Transport & Logistics International Volume 12 Issue 4 | Page 105

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ c2c
Rail
“ Back in the 1990s , c2c used to be known as the Misery Line ,” he opens . Keen to transform this negative reputation , c2c made significant investments around the turn of the century , with new trains , station refurbishments , and the widespread implementation of ticket gates . “ From the late 1990s , the company was held by National Express before it was acquired in 2017 by Trenitalia , the Italian state railway . To this day , Trenitalia remains our owning group ,” Steve continues .
“ Geographically , we operate from London to Southend-on-Sea ( Southend ) in Essex , via the Essex Thameside area known locally as the ‘ Essex Riviera ’, all the way down to Shoeburyness at the end of the line . Essentially , we link communities in East London and South Essex with the cities of London and Southend . Though it is not necessarily a nationally recognized brand , c2c is well-known locally for taking commuters from South Essex to the City of London and the Docklands , tourists and day-trippers to the beaches , parks and attractions of Chalkwell , Leigh-on- Sea and Southend-on-Sea , and students to the various secondary schools , colleges and university sites located right across the route . In fact , we have always had a commuter-dominated customer base , with about 75 percent of our journeys falling under this category prior to the pandemic . However , this proportion , as is the case with all train operating companies serving London from the home counties , decreased during and after the pandemic ,” he says .
Sustainable services
It is no secret that the pandemic has had devastating impacts on many industries , with transportation one of the worst hit due to the travel restrictions that ensued and subsequent changes to customers ’
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