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Train Company to Provide Buses - Ipswich Town News

Abellio Greater Anglia will lay on buses to get fans home if Wednesday’s FA Cup third round replay against Southampton goes to extra-time and penalties. Abellio had previously announced that trains will not be held back if the match goes beyond the 90 minutes.

Now buses will be laid on for supporters going back to Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Felixstowe.

A statement from Abellio Greater Anglia reads: "We have now considered this further and we will be providing stand-by buses to operate to Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe and Lowestoft in the event of the cup replay going to extra-time and/or penalties. There are later trains to Stowmarket, Diss and Norwich and these will run at the scheduled time.

"As explained, we are unable to run the last scheduled trains later because of the considerable delay this would cause to other passengers using these services, and also because of late-night engineering works that Network Rail is carrying out north of Ipswich on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, which prevents the last trains departing any later.

"Should the match finish in 90 minutes, we are also running an extra train at 22.15 to Stowmarket and Diss, in addition to the scheduled last services to Bury, Felixstowe and Lowestoft."

Supporters Club chair Liz Edwards said: "This is a common-sense outcome that will help many fans in the event of extra-time being needed.

"As soon as fans realised that there was going to be a real problem lots of people mobilised via social media, contacting the Supporters Club, ITFC and Abellio Greater Anglia, as well as the local media.

"The rail company had previously warned that trains would not be held back, but now they have promised to get fans home."

Tuesday’s Mark Murphy mid-morning show on Radio Suffolk will be discussing the issue from around 10am.

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