Greater Anglia will run a reduced timetable in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

The service will be similar to a Sunday service, but with additional services at the start and the end of the day to allow passengers to get to and from work. 

From Monday, most routes will see an hourly service throughout the day, although there will be a half-hourly service between Hertford East and Stratford and between Southend Victoria and London.

The mix of services on the Great Eastern Main Line will see three trains an hour available from Colchester and Chelmsford to London.

A summary of the route by route frequency is shown below:

Half-hourly

Hertford East to Stratford
Southend to London

Hourly

Norwich to London intercity services
Ipswich to London (in addition to the intercity service)
Clacton to London – but no services to or via Colchester Town
Cambridge to London
Norwich to Cambridge – trains will not run through to Stansted Airport, so passengers can change at Ely or Cambridge for onward connections
Norwich to Sheringham, Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Norwich to Lowestoft
Ipswich to Lowestoft, Ipswich to Felixstowe and Ipswich to Cambridge
Thorpe-le-Soken to Walton-on-the-Naze
Manningtree to Harwich
Marks Tey to Sudbury
Witham to Braintree (shuttle all day with no direct trains to London)
Wickford to Southminster
Stansted Airport to London

Two-hourly

Ipswich to Peterborough

Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “This reduced timetable reflects the mix of factors affecting train travel in these challenging times. We need to continue to provide a reliable service for those who are working and still need to travel.

“At the same time, we need to run a timetable where the service can still be provided consistently, as some of our staff may need to self-isolate. It also reflects the significant reduction in the numbers of passengers travelling.

He added: “We will keep the timetable under review to ensure that it is appropriate for the emerging situation.  Our first priority will continue to be to do everything we can to protect the safety and wellbeing of our customers, our employees and the communities we serve.

At this challenging time, I’d like to thank everyone in the Greater Anglia team who is working so hard to keep the railway, a vital public service, running for the region and the country.”

Other measures Greater Anglia has taken since the start of the coronavirus outbreak include stepping up cleaning of trains and stations, in particular high contact areas such as grab rails, door buttons and handles and ticket gates.

The train operators have also been topping up soap, water and toilet roll in toilets more frequently.

The company has made changes to its refund policy, so customers can change advance tickets and get free refunds of walk-up tickets.

The company is following all Government hygiene guidelines and encouraging customers to wash their hands and cover their mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing. NHS posters are displayed on trains and at stations.

More information refunds and other coronavirus-related actions is already available on the Greater Anglia website.