New wayfinding signage at Fenland rail stations points in the right direction for sustainable journeys

December 9, 2020

New signs have been installed at rail stations and in towns and villages across the Fens to help people find their way between the station, town centres and local attractions.

The signs – which have been installed in March, Manea and Whittlesea – have been funded by The Hereward Line Community Rail Partnership and installed by Cambridgeshire County Council and Skanska in conjunction with train operator, Greater Anglia.

It is hoped that by making it easier to navigate to and from the rail stations, more people will be encouraged to travel sustainably, helping to tackle the congestion and pollution caused by road vehicles.

Paul Nelson, Chair of the Hereward Line Community Rail Partnership, said: “One of the key things we can do to tackle climate change is encourage people to get out of their cars and use the train instead as – apart from cycling and walking – rail is the most environmentally friendly way to travel.

“This project was about making it easier to do that, as being able to navigate from the train station to your destination with confidence can help people make that switch.”

Last year, Greater Anglia reduced its total carbon emissions by 11 per cent overall, preventing 13,570 equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change, being released into the atmosphere.

Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, added: “Rail is already a much greener way to travel – and our new fleet of trains will contribute even more thanks to their more environmentally friendly features which will reduce CO2 and particulate emissions in the region further still.

“It’s also a far nicer way to travel, soaking up the ever-changing view of the Fenland countryside from the train window without the stress and pollution caused by sitting in traffic.”

Rail passengers are advised to make fewer journeys, travel at quieter times and check which are the less busy trains at Greater Anglia’s website.

Greater Anglia continues to ensure that rail travel is safe for staff and passengers with an enhanced cleaning regime on stations and trains, concentrating on high-touch areas such as push buttons, grab rails and door handles, sanitising trains using new powerful cleaning equipment such as fogging guns which spray a fine mist of disinfectant which clings to all surfaces, and using hygiene monitoring units.

The train operator has also introduced a wide range of measures to make it easier for customers to maintain social distancing at stations and on trains – including floor markings, one-way systems, new signs and queuing systems. It is now mandatory for customers to wear a face covering when using public transport, to help reduce the spread of Covid-19. Children under the age of 11 and people with a disability or illness which means they cannot wear a face covering are exempt from wearing them.