East Anglia train service to get revamped

Date: 20/10/2011

UK rail minister Theresa Villiers has announced a range of new measures to encourage travel by train in East Anglia.

Abellio Greater Anglia Limited has been announced as the new operator for the 'Greater Anglia' franchise, the rail service that spans Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Serving the Olympic Park area, the network will be put to good use in 2012 and the new agreement sets out a range of improvements to the line during the 29-month contract.

Passengers can expect to benefit from new ticket facilities, better information and station upgrades, as well as refurbished train carriages and CCTV installations.

Oyster card remits will also be extended, as the system currently covers zones one to nine, but not the area's extensive suburban network.

Ms Villiers said: "We want to make it easier for passengers to use the railways so the new operator will extend Oyster pay-as-you-go services to ten stations in Shenfield and Hertford East lines."