THE DUTCH operator which took over the Greater Anglia franchise at the start of February has apologised for the problems which have dogged its first few weeks. Abellio, which is the international arm of Netherlands railways, said it had been affected by a combination of train faults and overhead line problems.

In a joint statement from Abellio and Network Rail, the companies admitted that 'our performance has not been to the level expected nor demanded by you, our customers, during this time and for this we are sorry'.

The message, signed by Abellio Greater Anglia managing director Ruud Haket and Network Rail route managing director Dave Ward, also pointed out that performance has now started to improve, with 90.6 per cent of trains arriving within five minutes of right time in the week ending 10 March.

The statement continued: 'We recognise that we need to continue this and would like to apologise for the problems yesterday morning (15 March) caused by a late running freight train at Harlow Mill and over-running engineering work between Witham and Chelmsford. Ensuring our services run on time is important to you and we understand the impact it has when we let you down. Both Greater Anglia and Network Rail are working together to improve the performance of our service.'

When transport minister Theresa Villiers announced last October that Abellio had been awarded the franchise, she had said: "The reliability requirements for the new franchise are also more demanding than the previous one", but no further details, particularly the actual PPM target, have been published as yet.

Some of the reasons given for the poor performance in the first month included wintry weather in early February, overhead wire problems at Romford on the evening of 5 February and several train faults.

Abellio and Network Rail said action was now being taken, which included a Network Rail review of all outstanding overhead wire problems, with fault rectification already under way. Points problems at Clapton Junction have also come under the spotlight, with 'options for changes' being considered, while the points on the approaches to Liverpool Street are also to be 'significantly improved' as part of engineering works at Hackney Downs over Easter. The companies added that they were continuing to work with British Transport Police to reduce cable theft, and that 'hotspot patrols' were being stepped up.

Another initiative may involve renewing the signalling inside the tunnel on the approach to Stansted Airport, which is reported to have been suffering recently from damp and the resulting build-up of ice. In the shorter term, Network Rail said it would improve the existing installation in time for the Olympics.

A review of the way Greater Anglia handles major disruption has also begun. The company explained: 'This review will look at ensuring we serve all stations during disruption as well as aiming to minimise the overcrowding which can occur after services have been suspended. We will also review our policy for assisting customers who become trapped on trains when incidents occur.'

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Abellio was the highest bidder for the Greater Anglia franchise, which lasts for only 29 months. The company has undertaken to pay premiums of £417.8 million, while the second- and third-ranked bidders had offered £358.5 million and £348.6 million.