Replacing existing trains

Greater Anglia currently has 26 diesel multiple units and one locomotive-hauled set hired from Direct Rail Services. The DMUs are used on all its rural routes, while the ‘37s’ and Mk 2s are used on the Norwich-Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft lines.

All the DMUs are leased from Porterbrook. Currently the 12 Class 170/2s used by GA (three-car 170201-208 and two-car 170270-273) are the only trains to have a new home, with Transport for Wales using them from next year. They have recently been refurbished, having been introduced in 1999-2000 (three-car sets) and 2002 (twocar sets).

The five Class 153s (153306/309/314/322/335) and nine Class 156s (156402/407/409/412/416419/422) will all be homeless once their leases expire.

GA plans to store redundant stock at sites including the Mid-Norfolk Railway, while Porterbrook is intent on trying to find new homes for the trains - particularly the ‘156s’, which were the first DMUs fitted with accessible interiors.