A RAIL boss has used the East Anglian rail summit to lobby for improved services for customers.

Greater Anglia managing director Ruud Haket outlined his plans to secure key improvements to the Great Eastern line when he spoke at the Westminster meeting.

The line includes stations in Clacton, Walton, Chelmsford, Colchester and Manningtree.

Mr Haket called on Network Rail to make improvements, including increasing speeds on the line to 110mph and laying new track north of Chelmsford, in plans to be implemented by 2019 .

Mr Haket said: “In less than a year of operating the franchise we have increased punctuality standards across our network to the highest levels for 12 years.

“However, there is much more to do to achieve greater consistency of performance and raise customer service standards further.”

The summit comes after Mr Haket wrote to more than 200 rail users, local authorities and MPs, asking them to lobby the Department for Transport, the Office of Rail Regulation and Network Rail to support his call for improvements.

Network Rail's investment plans for 2014 to 2019 are due to be approved by the Office of Rail Regulation in the autumn.