Greater Anglia - Greater Anglia Rolling Stock - K

 

 

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2021)

 

Greater Anglia inherited a fleet of Class 90, Mark 3 carriages, Driving Van Trailers, Class 153, Class 156 and Class 170 diesel multiple units, and Class 315, Class 317, Class 321, Class 360 and Class 379 electric multiple units from National Express East Anglia.

 

Due to its short initial franchise term, Greater Anglia was not planning to introduce any new trains, although this policy changed substantially following the start of its second franchise term in October 2016.

 

In November 2013, an online petition was launched, aimed at stopping Greater Anglia's trains from dumping raw sewage from the train toilets directly onto the tracks. There were also concerns with the 'sewage mist' from passing trains making Network Rail staff ill, and Greater Anglia announced it was "working closely" with the government to introduce a fleet upgrade. By October 2016, all the franchise's Mark 3 carriages and Class 156 multiple units had been refitted with controlled emission toilets.

 

On 31 May 2015, the company's fleet of Class 315 trains were cascaded to London Overground and TfL Rail, and some Class 317 trains have been cascaded to London Overground, which has taken over local services in North and East London from the Greater Anglia franchise.

 

In August 2016, it was announced 1,043 new carriages would be purchased, which will allow for all of the ageing stock to be replaced, especially necessary given that a number of coaches are not compliant with accessibility requirements beyond 2020 and they would not be able to meet Abellio's new targets for lower journey times without extensive modification.

 

One part of the contract went to Bombardier with nearly £1 billion to build 111 Bombardier Aventra electric multiple units and the other part of the purchase went to Stadler to build 58 FLIRT electric multiple units, all of which would enter service between August 2019 and September 2020.

 

Bombardier's order included all 111 Class 720 units for taking over local and commuter services out of Liverpool Street. Stadler's order included 20 twelve-carriage Class 745 units for taking over intercity services on the Great Eastern Main Line and the Stansted Express as well as 38 three- and four-carriage Class 755 units for taking over all local diesel services from the previous outdated rolling stock. By July 2020, all Class 755 trains have entered passenger service.

 

The first unit of the new order to enter service was the Class 755 fleet, of which the first one entered service on 29 July 2019 on the Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft route. The next of the order was the Class 745/0 fleet, of which the first one entered service on 8 January 2020 on the Great Eastern Main Line operating services between Norwich and Liverpool Street. Following the introduction of these units, the loco-hauled Class 90 sets have all been withdrawn from service, with the last set running its last services on 24 March 2020.

 

In March 2020, testing of the new Class 720 fleet finally began and is continuing to be done despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in order to allow the first unit to enter service within the next few months.

 

In June 2020, the units were authorised to enter passenger service and after further testing and crew training, the first two units finally entered service on 26 November 2020 as a pairing on the Shenfield to Southend Line.

 

Beginning in June 2020, Class 360s began moving to Kings Heath TMD, Northampton for modifications by Siemens to make them 110 mph in preparation for their transfer to East Midlands Railway. Due to delays in commissioning the Class 720s and to allow the Class 360s to be released, three Class 321/9s and five Class 322s, last used by Northern Trains were leased from July 2020. The first unit bound for East Midlands Railway, 360120, moved to Cricklewood Depot on 10 November 2020, with all having transferred to EMR by February 2021.

 

Due to high leasing costs the fleet of 30 Class 379 Electrostar EMUs was withdrawn and sent to storage in February 2022.

 

On 1 August 2022, Greater Anglia confirmed that all West Anglia Services are operated by Class 720 Aventra units.

 

Greater Anglia withdrew its Class 321 fleet at the end of April 2023.

 

 

Greater Anglia Franchise(s): Greater Anglia