GA seeks new maintenance depot site after rejecting Brantham

Greater Anglia has finally confirmed that it has cancelled plans to open a new maintenance depot at Brantham.

The operator requires additional stabling space for its 169 new trains, and had chosen a site north of Manningtree for a new depot, which included a wheel lathe.

It launched the project in February 2017 ( RAIL 821), but has now cancelled it owing to a number of factors including access, land quality and price.

Negotiations regarding a new site continue, with sources suggesting Harwich Parkeston Quay as a likely replacement location. GA says it will announce the new location once contracts have been finalised.

GA currently has two maintenance facilities at Ilford and Norwich Crown Point. The former will be the home for Bombardier Class 720s, while Stadler’s Class 745 and ‘755s’ will be based at Norwich Crown Point, which is currently being rebuilt.

Additional stabling space has been secured at Colchester, while new trains delivered but not accepted for traffic will be stored at the Mid-Norfolk Railway, as will ‘classic’ fleets still leased by GA but out of traffic.

Meanwhile, it is also expected that the first ‘Norwich in 90’ trains running between the Norfolk city and London will use Class 755 bi-mode units (BMUs).

Two trains per day in each direction are due to run in the shorter journey times, and these will eventually use the Stadler Class 745 electric multiple units. However, initially the BMUs are expected to be used until enough of the inter-city EMUs are available.