Abellio Greater Anglia's new 2022 train timetable threatens the safety of children who attend the Chelmsford and Ingatestone secondary schools. With the school day finishing at 1540 there is only one train that leaves Chelmsford at 1554 to Ingatestone and Shenfield. The next train is over 45 minutes later.

This will lead to the following;

- Children as young as 11 not getting home before 5 or 6pm if they miss the 1554, as many will have connecting trains to Billericay, Brentwood, Wickford etc. Some will also ride their bicycle home too from the station. It goes without saying it is Winter and how dark it gets.

- Literally hundreds of children running to make the train in the 14 mins (Googlemaps says the journey will take 12 mins, assuming your classroom is conveniently located on the main road and all the pedestrian lights are green...). Ignoring that train doors close 30 secs before the train is due to depart! Some of the roads by the station do not have pedestrian crossings.

-  Hundreds of children trying to get through the limited turnstiles only to make it on to a narrow platform to make the one train spells like an accident waiting to happen

- Covid... Absolutely no chance of social distancing on the carriages (and how many carriages will there be? 5 / 8 / 10 is anyone's guess...)

- More parents driving their children to school given the above issues further leading to health problems and traffic congestion near the town centre.

The morning journey has similar issues where there were previously 3 trains leaving Shenfield to Chelmsford within half an hour to get pupils to school on time, there is now one train… the 0759. The prior train 0725 gets in far too early or 0825 which is too late. 

Surely Abellio sees the data on how many pupils take the train per day... And the foresight and empathy to know when the school day ends to plan their timetable? This new timetable may be suitable assuming schools are closed, not for when they are open and especially when the government is encouraging the use of public transport for a zero carbon target.

Please join us in making Abellio take note and to add your voice for change.