Most people might be unable to take a trip on a train at present – but a new website does give frustrated travellers the chance to get a taste of the East Suffolk lines from the comfort of their own home.
The East Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, working with Greater Anglia, has launched an updated website which includes tours of the lines from Ipswich to Lowestoft and Felixstowe.
The website can now be viewed across different devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones for the first time.
Aaron Taffera, Chair of the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership said: “While it is impossible for people to get out and explore because of the current situation, you can still enjoy the beauty of the area from the website, and maybe think about planning a trip in the future when it is safe to travel again.”
He added: “I’m pleased with the look and feel of the new website and will continue to work on updating and improving it so that when Suffolk is ready to welcome visitors again in the future, we will hopefully be able to inspire them to come by rail.”
At present Greater Anglia is running a reduced timetable of services which can only be used by essential workers to get too and from their work. The number of people using trains in the region – and across the country as a whole – has fallen by about 95%.
But the company’s fleet of new trains is now working more reliably and it is preparing for the day when restrictions are eased and more people are able to use all its services for both work and leisure trips – and it is working to maintain contact with people who use the railway regularly in more normal times.
Alan Neville, Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, said “At the moment we are running a reduced rail service to enable essential workers to travel to and from work.
“Our rural branch lines are a vital part of that link and we are pleased to support the Community Rail Partnership with funding that enables them to build links between the railway and the community it serves.
“The new website helps to provide useful information during this time and also stands the lines in good stead for the future when tourism and travel will be possible again.”
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