c2c and Network Rail Anglia Agree to Meet MPs After Apology for 'Unacceptable' Service

Eight MPs have written to c2c and Network Rail Anglia asking for a meeting in Parliament to discuss "unacceptable" rail services in recent months, and the operator's leadership has apologised and agreed to meet. Yahoo reported the letter and the response.

Why Eight MPs Wrote to c2c and Network Rail Anglia

Jen Craft, the Labour MP for Thurrock, said in the open letter that constituents had "faced repeated and prolonged periods of disruption" travelling between south Essex and London. James Asser, Margaret Mullane, Bayo Alaba, Richard Holden, Julia Lopez, Mark Francois and Rebecca Harris also signed. All represent constituencies served by the c2c route.

Great British Railways (GBR) Anglia, the joint leadership team of Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia, said recent services fell below its standards. Rob Mullen, its chief customer and commercial officer, said: "We're really sorry that the service to passengers on the c2c network hasn't been good enough of late and fully recognise that those travelling to work, school, appointments and other commitments have faced a lot of disruption."

Mullen said GBR Anglia was working to restore services through Barking after a freight train derailed there on 23 October, causing "extensive" damage to 1.2km (0.75 miles) of track. He said the organisation was looking to strengthen infrastructure resilience, including preparation for extreme weather, and would "welcome" the meeting. Network Rail chief Jeremy Westlake outlined winter resilience plans after extreme heatwaves and two derailments, citing soil moisture deficits, New Civil Engineer reported on November 4.

Craft, who commutes on the route, said incidents such as the derailment "can happen" but criticised the speed of response and what passengers described as "really poor communication" from c2c. On Wednesday, c2c posted on X advising customers not to travel on the Ockendon or Rainham lines because of signalling issues.

c2c's Recent Record on Disruption

According to akta.pro company records, c2c runs passenger services across 26 stations between London Fenchurch Street and South Essex destinations including Southend, Basildon and Shoeburyness, and operates under the GBR Anglia banner within the publicly owned Great British Railways structure. The same records show 92.5% of trains called at stations within 3 minutes of scheduled time in the four weeks ending 31 May 2026, and 79.4% arrived within 1 minute at all station calls. Fares were frozen under the Big Rail Fare Freeze policy until March 2027.

Earlier Disruption on the c2c Network

On 20 October 2026, EIN Presswire reported that c2c trains across the Basildon, Rainham and Ockendon lines faced disruptions and cancellations all week, with no Londonbound trains stopping at Limehouse. On 16 October 2026, EIN Presswire reported that Limehouse's London-bound platform would close from October 17 to November 2 for the third phase of a renewal project. The same outlet reported on 16 October 2026 that commuters between London Fenchurch Street and Shoebury faced delays due to speed restrictions, with 10 services delayed or amended.

What Happens After the MPs' Letter

GBR Anglia said it would welcome the opportunity to meet the MPs to address their concerns. Craft said she hoped the wider nationalisation project would make it easier to get answers from rail bosses, who she said had long been able to "point the finger at each other".