Updated 09.45 and at 11.40 and 15.50 on 20 Jan.

EMR said ‘some off-peak and less popular services’ would be ‘temporarily removed’, although it added that it was preparing to restore the axed services quickly when lockdown travel bans were eased again. Greater Anglia is reducing its services to around 72 per cent of their previous level, but trains will continue to run on all its routes, usually at lower frequencies.

Greater Anglia managing director Jamie Burles explained: ‘Our passenger numbers are significantly lower, so it makes sense to reduce the number of services that we run. However, we will continue to run a safe, reliable and punctual service for those essential travellers who need to use our railway.’

Director of nations and regions at the Rail Delivery Group Robert Nisbet said: ‘Changing to a reduced timetable during this period of much lower demand will deliver certainty for those people who need to travel while saving taxpayers’ money. We ask people to check before they travel in the weeks ahead and we thank our frontline rail staff whose hard work is keeping other key workers moving.’