffolk, such as
brand new trains on the line from 2019-20. The new trains will have
air-conditioning, wi-fi and plug points, and they are particularly
welcome because for too long East Anglia has been the elephants’
graveyard for old trains. Also from 2019, there will be four trains
a day between Lowestoft and London, which is important and highly
symbolic. One of the disadvantages that Lowestoft faces is its
perceived remote location. For me, personally, with a heavy
suitcase in tow, to stagger up the steps from the underground to
the main concourse at Liverpool Street and to look up at the
display board to see there in lights through trains to Lowestoft is
so very important...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
(Paul Maynard):...We must also remember that the
East Suffolk line is part of the much wider Abellio Greater Anglia franchise, on
which we are seeing almost a revolution. As my hon. Friend pointed
out, it used to be the graveyard for old carriages, but that is
certainly not the case any longer, given the amount of investment
that will go in. He rightly listed many of those
improvements...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
HERE
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