News from the East Anglian Branch of Railfuture, edited by Martin Thorne and Jerry Alderson.
Railfuture News Snippets 394 - 31/01/2026
- EAST WEST RAIL [all issues]
- East West Rail Company confirmed that its preferred location for a new train maintenance depot will be west of Bletchley
- High-level rail bridge to be replaced at Bletchley for expanded East West Rail services
- East West Rail meets ministers to discuss accelerating infrastructure delivery because of new legislation
- RAIL TIMETABLES [all issues]
- STATIONS [all issues]
Images have been produced showing what Lowestoft station could look like if a roof is reinstated across the concourse and along the platforms. The original roof was removed in 1992 because it was in poor condition and it has been entirely uncovered ever since. Thanks to donations received, the Lowestoft Central Project and Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership (CRP) commissioned railway architects to produce the designs that draw upon the station's Victorian heritage and similar railway structures in the region. The design 'concept' shows a double apex roof over the main station concourse with additional canopies situated over the station's three platforms. The next stage is to raise further funds for additional work to create full architectural plans which can then be fully costed before potential large-scale funding opportunities can be investigated. Information taken from a BBC article and the East Anglian Daily Times.
The team working on the Cambridgeshire 'C3R' re-signalling completed the converasion of Meldreth Road level crossing (to full-barrier) — after running tests on the new equipment and running a GTR test train over the crossing — a week earlier than planned, opening the road on 5th January 2026. A video can be seen at here. There is also an article. The work described was 'Stage 2'. Network Rail (NR) says that there are currently no proposed dates or confirmed access for C3R 'Stage 3' and therefore no details on potential timetable changes just yet. NR refers anyone interested to their C3R website page that has public info — click here — and look for 'Latest News'.
The government announced on 12th January 2026 that the recently-retired Chief Executive of Network Rail, Andrew Haines, will become Chair of the Department for Transport Operator Limited (DFTO), the government body bringing all currently privately-owned train services into public ownership ahead of the creation of Great British Railways. Richard George has been appointed Chair of Network Rail. Network Rail needed a new Chair because Mike Putnam had been covering that role on an interim basis since Peter Hendy became Rail Minister but Mike didn't want it full time. Richard George getting the job meant a vacancy at DFTO and Andrew Haines made a logical choice for continuity purposes.
In early January 2026, Greater Anglia (GA) published its (very professional looking) Customer Report (over 21 pages) covering the period from 1st April 2025 to 11th October 2025. One might reasonably ask why this could not have been published back in November, especially as it revealed nothing that was not covered in the weekly communications to stakeholders. However, it did consolidate those comms, such as "For the period from 1st April 2025 to 11th October 2025, we saw 46.5 million passenger journeys, up on 2024-25 numbers and helped by our positive promotion of rail (including our successful Hare Fares offers)." This means that GA caters for around 90 million journeys a year.
On 9th January 2026, a Railfuture member spotted that the passenger information screens on a Greater Anglia (GA) class 755 bi-mode showed Cambridge South in the list of destination, including the arrival time. This is obviously premature, as the new station is not scheduled to open until (the delayed date of) June 2026. GA informed Railfuture that this was being addressed. Meanwhile, a Cambridge News article revealed that the cost of the new station has incresded from £173m by £55 million since preparation works began in January 2023, to a new estimate of £228 million as of November 2025. The increase is put down to the additional resignalling costs being allocated to the station itself, and a sub-contractor going into administration in 2025, which had delayed works.
Network Rail (NR) has announced further weekend closures on the East Coast Main Line for work on the East Coast Digital Programme (ECDP). These will be on four consecutive weekends starting on 31st January 2026. As previously, rail replacement bus services will be in place between Peterborough and Bedford so that people can travel into London via the Midland Mainline (MML). As well as the ETCS signalling work, tracks and crossings are being refurbished.
Railfuture has a guest blog on the Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance website discussing what needs to happen so more people can travel by train in Cambridgeshire. This opinion piece was published in the Cambridge Independent on 17th December 2025 on page 16.
According to a Cambridge News article the overflow car park at Littleport station will be temprortily taken over for up to three months from 13th March 2026 by East Cambridgeshire District Council as a holding area for new black wheeled bins and foot caddie bins due to be delivered to 43,000 households. The council said: "We have been monitoring [the extension car park] use over the past year and do not anticipate any significant disruption, as the main car park closer to the platform will remain open for motorists throughout this period."
The East West Rail Company is holding a series of community events up to March 2026 giving people the chance to find out more about the latest designs for the railway. This follows the publication of the company's 'You Said, We Did Report' in November 2025, and precede a route-wide consultation to be held later in 2026 prior to it submitting an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) in 2027. The events will take place in Bletchley on Wednesday 28th and Saturday 31st January, in Bedford on Thursday 12th and Saturday 14th February, in Bicester on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February and finally in Cambridge on Thursday 5th and Satrudasy 7th March. Events will also take place in South Cambridgeshire and Tempsford but the dates are not yet confirmed.
The delay to the start of passenger services between Oxford and Milton Keynes (as reported in [Snippets 392]), partly becuase of a dispute between Chiltern Railways and the unions over Driver Controlled Operations (DCO), as reported by the rail media, was picked up by the Times newspaper on 3rd January 2026. Its article included comments by all parties, including the Conservative opposition spokesman, but did not add anything to what was already known. Whether this exposure to a wider audience will lead to a speedy resolution or just cause positions to be further entrenched remains to be seen. For sure, as the government continues re-nationmalisation train operators, it will not be able to hide behind TOCs in the future once it owns them.
On 30th Janury 2026, the BBC rerported that the replacement of the original Entry-Exit (NX) system (a large magnetic panel) at the Power Signal Box (PSB) located at Cambridge station, and which dated back to the PSB's opening in 1982, with brand new MCS-Infinity workstations that are all digitalised. The work took 11 days over the Christmas and New Year period, and was part of the second phase of the £200m Re-signalling, Relock & Recontrol (C3R) programme that covers Cambridgeshire and beyond. The BBC quoted Network Rail's local operations manager, who said: "The equipment which has replaced it is far more reliable, easier to replace, and compatible with the European system [ETCS] as well." The resignalling conencted up the new track around Cambridge South station and the fourth track that runs under Hills Road bridge and will now allow parallel movements on platforms 7 and 8.
Nottingham station is used by many rail passenger from East Anglia. Past issues of Snippets have covered East Midlands Railway's attempt to reduce fare evasion by restricting access betwen the main footbridge and the platforms. From 6th February 2026, EMR will close to the platforms at weekends — this will be in addition to current restrictions in place every night between 19:00 and 06:00, which came into force in August 2025. Railfuturue believes this is the wrong action to take as it inconveniences passengers who can miss tight connections.
The Cambridge University Railway Club (CURC) has anmounced its list of guest speakers up to March 2026. Dr Christopher Micallef the Track Programme Lead of Coventry VLR was on Wednesday 28th January, followed by Adam Sergent and colleagues from the Young Rail Professionals on Wednesday 4th February, Tim Shoveller, the CEO of Freightliner Group, on Wednesday 18th February, Jonathan Prince speaking about the GWR Battery Train on Wednesday 4th March, Stuart Calvert, Network Rail's Capital Delivery Director for the Eastern Region, on Wednesday 11th March and Laura Shoaf, Chair of Shadow Great British Railways, on Wednesday 18th March (rescheduled from late 2025). All of the presentations are held at Queens' College, although the room may vary, and begin at 18:00.
It has been announced that Bob Breakwell, the former Managing Director of First Great Eastern (until March 2004), has died.
Greater Anglia has announced that it has started to install new anti-trespass measures (e.g. additional fences, gates and witches' hats) at some of the railway stations that it manages. This action arises after figures from the past year revealed that trespass incidents caused more than 18 days' worth (440 hours) of delays and caused 251 cancellations between 1st January and 30th September 2025. The work began earlier this month and is expected to be completed in spring 2026.
Frinton railway station has been recognised at the 'Anglia in Bloom Awards' for 2025 receiving the '200 Years of Train Travel – British Railway 200 Years Award', for its floral displays, community involvement, and innovative approach to creating a welcoming environment for residents and visitors. Volunteers from 'Frinton in Bloom' had been the station adopters since 1994. See news story.
The BBC reported on 6th January 2026 that the Nene Valley Railway (NVR) had a disappointing Christmas with fewer passengers than it hoped for, and fewer full trains, which means that it is facing 2026 in a "trickier position" than it anticipated. Explaining the situation, the NVR's chairman saud "drop in numbers reflected cost of living challenges." In 2025, the volunteer-run NVR launched an urgent appeal to raise £300,000 to help keep it running in the face of rising costs and financial challenges. The NVR will be staging a diesel gala on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March 2026, and will feature a visiting GBRf Class 66 locomotive. Visitors will also have the opportunity to drive diesel locomotives as part of Driver for a Fiver.
The Whitwell & Reepham Station will be staging its annual reopening 'Anniversary Weekend' on Saturday 28th February to Sunday 1st March 2026, which will inlcude "Driver for a Fiver". Until then, there will be no trains running in order to allow maintenance work, but the station will still be open to the public on Tuesdays-Sundays for hot drinks, snacks and their "sell-out Sunday Roasts".
On Saturday 10th January 2026, the Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) held a special lunch in Dereham for its working mambers to thank them for their efforts in 2025, especially for the Polar Express, which was again very successful. Following customer and staff feedback during 2025, the MNR will be refurbishing the platform toilet facilities and increasing overall toilet provision at Dereham Station. Works will commence on the platform toilets from 21 January 2026. From 19 January 2026 it will also be installing a high-quality, MNR-branded long-term temporary toilet block for events, replacing the need for frequent portable toilet hire. "These improvements are aimed at enhancing accessibility, comfort, and the overall visitor experience, whilst reducing our expenditure longer term on event washroom facility hire", it said.
EAST WEST RAIL
East West Rail Company confirmed that its preferred location for a new train maintenance depot will be west of Bletchley
The East West Rail Company has confirmed that its preferred location for a new Train Maintenance Depot (TMD) will be next to Whaddon Road, to the north of Newton Longville, which is west of Bletchley. Once the full Oxford-Cambrdige service is in operation, there will be more than 100 full-time jobs at the depot, which will provide storage for trains and where they will be cleaned, inspected, and maintained. The proposed sidings at the new depot will accommodate up to 20 five-car trains, each around 120 metres long, which means that the trsin length will be limited to five cars. It seems a little short-sighted not to add another 20 metres.
News: https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2026/01/location-of-maintenance-depot-for-east-west-rail-confirmed.html.
High-level rail bridge to be replaced at Bletchley for expanded East West Rail services
Just as the giant concrete flyover over the West Coast Mainline at Bletchley had to be replaced for East West Rail, so the
high-level bridge leading to it on the eastern side of Bletchley, dating slightly later (from the 1970s, rather than 1960s), also needs to be
replaced. Currently just a single track, its replacement will have two tracks. See
East West Rail meets ministers to discuss accelerating infrastructure delivery because of new legislation
In late January East West Railway Company (EWR Co) joined key infrastructure providers to discuss with Government how the new Planning and Infrastructure Act, which became law just before Christmas 2025, will help deliver critical infrastructure more quickly and improve public engagement during the planning process. Its purpose is to streamline the planning system, accelerating the construction of new railways, roads, homes and other pieces of major infrastructure.
The new Act should mean that East West Rail will be delivered earlier, thanks to the more streamlined planning system enabling the EWR Co to deliver more localised targeted engagement with communities and key stakeholders, so the economic and social benefits of the new railway will be felt by communities sooner. Perhaps the most signiiciant aspect of the new legislation is to remove the requirement for a statutory consultation before submitting an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build the railway. However, EWR Co will still carry out a full route-wide consultation in spring 2026 as planned, but this will now be a non-statutory consultation.
Between 28th January and 5th March 2026 the EWR Co is holding 'Design Update Sessions' for the public to meet it. These are being held in Cambridge, Bedford, Bletchley and Bicester.
RAIL TIMETABLES
Greater Anglia announces timetable changes for May 2026
Greater Anglia (GA) says that it will be introducing an extensive set of service improvements for passengers on its regional routes in the timetable changes that will apply from Sunday 17th May 2026. Highlights include:
- Extra intercity service calls at Stowmarket on Mondays to Saturdays, giving a half hourly intercity service for most of the day
- An extra morning peak Ipswich to Cambridge service and evening peak Cambridge to Ipswich service on Mondays to Fridays
- An extra morning peak Norwich to Cambridge service and evening peak Cambridge to Norwich service on Mondays to Fridays
- An extra evening service each way between Norwich and Ely on Mondays to Saturdays
- More early morning services between Cambridge and Stansted Airport on Mondays to Fridays
- An earlier first arrival in Lowestoft from East Suffolk line stations on Mondays to Fridays
- A later last train from Lowestoft to Beccles and from Beccles to Lowestoft on Mondays to Saturdays
- More stops for Westerfield on East Suffolk line Ipswich to Lowestoft services on Saturdays and Sundays
- A later departure time for the last Norwich to Lowestoft service on Mondays to Saturdays
- Additional morning and evening peak services between Norwich and Great Yarmouth on Mondays to Fridays
- More services calling at Brundall, Cantley, Reedham, Haddiscoe and Somerleyton on a daily basis, giving them an hourly service
- An extra late evening service each way between Norwich and Sheringham on Mondays to Saturdays
- Extra morning and evening services each way between Norwich and Sheringham on Sundays
- More services calling at Salhouse and Worstead on the Norwich to Sheringham line on a daily basis
The additional services benefit passengers on the Ipswich to Cambridge, Ipswich to Lowestoft, Norwich to Lowestoft, Norwich to Great Yarmouth, Norwich to Sheringham and Norwich to Cambridge routes. Ga has added services to reflect increasing passenger demand on its regional routes, partly driven by the service transformation achieved by the introduction of new trains since 2019, which have resulted in a better travelling environment, more seats, improved punctuality and reliability, and better accessibility (with low floors and retractable steps). The service changes include some enhancements based on feedback from local authorities, community rail partnerships, Railfuture, and rail user groups.
News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1lzz326ndvo.
STATIONS
Greater Anglia improves waiting room at Wivenhoe station
Keywords: [WivenhoeStation]
Greater Anglia (GA) has announced that it has begun a programme of improvements to the waiting room at Wivenhoe station, which is on the line from Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze. GA will install new flooring, improved air conditioning, a new departure screen and upgraded seating, with the addition of plug sockets to support passengers who need to charge their devices while waiting for a train.
The improvements were being delivered in response to growing passenger numbers at Wivenhoe. Work is expected to be complete by mid-February 2026.
Accessibility upgrades have been officially opened at Biggleswade station
Keywords: [BiggleswadeStation]
The new footbridge and lifts at Biggleswade station, which were installed as part of the Government's Access for All programme, were officially opened on Friday 16th January 2026. There is now a step-free route to and between platforms. The station remained open throughout the project, with main construction work running from early 2025 to completion in December. Almost 900,000 people pass through the station each year.
Bedford Borough Council may incur financial hit over larger Wixams railway station to serve Universal theme park
Keywords: [WixamsStation]
Councillors at Bedford Borough Council have been told that the council will not be reimbursed for an estimated £32.1m that it spent preparing for and building a two-platform Wixams station, which has been suspended to allow a larger four-platfrm station instead, in order to cope with much greater demand arising from the Universal theme park.
The BBC news story quoted a DfT spokesperson saying that it was "clear" a much larger station was needed, and that Bedford council had started its own work "at their own risk". The council had budgeted £62.6m for the original council-led railway station, with early stages of the construction (essentially clearing land and creating a works compound and car park) having begun in September 2024, with work halted after the government backed the Universal project in April 2025 when the council terminated its contract with Network Rail. No part of the station (e.g. platforms) had been built. The news station will need tracks slewing, just as Luton Airport Parkway had done back in 1999.
Wixams station is not part of East West Rail, but it is on the other side of the Universal theme park to it — Universal is building one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe.
News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c17zxe10jpzo.
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Railfuture East Anglia Branch News Snippets 394 - 31/01/2026
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Railfuture is a non-profit making pro-rail campaigning organisation, which is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, including production of Rail News Snippets for the East Anglian branch of Railfuture.
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