Greater Anglia disruption expected 'until further notice'

Greater Anglia said "disruption is expected until further notice"

A rail company that cancelled and delayed hundreds of trains says it has no idea when normal services will resume.

Greater Anglia said the main issue for its trains in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex was "signalling problems".

Spokesman Jonathan Denby admitted it was "letting people down" and was "working to establish the problems".

Commuters say it is a "shambles" and problems are "affecting people's work."

The problems started at the weekend, with services between Ipswich and Lowestoft, Felixstowe, Peterborough and Norwich, Cambridge and Sheringham, severely disrupted.

Darren Law said the Harwich Town to Manningtree service was "very poor"

Steve Smart, from rail union RMT, said: "It's a new train that's been introduced when it's not had all the testing done that it should have had done."

Mr Denby said Greater Anglia was investigating three areas: track and signalling equipment, the impact of weather conditions and the interface between track and the train wheels on old and new stock.

"There is no definite answer, we are taking precautions," he said.

'Dreadful experience'

Commuter Mary Miles took to Twitter to ask: "When are you going to sort out the problems on the Norwich to Cambridge route?

"It is seriously affecting people's work commitments."

Others said the service was a "shambles" and "another day, another excuse and another delay!"

Darren Law, another Twitter user, said the delays had been a "dreadful experience".

He said one train was cancelled and the next delayed, making him miss his connection, leaving him sitting in a carriage with "no heating, limited lighting, slow going and the toilet door won't shut".

Many branch lines out of Ipswich have been cancelled or delayed

Mr Denby said the firm's first duty was a "safe railway for passengers".

"We totally regret all the problems we are inflicting on them," he said. "We are doing everything we can to restore services as quickly as possible.

"We are being rightly cautious about the operation of all the trains."

At present services between Ipswich and Felixstowe and Ipswich and Peterborough, via Ely, are suspended.

Trains between Ipswich and Lowestoft, via Saxmundham and Beecles, are cancelled and no services are running to Manea and Whittlesey.