Greater Anglia

This article is about the train operating company. For the rail franchise, see Greater Anglia Rail Franchise.

Greater Anglia

Info
Franchise(s):	Greater Anglia 5 Feb 2012 - 15 Oct 2016
Main region(s):	East of England
Other region(s):	Greater London
Stations called at:	168
Parent company:	Abellio
Web site:	www.greateranglia.co.uk

Greater Anglia is a British train operating company owned by Abellio operating the Greater Anglia Rail Franchise. It provides local, suburban and express services from London Liverpool Street station to destinations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk in the East of England.

History

In December 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the Greater Anglia Rail Franchise to National Express, with operations starting on 1 April 2004. The franchise was to run until March 2011, with provision for a three-year extension if performance targets were met.

In November 2009 the Department for Transport announced that National Express would not be granted the three-year extension for which it had met the criteria, because it had defaulted on the National Express East Coast franchise.

Following a change of government at the 2010 General Election, the Department for Transport announced in June 2010 that all refranchising would be put on hold while a review was conducted into the franchising process. As a result, National Express East Anglia was granted an initial extension until October 2011, followed by another until February 2012.

In March 2011 the Department for Transport announced that Abellio, Go-Ahead, and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise. In October 2011 it awarded the new franchise to Abellio, the services operated by National Express East Anglia transferring to Greater Anglia on 5 February 2012.

The franchise was originally to run until July 2014. The reason for awarding a short franchise, at the same time as the government was speaking of a desire to move to longer franchises, was to allow the government to digest the recommendations of the McNulty Rail Value for Money study before letting a long-term franchise.

In March 2013 the Secretary of State for Transport announced the franchise would again be extended until 15 October 2016.

Improvements

A number of improvements are planned during the franchise period, including:

• Improved station and ticket facilities and better information for passengers;
• A text messaging service to keep passengers informed of any disruptions;
• Extending Oyster card pay-as-you-go capabilities between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield and Hertford East;
• Mobile-phone and print-at-home ticketing facilities;
• 600 extra carpark spaces at stations;
• Additional bicycle storage facilities;
• New automatic ticket barriers at Brentwood and Chadwell Heath before the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Services

Greater Anglia operates services previously run by National Express East Anglia. Off-peak weekday services are as follows:

Southend & Metro
Route	Frequency	Calling at
London Liverpool Street to Shenfield	6 trains per hour	Stratford, Maryland, Forest Gate, Manor Park, Ilford, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Chadwell Heath, Romford, Gidea Park, Harold Wood, Brentwood
Romford to Upminster	2 trains per hour	Emerson Park
London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria	3 trains per hour	Stratford, Romford (Hourly), Shenfield, Billericay, Wickford, Rayleigh, Hockley (Essex), Rochford, Southend Airport, Prittlewell
Wickford to Southminster	3 trains per 2 hours	Battlesbridge, South Woodham Ferrers, North Fambridge, Althorne, Burnham-on-Crouch
Mainline
Route	Frequency	Calling at
London Liverpool Street to Norwich Fast	1 train per hour	Colchester, Manningtree, Ipswich, Diss
London Liverpool Street to Norwich Semi-fast	1 train per hour	Stratford (pick up only), Chelmsford, Colchester, Manningtree, Ipswich, Stowmarket, Diss
London Liverpool Street to Ipswich	1 train per hour	Stratford, Shenfield, Chelmsford, Hatfield Peverel, Witham, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, Colchester, Manningtree
London Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea	1 train per hour	Stratford, Shenfield, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester, Wivenhoe, Thorpe-le-Soken
London Liverpool Street to Colchester Town	1 train per hour	Stratford, Romford, Shenfield, Chelmsford, Witham, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, Colchester
London Liverpool Street to Braintree	1 train per hour	Stratford, Shenfield, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Witham, White Notley, Cressing, Braintree Freeport
Marks Tey to Sudbury	1 train per hour	Chappel & Wakes Colne, Bures
Colchester to Walton-on-the-Naze	1 train per hour	Colchester Town, Hythe (Essex), Wivenhoe, Alresford (Essex), Great Bentley, Weeley, Thorpe-le-Soken, Kirby Cross, Frinton-on-Sea
Colchester to Colchester Town	1 train per hour	No intermediate stops
Manningtree to Harwich Town	1 train per hour	Mistley, Wrabness, Harwich International, Dovercourt
Route	Frequency	Calling at
London Liverpool Street to Harwich International	4 trains per day	Stratford, Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester, Manningtree (Some trains also call at local stations)
Ipswich to Harwich International	2 trains per day	Extensions of trains from Cambridge or Lowestoft
Rural
Route	Frequency	Calling at
Ipswich to Felixstowe	1 train per hour	Westerfield, Derby Road, Trimley
Ipswich to Lowestoft	1 train per hour	Woodbridge, Melton, Wickham Market, Saxmundham, Darsham, Halesworth, Brampton (Suffolk) (on request), Beccles, Oulton Broad South
Ipswich to Cambridge	1 train per hour	Needham Market, Stowmarket, Elmswell, Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, Kennett (two hourly), Newmarket (Suffolk), Dullingham (two hourly)
Ipswich to Peterborough	1 train per 2 hours	Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, March, Whittlesea
Norwich to Lowestoft Fast	1 train per 2 hours	Oulton Broad North
Norwich to Lowestoft Slow	1 train per 2 hours	Brundall, Cantley, Reedham (Norfolk), Haddiscoe, Somerleyton, Oulton Broad North
Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Acle	1 train per hour	Brundall Gardens, Brundall, Lingwood, Acle
Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Reedham	2 trains per day	Brundall Gardens, Brundall, Cantley, Reedham (Norfolk), Berney Arms (on request)
Norwich to Sheringham	1 train per hour	Salhouse (two hourly), Hoveton & Wroxham, Worstead (two hourly), North Walsham, Gunton (two hourly), Roughton Road (two hourly), Cromer, West Runton
Norwich to Cambridge	1 train per hour	Wymondham, Attleborough, Thetford, Brandon, Ely
West Anglia
Route	Frequency	Calling at
London Liverpool Street to Chingford	4 trains per hour	Bethnal Green, Hackney Downs, Clapton, St James Street, Walthamstow Central, Wood Street, Highams Park
London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town	2 trains per hour	Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Hackney Downs, Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, Seven Sisters, Bruce Grove, White Hart Lane, Silver Street, Edmonton Green, Bush Hill Park
London Liverpool Street to Cheshunt via Seven Sisters	2 trains per hour	Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath, London Fields, Hackney Downs, Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill, Seven Sisters, Bruce Grove, White Hart Lane, Silver Street, Edmonton Green, Southbury, Turkey Street, Theobalds Grove
London Liverpool Street to Hertford East via Tottenham Hale	2 trains per hour	Bethnal Green, Tottenham Hale, Ponders End, Brimsdown, Enfield Lock, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Rye House, St Margarets (Hertfordshire), Ware
London Liverpool Street to Cambridge Semi-fast	1 train per hour	Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow Town, Sawbridgeworth, Bishops Stortford, Audley End, Whittlesford Parkway
London Liverpool Street to Cambridge Slow	1 train per hour	Tottenham Hale, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Roydon, Harlow Town, Harlow Mill, Sawbridgeworth, Bishops Stortford, Stansted Mountfitchet, Elsenham, Newport, Audley End, Great Chesterford, Whittlesford Parkway, Shelford
London Liverpool Street to King's Lynn	3 trains per day	Tottenham Hale, Bishops Stortford, Audley End, Whittlesford Parkway, Cambridge, Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington
Stratford to Bishops Stortford	2 trains per hour	Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park (hourly), Enfield Lock (hourly), Waltham Cross (hourly), Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Roydon (hourly), Harlow Town, Harlow Mill (hourly), Sawbridgeworth, Bishops Stortford
Route	Frequency	Calling at
London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport	4 trains per hour	Tottenham Hale (pick up only), Harlow Town (2 trains per hour), Bishops Stortford (2 trains per hour), Stansted Mountfitchet (hourly)

Stansted Express

Abellio Stansted Express Logo

Main article: Stansted Express

Greater Anglia operates the Stansted Express sub-branded airport rail link between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

Dutchflyer

Dutchflyer Logo

Main article: Dutchflyer

Greater Anglia operates the Dutchflyer sub-branded boat train between London Liverpool Street and Harwich International.

Performance

The latest punctuality statistics released by NR (Network Rail) for period 1 of 2013/2014 were 94.1% PPM (Public Performance Measure) up 1.8 percentage points on the same period last year and the MAA (Moving Annual Average) up to 27 April 2013 stood at 92.4%. In 2013, Greater Anglia was named train operator of the year.

Rolling Stock

Greater Anglia inherited a fleet of Class 90, Mark 3 carriages, Driving Van Trailers, Class 153, Class 156 and Class 170 diesel multiple units, and Class 315, Class 317, Class 321 and Class 360 electric multiple units from National Express East Anglia. Greater Anglia is not planning to introduce any new trains.

Fleet

Class	Image	Cars per set	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
				mph	km/h
Class 47		N/A	diesel locomotive	100	161	Hired from Direct Rail Services	Train Rescue Norwich - Great Yarmouth (Summer Only), Norwich - Lowestoft (Summer Only)	1962–1968
Class 90		N/A	electric locomotive	110	177	15	London - Norwich	1987–1990
Class 153 Super Sprinter		1	diesel multiple unit	75	121	5	Ipswich - Felixstowe, Ipswich - Lowestoft, Norwich - Great Yarmouth, Norwich - Lowestoft, Norwich - Sheringham, Sudbury - Marks Tey	1987–1988
Class 156 Super Sprinter		2	diesel multiple unit	75	121	9	Ipswich - Lowestoft, Norwich - Great Yarmouth, Norwich - Lowestoft, Norwich - Sheringham, Sudbury - Marks Tey	1987–1989
Class 158 Express Sprinter		2	diesel multiple unit	90	145	Hired from East Midlands Trains	Norwich - Great Yarmouth, Norwich - Lowestoft	1989–1992
Class 170/2 Turbostar		2 or 3	diesel multiple unit	100	161	12	Ipswich - Cambridge, Ipswich - Peterborough, Ipswich - Lowestoft, Norwich - Cambridge	1999–2002
Class 315		4	electric multiple unit	75	121	61	London - Shenfield, London - Southend Victoria, London - Hertford East London - Enfield Town, London - Cheshunt, London - Chingford	1980–1981
Class 317/5		4	electric multiple unit	100	161	15	London - Cambridge, London - Hertford East, London - Chingford, Stratford - Bishop Stortford, Romford - Upminster	1981–1982
Class 317/6		4	electric multiple unit	100	161	24	London - Cambridge, London - Hertford East, London - Chingford, Stratford - Bishop Stortford, Romford - Upminster	1985–1987
Class 317/8		4	electric multiple unit	100	161	12	London - Cambridge, London - Hertford East, London - Chingford, Stratford - Bishop Stortford, Romford - Upminster	1981–1982
Class 321		4	electric multiple unit	100	161	94	London - Braintree, London - Colchester Town, London - Ipswich, London - Norwich, London - Southend Victoria, London - Clacton, Colchester - Walton-on-Naze, Colchester - Colchester Town, Manningtree - Harwich, Wickford - Southminster	1988–1990
Class 360/1 Desiro		4	electric multiple unit	100	161	21	London - Ipswich, London - Colchester Town, London - Clacton, Colchester - Colchester Town, Manningtree - Harwich	2002–2003
Class 379 Electrostar		4	electric multiple unit	100	161	30	London - Stansted Airport London - Cambridge	2010–2011
Mark 3 Carriage		N/A	Passenger Carriage	125	201	121	London - Norwich Norwich - Great Yarmouth (Summer Only), Norwich - Lowestoft (Summer Only)	1975–1988
		N/A	Driving Van Trailer	110	177	15	London - Norwich Norwich - Great Yarmouth (Summer Only), Norwich - Lowestoft (Summer Only)	1988

Livery

Greater Anglia has continued to repaint rolling stock in the same base white livery as National Express East Anglia used, but with red doors instead of blue.

Greater Anglia 170273 in Anglia Railways livery heads northbound from Cambridge to Norwich

Gallery

• 

  379001 at Norwich on a test run before entering service with National Express East Anglia

• 

  321327 in National Express East Anglia all white livery at Harwich International

• 

  First Class of a Mark 3 carriage

Depots

Greater Anglia's fleet is maintained at Ilford and Norwich Crown Point depots.

See also

• National Express East Anglia
• Abellio
• Rail transport in Great Britain
• List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom

External links

• Greater Anglia's website
• Abellio: Greater Anglia information

Preceded by National Express East Anglia Greater Anglia franchise

Operator of Greater Anglia franchise 2012 - 2016

Incumbent