Yet the operator has shown consistent improvement. At the 2020 Golden Whistles it picked up Silver awards for most improved performance in both the Long Distance and London and South East categories. This year it won Silver again for its London and South East services, but for Long Distance went one better by winning Gold for best in class.
OPPORTUNITY
While the Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating for so many, every crisis presents opportunities, and this one was no different.
In March 2020 it soon became clear that timetables would be reduced significantly as demand plummeted. From an engineering perspective, this meant fewer trains would be needed to run the service.
What could be done with the spare trains? Greater Anglia’s response was to place eight-car trains in various locations around the network as strategic spares, which could replace defective trains or help service recovery during disruption. There was also a change of mindset within engineering teams – the pre- Covid timetable was based on high levels of availability, but with fewer trains required to maintain the reduced service there was no need to take risks. For example, trains which had been repaired following defect…
