Rail company Greater Anglia has published artists’ mock-ups of the new trains that are due to revolutionise services in the region over the next three years.
And it wants the views of travellers about what the new trains should offer before the final designs are agreed with train manufacturers Stadler and Bombardier.
Every single train in the Greater Anglia fleet should be replaced with brand new trains in 2019/20.
The £1.4billion investment in 169 new trains – 1043 carriages in total – will see every train fitted with free Wi-Fi, at-seat plug and USB points, air conditioning and passenger information screen.
The design process has already incorporated feedback from customers and stakeholders received during the Greater Anglia franchise bidding and consultation process.
The operator has involved customer watchdog Transport Focus in the new trains programme, as well as the Department for Transport.
It has also actively gained input from wheelchair users, visually impaired travellers and other users with specific needs.
There will be 10 12-carriage intercity trains for Norwich-Ipswich-Colchester-London intercity services and 10 12-carriage Stansted Express trains for services between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.
There are then 24 four-carriage and 14 three-carriage hybrid trains for regional services across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, which can operate using both diesel and electric power.
Also on order are 89 five-carriage and 22 10-carriage trains for suburban services on the Great Eastern Main Line (between Ipswich, Harwich, Clacton, Colchester, Braintree, Chelmsford and London and between Southend and London) and for services between Liverpool Street and Cambridge.
Jamie Burles, managing director of Greater Anglia, said: “We are looking forward to transforming train services in East Anglia with the complete replacement of our entire current fleet with brand new trains in 2019/20, which will bring improvements not just to the on-board environment, but also to capacity, journey times and reliability across our network.”
To give your views to Greater Anglia on the new trains, visit here.
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