Freight expectations for converted Class 321s as Varamis Rail goes for growth

Varamis Rail hosted an event at Liverpool Street station in London to demonstrate the benefits of companies using its growing fleet of high-speed freight Class 321 electric multiple units for the bulk movement of parcels and logistics traffic, with the company aiming to expand its operations into central London in the near future. Varamis Rail won a ‘First of a Kind’ grant from Innovate UK in September 2022 to support its activities in express rail freight. This funding from the Department for Transport enabled the company to continue developing its rail operations, including attracting new customers onto rail which previously had little or no knowledge of what the railway could offer. Varamis Rail has ambitious plans for expansion of its operations to various destinations across the country eventually. It started its operations initially with a five-nights-a-week return working between Mossend and Birmingham International in January last year, using a converted Class 321 which had been stripped of its passenger seating and facilities, with the four-coach EMU now able to accommodate roll cages, pallets and even loose items.

Since its formation, the company has grown and its fleet of Class 321s now consists of 10 of the 100mph former passenger EMUS, bought by Varamis Rail from their previous owner, leasing company Eversholt. Five have been modified for their new role (321334, 321407/419/428/429), with the remaining five stored, and these will also be modified as and when the company has such demand that necessitates their conversion. While the trains have internally been converted, externally they still carry the unbranded colour schemes applied by their last passenger operators. The two trains displayed at Liverpool Street – 321428/429 – still wear the National Express silver and white livery carried by them prior to their withdrawal by Greater Anglia. The preview event held on March 13 saw Network Rail chairman Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill welcome interested parties, highlighting the potential benefits of the railway and companies such as Varamis Rail working together for the movement of bulk goods into the heart of city centres.

He said: “In our lives, we all order goods on websites for delivery tomorrow, and this is a practical and sustainable way to deliver items straight into city centres, using rolling stock that is well-suited for bulk movement of those goods, then get that last mile or so done from the station using sustainable means, such as electric vehicles or cycles, and completely change the face of how modern deliveries are made. “Delivering goods into city centres by means other than road, and at times when these stations have enough space and capacity to deal with them, it is so obvious, and I hope that those who deal in bulk parcels and ‘just in time’ deliveries get the idea that this is such a sensible thing to do. It’s sustainable, it’s economical, and it’s the future.”

Varamis Rail managing director Phil Read said: “It is probably more than 30 years since we last saw a parcels or mail train coming into this part of London and things have been done differently for far too long. We need to change the way big business moves its goods in and around, and all of our major cities could have a train like this. It also supports decarbonisation and promotes clean air strategies.”

Companies which are able to offer sustainable end-to-end deliveries for the first and last mile, such as electric vans and e-cargo bikes, were also on display at the event, along with innovations in refrigerated transportation that could also be used by retailers on the Varamis service.

Varamis aims for the trains to operate a station-to-station service, with customers delivering their goods to the train at the start of the journey from their nearest distribution point, and the train then covering the main bulk of the journey before the goods are collected for distribution and delivery to the end user. This process helps to remove HGV journeys from the roads and offset carbon emissions, with the EMUS being a more environmentally-friendly method of moving bulk parcel traffic and light freight.

Steve Donald Andy Coward On March 15, Retro Railtours operated a special charter, ‘The Master Cutler’, from Sheffield into London Marylebone as part of the 125th anniversary celebrations of the opening of station in 1899. The charter utilised Railadventure high-speed train power cars 43480 and 43468, along with a rake of six Mk.3 HST trailer coaches supplied by the 125 Group. 43480 heads the special train through Spondon, working 1Z43, the 06.48 Sheffield to London Marylebone. The future of logistic traffic on the railway, with 321429 and 321428 on Platform 11 at Liverpool Street station on March 13. The units are still carrying the unbranded National Express silver and white livery applied to them when they were operated by Greater Anglia, but internally the units have been stripped out and adapted to accommodate cages for the carriage of parcels and other freight, which can be moved at high speed by Varamis Rail.

Andy Coward Network Rail chair Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill addresses the assembled interested parties at the Varamis Rail preview event at Liverpool Street station on March 13, with Varamis Rail managing director Phil Read alongside.