Ed Sheeran Concerts – A Triumph for Public Transport

Our cover story in Rail East 181 (February this year) congratulated Network Rail for keeping the railway open over the August bank holiday, traditionally a time when they like to carry out engineering works. We also praised Greater Anglia for engaging with the local council and the concert promoters to run additional trains to transport the expected crowds to Ipswich and to get them home again.

The event was enjoyed by around 140,000 people over four evenings (Friday to Monday). This was by some margin the biggest event ever to have been staged in Chantry park and doubts were raised by some people about the impact this might have had on congestion and whether there was sufficient car parking in the town.

Although many local people made their own way to the park, large numbers were expected to travel from many parts of the country, and even from overseas, as Ipswich was one of only two venues chosen by the artist to perform in the UK this year.
Several transport options were made available:-
Up to 10,000 people travelled from towns and cities outside the region on coaches laid on by the promoters.

Around 20,000 used a bus shuttle between the park, the town centre and the rail station laid on by Ipswich Buses. Almost the entire fleet was available in the late evening.
A ‘Park and Ride’ facility was laid on between the concert venue and Trinity Park on the other side of town. This carried around 16,000.