The Anonymous Widower

Suffolk Shows The Value Of Improving Train Services

The East Suffolk line from Ipswich to Lowestoft is one of those train lines, that British Rail would have liked to close in the 1960s and 1970s. Everything was simplified and a lot of the line was made single-track.

Then a year ago, they introduced a loop at Beccles and an hourly service between the two biggest towns in East Suffolk.

The result has been an 11.5% increase in passengers as is reported here. Here’s the first paragraph.

It was a record setting year as passenger numbers of the East Suffolk Line hit an all time high in 2013. A record 653,000 journeys were made on the line between Ipswich and Lowestoft last year, an 11.5% increase on 2012. Compared to 2009 / 2010 that number is up by 60%.

We’re not talking massive sums on improving the line, but it shows that if you provide a better train service, it’ll get used, as I found out earlier this week on the Settle and Carlisle.

February 1, 2014 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Suffolk, Trains