GREATER Anglia has invested over £1 million in upgrading waiting shelters, toilets and benches at rail stations across East Anglia.

A total of nine new waiting shelters have been installed, eight of them replacing old ones at Braintree Freeport, Brandon, Great Chesterford, Hatfield Peverel, Harlow Mill and Wrabness, and at Alresford, an additional new shelter has been installed.

Toilet facilities have been refurbished at Audley End, Chelmsford, Cheshunt, Hockley, Manningtree, Marks Tey, Shenfield and Thorpe Le Soken.

The upgrade included new tiling, hand dryers and decoration and at some stations new sinks and worktops.

Over 450 platform benches have also been upgraded, and some old style metal benches have been replaced with timber ones which are more comfortable and improve the appearance of the platforms.

The new benches – which would be the equivalent of a kilometre long if placed end to end – have supplemented and/or replaced older benches at 76 stations (listed below), across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Greater Anglia’s Director of Asset Management, Simone Bailey, said: “These upgrades provide a better station environment and improved comfort for passengers, as we welcome people back to the railway.

“It’s part of an ongoing programme of station upgrade projects which has also included car park re-lining and wider station presentation standards across our network to ensure our facilities are in excellent condition for our customers.”

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Benches have been installed at Acle, Alresford, Althorne, Battlesbridge, Beccles, Braintree Freeport, Brampton, Brandon, Brimsdown, Brundall Gardens, Bures, Cantley, Chapel & Wakes Colne, Colchester, Colchester Town, Cressing, Cromer, Darsham, Derby Road, Dovercourt, Dullingham, Eccles Road, Elmswell, Elsenham, Felixstowe, Frinton on Sea, Great Chesterford, Great Bentley, Gunton, Haddiscoe, Halesworth, Harwich International, Harwich Town, Hertford East, Hoveton & Wroxham, Hythe, Kirby Cross, Lakenheath, Lingwood, Melton, Mistley, Newmarket, Newport, North Fambridge, North Walsham, Oulton Broad North, Oulton Broad South, Ponders End, Reedham, Roughton Road, Roydon, Rye House, Salhouse, Saxmundham, Shelford, Shippea Hill, Somerleyton, Spooner Row, St Margarets, Sudbury, Thetford, Thorpe Le Soken, Thurston, Trimley, Waltham Cross, Weeley, Westerfield, West Runton, White Notley, Whittlesea, Whittlesford Parkway, Wivenhoe, Woodbridge, Worstead, Wrabness and Wymondham.