Rail Replacement Flags

As any regular user of the rail network knows there are times when your train might be replaced by a bus service. This is to allow routine maintenance to take place which may include the grinding of rails, replacement of sleepers and ballast, or cutting back line-side vegetation.

Whenever maintenance takes place it is done at times when it will least inconvenience passengers, such as at the weekend, during bank holidays, or overnight when possible.

Some lines require more maintenance than others. This is especially true of the Felixstowe Line which not only carries the hourly Abellio Greater Anglia passenger service to and from Ipswich but sees an enormous amount of rail freight traffic from the Port of Felixstowe. The amount of freight trains using the line (up to 24 per day in each direction) and the weight of those trains (up to 775 metres long carrying 10 and 20 foot containers) means the track needs to be maintained more often than other lines which carry only passenger trains.

Due to the constraints of some stations it’s more convenient for passengers to catch the rail replacement bus at a nearby established bus shelter. To help passengers whenever a replacement bus service is in effect Abellio Greater Anglia and Suffolk County Council have teamed up to flag these rail replacement bus stops. The special signs, which show the familiar Double Arrow logo, have been placed by the Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport Team at the established bus stops along Derby Road (next to the railway station) and on High Road in Trimley (5 minutes walk from Trimley Railway Station).

A rail replacement bus service is in effect on the Felixstowe Line Saturday 08/08 and Sunday 09/08, and again Sunday 24/08 and Monday 25/08. This will also affect passengers traveling between Woodbridge and Ipswich. See the page under the heading ‘Planned Timetable Changes’ for more information.