Train service to make more stops at Kennett railway station near Newmarket after calls by county and district councillors

Residents who travel by train will enjoy more options and an expanded timetable as a service is set to increase its calls at a rural station following talks with councillors.

Greater Anglia trains running from Ipswich to Cambridge on weekdays will now call at Kennett railway station, near Newmarket, on both the 8.19am and 3.47pm service from May 21 onwards.

This means all Ipswich to Cambridge weekday departures between 5.10am and 9.21am will now serve the village, as well as all Cambridge to Ipswich weekday departures from 2.47pm to 6.47pm. The equivalent Saturday services will also call at Kennett.

This comes after calls for provisions from Cllr Roger Dicker, independent, and conservative councillors Susan Glossop and Lance Stanbury, who discussed possibilities with Greater Anglia, along with officers from West Suffolk Council.

Councillor Glossop said: "I am delighted Greater Anglia is plugging the problematic hole in the timetable for those in West Suffolk travelling by rail, with additional stops at Kennett station.

"This will greatly help families trying to get students to school in Cambridge, and those travelling to and from work.

"I thank fellow councillors for their efforts in representing West Suffolk residents’ interests on the working group with Greater Anglia and Suffolk County Council, and elsewhere. This is a great outcome."

Councillor Stanbury said: "For the past six years I have been campaigning to get train services between Ipswich and Cambridge to stop every hour at our local railway station of Kennett, instead of every other hour, and I would like to thank Greater Anglia and the many other people who have campaigned for this too.

"Kennett is the nearest station for many growing towns and villages in the area, including Mildenhall, Red Lodge, Worlington, Barton Mills and The Rows, and these additional services will be a boost to our local economy by allowing more commuting so local residents can work further afield if they wish.

"These extra stops should save passengers the time, cost and inconvenience of driving all the way to Newmarket or even Ely, and this will also benefit the environment by helping move more people off the road and on to public transport."

The improvements came following resident feedback made to Suffolk County Council and West Suffolk Council.

Councillor Richard Smith, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Transport Strategy and Waste, said: "Any enhancement to existing rail services is good news for passengers and I welcome this move by Greater Anglia.

"This will certainly help encourage more people out of their cars and on to public transport, and by doing so we play a part in reducing congestion and pollution.

"I congratulate everyone involved who has worked on bringing about this outcome."

Councillor Dicker said he was delighted the extra stops had been added as they would help children travel to school, while parish councils would welcome the news given recent housing developments in the area.

Greater Anglia said that, while modern trains were in service, the infrastructure, including a long, single-line section between Chippenham Junction and Cambridge as well as junctions like Coldham Lane near Cambridge and Haughley near Stowmarket, was constrained which led to restricted timetables.

Jonathan Denby, Head of Corporate Affairs for Greater Anglia said: "We are pleased to be able to add in two additional peak stops for Kennett, which will be in place on Mondays to Saturdays, from the start of the May 2023 timetable onwards.

"They mean that all morning peak Ipswich to Cambridge services and all late afternoon/evening peak Cambridge to Ipswich services now serve Kennett, giving passengers a very good choice of options for their rail journeys.

"We always try to keep on improving services in line with local aspirations and we’re glad that even more customers will be able to take advantage of our new trains to travel between Kennett and Cambridge."