Free Rail-Bus Link to Top Folk Festival

Festival goers travelling by train will once again be able to take advantage of a free bus shuttle this year after use of the service last year increased by more than 35%.

Special Bus Link

The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership has renewed its sponsorship of the link which connects Wickham Market Railway Station with the Folk East Festival held at Glemham Hall, encouraging more of those attending to travel by rail, helping the organisers to further extend their extensive green credentials.

One of the country’s top music festivals, Folk East takes place over three days from August 17 and the special bus service will link Wickham Market Station (located in the village of Campsea Ashe) with the event offering free onward transport to those arriving and departing by rail. This year, festival organisers predict their biggest turn out yet with folk heavyweights Oysterband and Show of Hands headlining the Sunset open air stage.

Environmentally Friendly

The festival attracts several thousand people per day and with an increasing number traveling by train the free shuttle bus services has been further enhances the festivals environmentally friendly credentials, having been awarded a Gold Suffolk Carbon Charter for their work on reducing the carbon footprint of the festival. Organisers will once again source 95% of the entire event infrastructure from Suffolk based companies, with around 90% of all food, ales and ciders on sale sourced locally.

Becky Marshall-Potter for Folk East said, “We are delighted to again receive support from the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, allowing us to double the number of services from Wickham Market Station to the festival site. Each year the festival grows substantially and their support helps to reduce the number of vehicles using an already congested A12 and fits with our ambition to be one of the greenest festivals in Europe.”folkeast bus2017

The service will connect with all Greater Anglia East Suffolk Line services between Ipswich & Lowestoft arriving and departing at Wickham Market Station, those heading from London are advised to change at Ipswich with passengers from Norwich and the Midlands advised to change at Lowestoft.

Community Rail Partnership Chair, Aaron Taffera added, “We are pleased to support Folk East for a third consecutive year with what is becoming an increasingly popular link to the festival enabling many more of those attending the convenience of a dedicated bus link, travel in a more environmentally sustainable way and the opportunity to enjoy more of the beautiful Suffolk Countryside on their journey.”

Paul Haynes, commits Partnerships Manager, Greater Anglia, said: “This is a great way for people to travel to the festival and we’re very pleased to be working with the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership to support this initiative once again.”

Group Save Tickets

There are a number of options available to those going to the festival by rail including group save tickets allowing up to a third off travel for groups between 3 and 9 with accompanying children priced at just £2, and for those travelling from within Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Cambridgeshire, a special Anglia Plus rover ticket can also offer substantial savings.

Download the Rail-Bus Connection Timetable

The complete 2018 rail-bus connection timetable, more the 90 trains meeting the Folk East bus, is available for download.