EMUs in reserve as GA ‘90s’ approach end of duty

CLASS 90s hauling Mk 3s for Greater Anglia will finish their duty by the end of March - and be replaced principally by Class 745 electric multiple units.

However, the possibility remains that should not enough ‘745s’ be accepted for traffic, then other EMUs could be used to cover the shortfall. GA drivers based at Norwich are being trained on Class 321s which, although already serving the Norfolk city, are currently crewed by staff based in London and Ipswich.

The Mk 3s were due to all be displaced by the end of 2019, because they did not meet the accessibility regulations, while 745001-745010 should have been available for traffic at that time. However, issues with the Stadler EMUs meant the first only entered service on January 7.

GA received an extension from the Government that allowed the

Mk 3s to be used until March 31, but no extension to that has been granted.

As this issue of RAIL went to press there were five intercity Class 745/0s accepted for passenger traffic from a fleet of ten (745002/006/007/009/010), with four in use each day.

Three more are undergoing faultfree running (745004/005/008), along with two Stansted Express

Class 745/1s (745105/106). Unlike the inter-city sets, the Airport sets do not have First Class or catering facilities, but they will run on Norwich-London Liverpool Street services and it’s likely they will be pressed into service to replace the withdrawn Mk 3s.

Meanwhile, the first ‘90’ has been withdrawn by GA, with 90015 Colchester Castle being retired from duty on March 11, having worked the 1930 London Liverpool Street-Norwich.

Of the 15 GA Class 90s, 13 are

destined for Freightliner and two have been bought by Locomotive Services Limited.

GA has also started testing its Stadler ‘755’ bi-mode trains in multiple, ahead of them being used (as planned) on selected Norwich-London trains. Spokesman Jonathan Denby explained: “We have now started the testing and commissioning process for the operation of our Class 755 bi-mode trains in multiple. Once completed, it will increase flexibility in the use of our bi-mode fleet.”

As this issue of RAIL went to press, only four-car bi-mode unit 755403 and Stansted Express 745110 had still to be delivered to the UK, while 755325, 755401/405/406 were the only BMUs not yet accepted for passenger duty.

■ A further six Mk 3s were taken for scrap at Newport Docks on March 12. The coaches, owned by Porterbrook, were

Trailer Buffet Standard (TSB)

10402, Trailer Standards (TS) 12013/040/060/066, 12109. This was the first TSB to be sent for scrap.

The day before, the first full rake of Mk 3s had been taken to the Mid-Norfolk Railway for decommissioning before being sent for scrap.