ESTA's Chairman received a letter from Secretary of State Lord Adonis dated 15th December stating "My Department is using the output of (the recent).. consultation exercise to determine what changes it will approve to the current specification of rail services in the region, if any."

In other words, the Department for Transport had not yet decided whether to allow National Express East Anglia to withdraw Lowestoft - London through services.

Communications from NXEA's Managing Director, however, have given every indication that the changes are going ahead.

On December 30th, ESTA Chairman Trevor Garrod therefore wrote to him, asking if the Department for Transport had now given approval to NXEA's request and, if so, how the spare diesel multiple units would be used between December 2010 and December 2012, pending delivery of the promised hourly Lowestoft - Ipswich service. No reply has yet been received.