Ex-GA ‘321s’ dispatched to Newport for scrapping
SCRAPPING of ex-Greater Anglia Class 321 electric multiple units has begun, with the first two dispatched to Sims Metals at Newport Docks.
The four-car electric multiple units are being disposed of following the introduction (more than 18 months later than planned) of Bombardier Class 720s. By the end of January, 20 Class 321s had been sent offlease by GA.
The 103 EMUs should have been removed from traffic by December 1 2019, as they do not have fully accessible interiors.
Instead, they received government dispensation to remain in traffic until (initially) December 31 2020. That dispensation was further extended until May 31, giving GA more time to introduce its new EMUs.
To cover for unavailable EMUs, GA also hired ex-Northern 321901-903, 322481-485 on a short-team lease from last year. These are deemed more compliant than all but 30 of their GA classmates.
Former GA 321357 and 321446 were the first to be taken to
Wales for disposal, leaving Ilford for the final time on January 26. Seventeen of the remaining 18 that are currently off-lease will be sent to Wales, while one set (321334) is moving to Wabtec for unconfirmed work.
Class 321s are the designated platform for Alstom’s Class 600 Breeze hydrogen multiple unit (HMU) project, with work under way on modifying the first two trains (321437/448).
The decision to begin scrapping the EMUs doesn’t affect these plans, which the manufacturer said is reliant upon orders being won.
Eversholt Rail Group, which owns the ‘321s’ and which is working with Alstom on the Breeze project, confirmed that a number of the EMUs have been identified for HMU conversion, with at least ten required for Tees Valley.
It’s thought that the 30
‘Renatus’ units (321301-330) are likely candidates following their refurbishment in 2016-17.
The EMUs currently off-lease are 321334/344/345/348-352/356/ 358/363/364/366, 321422/425/ 435/438/442.
While 18 individual Class 321 vehicles have been disposed of following accidents or when ‘321s’ were converted into three-car
Class 320s, these will be the first complete units to be scrapped.
The EMUs were built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) at York Works in 1988-91. Ordered by Network SouthEast, the Class 321/3s were designated for routes from London Liverpool Street to replace ageing Class 305, ‘307’, ‘308’ and ‘309’ fleets.
A further order for Class 321/4s was placed by NSE. They were initially intended for the Great Eastern Main Line (other than five for the West Coast Main Line), but that plan changed and all 48 were allocated to the WCML for suburban services between Euston and Birmingham New Street. They began transferring to the GEML in various cascades that began in 1997 and continued until 2011.
Three ‘321/9s’ were ordered by West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive for use in and around Leeds. They remained in that area from 1991 until 2020.