ISSUE 3 2018 Take a look…
2 Common
causes of disruption explained
3 How to…
report lost property
" Can I have a seat" badges now available Badges are now available for passengers who need a little bit of extra help and consideration when they’re travelling on our trains. You will soon also see staff wearing badges offering help. If someone is in a wheelchair or has a white stick or guide dog, it’s obvious to everyone that they may need a bit of help when travelling on the railway. However, not all disabilities or conditions are visible, such as MS, arthritis or early stages of pregnancy. Also, not everyone feels comfortable or confident to ask for help if their condition is not obvious. The idea behind the badges is to make it easier for customers who need help to get assistance. If you see someone wearing one of our new badges, maybe ask them if they need your seat or a little help getting off the train. Thank you to the thousands of people who took part in our social media poll to work out the best wording for the badges for customers. After reviewing all the feedback, we decided to produce two different badges with this wording: “Please offer me a seat. My need may not be visible” and “Not all disabilities are visible. Please offer me a seat”
Christmas travel update Network Rail is carrying out ten days of engineering works over the Christmas period as part of its multi-million pound railway upgrade. This is a time of year when the lowest number of passengers travel on the railway. There are no rail services at all on Christmas Day and only the Stansted Express runs on Boxing Day with a revised timetable. From Sunday 23 December to Tuesday 1 January there will be a rail replacement service between Ingatestone and Newbury Park, where you can use your Greater Anglia ticket to travel on the Central Line to Liverpool Street. Work replacing overhead wires on the Southend Victoria line will continue, with buses replacing trains between Billericay and Newbury Park on 23, 24, 27 and 28 December, and between Southend Victoria and Newbury Park on 29, 30, 31 December and 1 January. Rail replacement buses will be in operation between Ipswich and Felixstowe from 18.50 on 22 and 23, 24 and 27 December. Remember to check before you travel at greateranglia.co.uk/ servicealterations
Our colleagues try their best to give customers the help they need. These badges will make it easier to identify people who want their help. The badges for staff say “Not all disabilities are visible. Can I help you?” The badges are now available from customer information desks at Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford, Shenfield, London Liverpool Street, Harlow Town and Cambridge.
Plans in place to handle disruption better
You said
We did
When there is disruption, there’s often feedback from customers asking us to manage it better. We are trying hard to improve. We’re currently re-writing our contingency plans and we’ve finished the plan for the West Anglia route (Ely, Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford, Hertford East to London Liverpool Street). The new plan focuses on both getting customers moving quicker once trains are up and running again and keeping you better informed.
Communicating better In any organisation, a common complaint is that communications could be better. Getting communications just right is quite a difficult task, as everyone takes things in differently and has a varying degree of understanding. I really hope the new badges that we’ve produced to help customers who need extra help, but maybe aren’t confident enough to ask for it, will help them get the assistance they need, both from our colleagues and also from their fellow passengers.
What do we mean by points failure or trespassers on the line? Common causes of disruption explained
During disruption, we know that you want us to do a better job letting you know what’s going on. We know that many customers are puzzled by how a signalling problem, for instance, can sometimes cause so many delays and cancellations. In this issue we’re giving you a bit more information about how the railway works and why problems with signals, animals on the line, points and so on, affect your journeys in the way they do. We are also working hard to improve how we manage disruption, focusing on how we can get trains moving and back to normal as quickly as possible and how we keep you up to date with what’s going on.
Most of the time, over 87 per cent of trains across the Greater Anglia network run without a problem. But sometimes things go wrong causing delays and cancellations. Here are some explanations of common causes of disruption to hopefully help you understand why they affect your journeys. Signalling fault/track circuit failure If there’s a problem with signalling, every train has to slow down and even stop at the faulty signal. Trains could be travelling at 100mph and then have to stop, and possibly a signaller has to “caution it” through the signal - like a police officer stepping in when traffic lights fail at a major road junction. With up to 14 trains an hour running on each of our tracks, it doesn’t take long for a traffic jam to build up on the line. Network Rail quickly responds to reports of problems, but our railway spans rural East Anglia and some signals are in remote locations up to two miles away from the nearest road, which can impact their response time.
Sorry to mention it, but Christmas is coming. Our plans are all made to keep you moving over Christmas and we’ve come up with some top tips for you to travel cheaply by train to do your Christmas shopping.
Points failure Points are at junctions in the railway tracks. They switch to makes sure trains go in the right direction. If they fail, trains cannot go the correct way and have to stop, which can cause trains to back up in a queue until Network Rail engineers fix it. Overhead wires If there’s a problem with the overhead wires, then our electric trains have no power to move. We have to be extra cautious when plastic sheeting or balloons become tangled on the line because they can become wrapped up on a train’s pantograph (the equipment that transfers electricity from the wire to the train) and possibly bring the whole wire down, which could cause major disruption. 25,000 volts of electricity flow through the wires, so obviously the wires have to be switched off before anything can be removed from them or repairs made.
Jamie Burles, Managing Director, Greater Anglia
How are we doing?
Annual average performance 12 months to 13 October 2018
87.4%
60%
2
*Based on Public Peformance Measure figures. For more details see greateranglia.co.uk/about-us/our-performance/performance-figures
12% 28% G r An eat gl er ia
87.4%
Ne tw o Ra rk il
Greater Anglia performance 16 September to 13 October 2018
Responsibility for delays
O co th m er pa tra ni in es
Punctuality – how many trains run on time*
Slippery rails Fallen leaves on the track compressed by trains form a coating on the rails which is as slippery as black ice on the roads. Similar to cars on black ice, the compressed leaves affect trains' braking and accelerating. Check out our blog to see what we and Network Rail are doing to keep trains running this autumn. greateranglia.co.uk/ tackling-leaves Trespassers on the line When someone decides to take a short cut by walking on the railway track, they are putting their own life at risk, as a train driver cannot swerve to avoid someone in front of them and even if they slam on the brakes the stopping distance is quite long. If someone is spotted on the tracks, trains have to slow down or stop until Network Rail and/or the British Transport Police declare the area safe after carrying out a search. Sometimes, especially if the trespasser is suicidal, this can take some time. Person hit by a train Sadly, we have many people a year trying to end their life by jumping in front of a train. We, along with our railway partners including the Samaritans, land sheriffs, Network Rail and rail pastors, do all we can to prevent suicide, but sadly last year 21 people suffered fatal injuries. Whenever a person is hit by a train, the railway stops immediately. There are many stages that we, British Transport Police and Network Rail have to go through before trains can start running again, including investigating if it was a deliberate act or foul play, getting a relief driver and cleaning up the area. Bridge bash There are hundreds of bridges either over or under the railway in our area. Network Rail has classified every single bridge in terms of their strength. If a lorry or car hits one of the weakest bridges, then all trains have to stop until the bridge has been examined and, if necessary, repaired. When bridges are hit, it could cause track to shift or debris to fall onto the track.
A fault with a level crossing Level crossings are very safe when used correctly and fully functioning. When they fail - maybe because barriers aren’t coming down - trains are stopped and can only go if it’s safe to do so. Trains go at speeds of up to 100 mph past level crossings, so it’s vital to make sure it’s safe. If trains have to slow down or stop to go past level crossings, it causes delays down the line as congestion builds. Train fault Our trains are amongst the most reliable in the country, and they are checked and serviced much more frequently than cars. If they do develop a fault, we have roving mechanics, like the AA, who try to fix them on the route. Our trains are fitted with remote train monitoring, which sends messages back to control about train performance. Sometimes, if there is a power problem, customers are evacuated from a broken train so that all power can be diverted away from door locking, air conditioning etc to go into just moving the train out of the way. Over-running engineering works When Network Rail do engineering works, they shut the section of the railway line that they’re working on. The work is planned in advance with a contingency period including backup plans. They will curtail or cancel work if it is clear early on there’s a risk of overrun. However, sometimes unforeseen circumstances such as discovering a track fault or electrical problem, prevents them from clearing up the work site on time, which means we can’t start running our trains when we were expecting to. Animals on the line We have to slow down our trains when large animals such as cows, deer and horses are spotted on the railway line, because if our train hits them, they could cause enough damage to take the train out of service. The train stops where the animals have been spotted, and the driver talks to the signaller, who advises how fast the train can go through the area.
How to… report lost property If you leave something on a train we will do our best to get it back to you. As soon as you realise you’ve left something behind, let us know. The best way to report it is online via our website, as it goes straight onto our system and staff will see what you’ve lost, but if you can’t manage that, ring 0345 600 7245 (option 7) and speak to an advisor, open 09:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday. Answerphone 24hrs. We have recently reviewed our lost property policy. Our list of charges is on our website greateranglia.co.uk/lostproperty We no longer charge a percentage for any cash in purses or wallets.
100% quality stations in Essex Audley End, Ingatestone, Marks Tey, Rayleigh and Southend Victoria stations all scored 100 per cent for the upkeep and repair of stations when assessed by mystery shoppers recently.
Delicious vegan food in café bar Food-lovers have been enjoying tucking into our vegan range on sale in the café bar on our Intercity trains between Norwich and London. Vegans can choose from a vegan sandwich, chocolate and orange cake and flapjack.
Restoration work complete at Ely
We’ve just given Ely railway station buildings a £58,000 facelift, partly funded by the Railway Heritage Trust.
Station adopters recognised for their sterling work Last month we recognised our fantastic team of volunteers at our annual adopters awards. Winners included Michael Baldwin, of Newmarket station, awarded a Judge’s Special Award, for his dedication. Hockley’s University of the Third Age group won Best Adopter Group for transforming Hockley into “a vision of loveliness”. Philip and Kathryn Ball were awarded for Best Personal Contribution. They have recorded the impact of additional planting on butterflies and moths visiting Shelford station. Well done to all of our adopters and thank you for your hard work.
Cats eyes light up the way at Thorpe-le-Soken We’ve just installed 50 solar-powered LED cats eyes lights on a walkway at Thorpe-le-Soken railway station. The project was funded by the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, who donated £6,800.
3
Meet… Sarah Armer
Top hacks to help you save money on travel and help save the planet
You may not have ever met Sarah Armer, but you’ve almost certainly heard her voice. Sarah, a welcome host at Tottenham Hale station, was recently given one of our staff awards for her work as the “voice of Greater Anglia”. She was selected to make announcements for our automated tannoy system. You’ve probably heard her reminding people not to pull the emergency cord if they fall ill on a train.
Fuel prices have gone up by just under 10 per cent in six months and concerns are growing about pollution levels in our towns and cities. We have come up with six top tips to help you travel cheaply and help save the planet at the same time – just in time for you to do your Christmas shopping by train.
In her day job she helps customers at Tottenham Hale station, which is a very busy station, with many customers for the Stansted Express. She makes sure people catch the right train and helps them with enquiries about tickets, onward travel and train times. To find out more and to watch a video look here greateranglia.co.uk/voiceofga
Planned service alterations Engineering works in December
1. Buy your ticket in advance and take advantage of fares from just £5
Saturday 1 December – Monday 31 December 2018
Please refer to journey planner for full details greateranglia.co.uk
Sheringham West Runton
Norwich – Lowestoft/Great Yarmouth
for Northern England and Scotland
Ely – Norwich Ely March
Whittlesea
Buses replace trains between Cambridge and Norwich from 00.15 Saturday and all day Sunday. Saturday 1 December Sunday 2 December
Cambridge North
Newmarket
Kennett
Dullingham
Stansted Mountfichet
to Colchester
Bishops Stortford
Lea Valley/Tottenham Hale services will be diverted via Seven Sisters/Southbury Loop. Saturday 1 December Sunday 2 December
Bush Hill Park
Southbury Edmonton Green
Hackney Downs – Cheshunt Lea Valley/Tottenham Hale services will be diverted via Seven Sisters/Southbury Loop. 04.40 Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport will call at Seven Sisters instead of Tottenham Hale. Monday 3 December after 2315 Tuesday 4 December after 2315 Wednesday 5 December after 2315 Thursday 6 December after 2315
Silver Street
Roydon
ow
Hythe
Colchester Marks Tey
Broxbourne
Braintree
Cheshunt
Braintree Freeport
Kelvedon
Cressing Waltham Cross
Romford
Ponders End
White Hart Lane
Angel Road
Bruce Grove
Northumberland Park
Seven Sisters Limited Service
Alresford
Seven Kings Ilford Manor Park Forest Gate Maryland
Stratford
Liverpool Street – Stratford Stansted Express services will operate between Tottenham Hale and Stansted Airport only. 07.32 and 07.51 Cambridge to Liverpool Street services terminate at Stratford. 08.57 and 09.28 Liverpool Street to Cambridge services start from Stratford. Wednesday 26 December
Follow us on Twitter @greateranglia for the latest updates
Weeley Thorpe le-Soken
Clacton-on-Sea
Southminster Burnhamon-Crouch Althorne North Fambridge
South Woodham Ferrers Battlesbridge
Hockley
Upminster
Prittlewell
Southend Victoria
Liverpool Street – Ingatestone/Billericay/ Southminster/Southend Victoria Buses replace trains between Newbury Park underground station and Ingatestone/ Billericay/Southminster/Southend Victoria. Tickets will be accepted on the Central Line from Newbury Park to/from Liverpool Street. Sunday 23 December – Tuesday 1 January
Red lines Indicate engineering works taking place all day Purple lines Indicate engineering works taking place for part of the day only Greater Anglia Sunday service only Greater Anglia limited service
Pindar Creative 12.11.18 (GA82)
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3. Take your kids for just £2 if you buy an off-peak ticket from a ticket office and remember under fives are free 4. Buy a railcard for up to 30 per cent off travel 5. Continue your journey by bus or bike with PlusBus tickets and Bike & Go 6. Get a season ticket for discounted travel To find out more details read more here greateranglia.co.uk/ sixhacks
Find out more about Greater Anglia If you want more news and updates about Greater Anglia, there are plenty of places you can get it. Follow Greater Anglia News on Twitter @GreaterAngliaPR Find us on Facebook facebook.com/ greateranglia
Rochford Southend Airport
for c2c
Chadwell Heath
Lea Bridge
Kirby Cross
The first Clacton to Liverpool Street service will be replaced by a bus between Clacton and Colchester. The first Walton to Thorpe-le-Soken service will be replaced by a bus. Sunday 16 December The last Colchester to Walton service will be replaced by a bus and the last Liverpool Street to Clacton service will be replaced by a bus between Colchester and Clacton. Monday 17 December Tuesday 18 December Wednesday 19 December
Wickford
Emerson Park Romford
Great Frinton-on-Sea Bentley
Colchester – Clacton/Walton
Rayleigh
Goodmayes
Cambridge Heath
For the latest information and updates visit our website greateranglia.co.uk
Harwich Town
Walton-on-the-Naze
Wivenhoe
Billericay
Gidea Park
Clapton
Bethnal Green
Harwich Dovercourt International
Colchester Town
Harold Wood
Highams Park
Hackney Downs
LONDON LIVERPOOL STREET
Ingatestone
Brentwood
Chingford
Walthamstow Central
Rectory Road
London Fields
Chelmsford
Wood Street
Stoke Newington
Hackney Downs – Cheshunt
Hatfield Peverel
Shenfield
Tottenham Hale
Stamford Hill
Witham
Due to increased carriage capacity trains will not stop at Romford. Saturday 1 December Saturday 8 December Saturday 15 December Saturday 22 December
Brimsdown
Wrabness
to Stansted
Bures
St. James Street
4
Mistley
Chappel & Wakes Colne
Enfield Lock
Felixstowe
Trimley
Derby Road
Ipswich
White Notley
Limited Service
The following services will be diverted via Seven Sisters/Southbury Loop. Saturday 8 December 04.38 Cambridge to Liverpool Street. Sunday 9 December 23.30 and 23.45 Stanstead to Liverpool Street.
Woodbridge Westerfield
Sudbury
Harlow Town
Enfield Town
Wickham Market
Manningtree
Harlow Mill
Theobalds Grove Turkey Street
Buses replace trains from 18.50 Saturday 1 December Buses replace trains Sunday 2 December Sunday 16 December
Saxmundham Melton
Sawbridgeworth
Lea Bridge – Cheshunt
Ipswich – Felixstowe
Darsham
23.30 Liverpool Street to Norwich service replaced by a bus between Ipswich and Norwich. Saturday 1 December Monday 10 December Tuesday 11 December Wednesday 12 December Saturday 15 December
Stansted Airport
Elsenham
Beccles Brampton
Ipswich – Norwich
Newport
Rye House
Buses replace trains. Sunday 2 December
Needham Market
Lowestoft
Oulton Broad South
Halesworth
Audley End
Ware
am
Stowmarket
Buses replace trains. Sunday 2 December
Oulton Broad North
Somerleyton
07.00 Norwich to Liverpool Street service replaced by a bus between Norwich and Ipswich. Sunday 16 December
Great Chesterford
St. Margarets
dh
rR
Elmswell
Norwich – Ipswich
Shelford
Hertford East
on
ne oo
ym
Sp
Thurston Bury St. Edmunds
Norwich – Lowestoft/ Great Yarmouth
Berney Arms
Reedham
Beccles – Lowestoft
Whittlesford Parkway
Buses will replace trains between Broxbourne and Bishops Stortford until 12.25. Stansted Express – Direct bus between Stansted Airport and Liverpool Street until 12.25. Sunday 2 December
Cantley
Great Yarmouth
Acle Limited Service
Buckenham
Buses replace trains Diss Sunday 2 December
Cambridge
Broxbourne – Bishop’s Stortford
Lingwood
Brundall Brundall Gardens
Haddiscoe
Waterbeach
Cambridge – Norwich
Norwich – Diss
Buses replace trains. Saturday 8 December Sunday 9 December
Manea
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No service, Cantley and Reedham customers for Great Yarmouth to travel via Brundall, no service for Berney Arms. For further advice please use the station help point or speak to a member of staff. until 24 March 2019
Roughton Road Buses replace trains. Gunton Sunday 2 December North Walsham Worstead Hoveton & Wroxham Salhouse
W
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Ro Ec
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sR
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tfo
Th e
rli
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do
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Br
Ha
ll
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Hi
at he
ea ipp
Littleport
ke n
Downham Market
Peterborough
Limited Service
Sh
Watlington
La
Kings Lynn
Taxis provided for 07.25 Norwich to Lowestoft and 07.36 Norwich to Great Yarmouth. Sunday 16 December
Reedham – Great Yarmouth
Norwich – Sheringham
Cromer
2. Travel in a group to get discounted deals such as Groupsave
Operated by TfL
Get regular journey information via text or email journeycheck.com/ greateranglia
or follow Greater Anglia on LinkedIn. Check out the New Desk section of our website for the latest news articles and blogs. greateranglia.co.uk/ newsdesk