The big event may be more than nine months away - but councils and transport companies are making big plans for Ed Sheeran’s concerts in Ipswich next August Bank Holiday.
And the best news for them so far is that there is not expected to be any major disruption on the region’s rail services over the four days that he is due to be playing in Chantry Park.
Network Rail often schedules major engineering work over bank holiday weekends, but there are none planned on the Great Eastern Main Line between London and Norwich next August – meaning trains from both directions should be able to travel with few problems.
Some maintenance had been planned on the East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Lowestoft over the weekend – but that has now been rescheduled to allow trains to run there as normal. And there should also be normal services on cross-country services from Ipswich to Cambridge and Peterborough.
Greater Anglia is expected to look to run more – and longer – trains to Ipswich from all directions, especially from London as many fans from the capital and Essex are expected to make the journey.
Many of the tickets to the concerts are thought to have been sold as part of a concert and travel package to fans across the south of England.
Ed’s only two venues in the UK at the end of next year’s six-month World Tour are at Leeds and the four nights at Ipswich and fans are expected to travel hundreds of miles to see him in the town.
An A-Team of transport planners is already working on the logistics of getting 46,000 people in and out of Chantry Park on each of the four nights.
Concert-goers will be encouraged to walk to and from Chantry Park from the town centre and the railway station. Coach drop-off points may be some distance away from the park with a shuttle service only for those concert-goers unable to walk a mile or so to the venue.
One official said: “We are already preparing to cope with the numbers of people we are expecting to come to Ipswich. It will be very busy for four nights’ running.
“We need to make sure everyone with a ticket can get there and with the best will in the world, the easiest and quickest way will be for them to walk to and from the park if they are able to.”
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