A design freeze for Greater Anglia’s fleet of Stadler electric multiple units and bi-mode multiple units is due at the end of June, after which construction plans will be finalised.
GA Deputy Managing Director Mike Kean told RAIL that the cutting of metal for bodyshells will begin in August in Bussnang, Switzerland, where the trains are being built. He said that 12 months later the first BMU (a four-car unit) would be in the UK.
The operator has 14 three-car and 24 four-car BMUs on order from Stadler, as well as 20 12-car EMUs, of which ten are earmarked for the Norwich-London Liverpool Street route with the other ten for Stansted Express.
The trains will enter traffic in 2019 as part of GA’s plans to introduce 1,043 new vehicles to replace the entire existing fleet. The Stadler trains will replace the Class 90-hauled Mk 3 sets on the Great Eastern Main Line and the diesel multiple units on the rural routes.
- For a full round-up of the plans for the Stadler trains, information on the Aventra order for GA, and what could happen to the Class 90-hauled Mk 3 sets, read RAIL 829, published on June 21.
AndrewG1989 - 07/06/2017 03:01
I believe that the Stadler Flirts EMU and EDMU will be classified in the Class 7xx category. The Stadler Flirt Class 745 EMU Flirt and Class 755 EDMU (Bi-Mode) rolling stocks. That will operate on the West Anglia, Great Eastern, Stansted Express, London-Norwich Intercity and Regional routes on the Greater Anglia network across the East of England. As well the Bombardier Aventra Class 720's EMU that will also operate on London-Norwich Intercity, Great Eastern, Stansted Express and West Anglia routes. 30 Class 321's "Renatus" EMU trains are to be completely refurbished with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, double glazed windows, disabled toilet, standard toilet, First Class, Passenger Information Dot-Matrix Display, seats, interiors, lights and new AC traction motors fitted onto the refurbished Class 321 "Renatus" EMU trains made and produced by German manufacture Vossloh Kiepe. With some of the Class 321 "Renatus" units that have already started passenger service between London Liverpool Street-Southend Victoria, Ipswich, Braintree, Colchester/Colchester Town, Clacton-on-Sea services and Liverpool St-Norwich stopper service as well between Wickford-Southminster, Ipswich/Manningtree-Harwich Town and Colchester-Walton-on-the-Naze services.