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What does MARPA exist for?
As a rail user group MARPA exists to lobby for improvements in rail services and facilities by presenting the views of rail travellers in a coordinated and coherent way to the bodies responsible for running the railway and maintaining its infrastructure. Through regular dialogue with those bodies, we aim to highlight the needs of travellers as captured in feedback from our individual and corporate members as well as from the wider travelling public. We also aim to support the Community Rail Partnership in its mission to encourage rail travel and greater engagement with communities along the route. As a group affiliated to Railfuture, we fully endorse its commitment to "a bigger & better railway", and seek to inform wider strategic discussion of the rail network in the east.
Our Key Objectives
To improve traveller experience on the Mid Anglia route by campaigning for
- An hourly service between Ipswich and Peterborough
- Increased frequency beyond current hourly between Ipswich & Cambridge
- Service patterns that offer a broader range of direct trains across the route, including possible extensions west and east to Cambridge South and Felixstowe
- Stopping patterns at all intermediate stations to reflect continued and ongoing growth in traveller volumes
- Later final services to reflect the growth of the night time economy in towns across the route
- Journey times that better reflect the capacity of the route's high quality train fleet
- Secure and suitable station accommodation and surroundings, including the provision of waiting room facilities on platform 1 at Bury St Edmunds
- Suitable access to platforms for all travellers at every station
- Well signposted bus/rail interchanges at relevant stations, with suitable waiting facilities, timetables and train running information at all stations
We aim to realise these objectives by
- Providing feedback to the train operator on performance and other related issues
- Getting feedback from members to inform ongoing dialogue with the train operator
- Providing members with a regular newsletter dealing with current issues
- Responding to rail and other groups requesting information on local services in which we have an interest, including all relevant consultations
- Supporting the wider aspirations of the Community Rail Partnership
- Engaging with all relevant bodies interested in improving rail provision, including local councils and the Community Rail Partnership
To enable us to continue with our objectives we are always seeking new members. Are you able to help?
If you would like to join and support us in our quest then please complete our application form and send to the membership secretary.
The committee meets regularly and new members are always welcome. If you would like more information then please contact any Committee Officer.