NEWS

ESTA has welcomed the start of the electric minibus demand responsive service between Wickham Market station (in Campsea Ashe) and Framlingham. (www.katchalift.com)

This is a pilot scheme. If it is a pilot, presumably changes could be made (e.g. in ticketing?) in the next 11 months. We welcome feedback, positive or negative, via the ESTA website.

ESTA has been in discussion with local councillors over the future of bus service 99A along the Southwold - Halesworth - Bungay corridor after the present contract expires in spring 2022. It remains our view that a commercial service could run between Norwich, Bungay and Halesworth and a separate sponsored service between Halesworth and Southwold - connecting with trains. ESTA is concerned that the Government has not awarded any "Bus Back Better" money to Suffolk and so we are pressing the decision-makers as to what is likely to happen when the Bus Recovery Grant ends in October. At the moment, the 99A is still running.

The results of our train and bus survey have been sent to operators, councillors and MPs. We also plan to respond to the Suffolk County Council Enhanced Bus Partnership proposals in late January.

The New Cut overflowed on to the Lowestoft - Norwich line and washed away its ballast on January 30th. The driver and conductor of the first train to Lowestoft that morning deserve praise for spotting the problem, stopping the train and getting the passengers to safety. Network Rail and Greater Anglia also deserve praise for arranging alternatives, working 24/7 to repair the damage and getting services back to normal of February 5th.  ESTA's Chair has praised them all in a letter published in the Lowestoft Journal on February 11th.