High hopes for better transport links between rail and bus in north Norfolk towns after meeting

Poor links between bus and train services in Sheringham look set for improvement following a meeting chaired by Norfolk MP Norman Lamb.

A meeting organised by Mr Lamb saw key Norfolk transport officials meet to discuss ways to improve the train-bus interchange between Sheringham and Holt.

Actions agreed upon include:

-Bus times will be displayed at Sheringham train station;

-Maps at the station will show bus stops;

-The station will have a sign to the bus stops;

-When Sanders review their operation of the Coasthopper service in September they will liaise with Greater Anglia to look to see whether they can improve the timing of buses to link up with trains;

-At the same time they will consider whether they can extend the range of through-ticketing to apply on Holt buses.

This follows analysis by David Hurdle and James Thomson, Sheringham and Holt residents, showing that reasonable interchange times at Sheringham station are inconsistent, and there is currently no provision for ensuring reasonable changeover times between train and bus departures.

Mr Lamb said: 'Good transport links are essential in rural areas like north Norfolk, if people are left waiting for a connection it can be a really frustrating experience, and it puts people off using public transport.

'This was a productive meeting and I hope to see improvements in the interchange times at Sheringham and elsewhere as a result. I am also really keen to see more opportunities for passengers to be able to buy through tickets for journeys involving rail and bus services.'

Mr Hurdle said: 'After quite a long wait I can now see some specific and positive action proposed which is very good news. The operators are taking notice, and by their joint working we will hopefully get more attractive and better promoted public transport'.