From Greater Anglia
Watch out for Greater Anglia’s brand new trains – which are being tested in daylight on more routes in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex from later this month.
Greater Anglia is replacing every single train with brand new state-of-the-art trains which will start to come into service in the middle of this year.
Testing has started on two of the trains which will replace existing diesel trains. So far, they have only run between Norwich and Great Yarmouth and Norwich and Diss.
Now they are due to travel further afield to check how they operate at different speeds and routes.
From Monday 28 January to Saturday 2 February, technicians are aiming to run tests on them as they travel on routes including from Norwich to Colchester and Ipswich and from Norwich to Thetford, as well as on the Norwich to Great Yarmouth line.
Ian McConnell, Greater Anglia Franchising and Programmes Director, said: “The testing programme is going well and it’s now time to take the trains further afield to carry out some different tests. We have to test them for performance and safety before we can put them into passenger service.
“We’ve been very pleased with the great comments we’re getting from people who have spotted the new trains on the network who can see why we’re so excited about these trains, which will transform rail travel in East Anglia.
“We know people are excited to see our new trains, but please remember to keep yourselves and our railway staff safe if you’re taking photos, by standing behind the yellow line at stations and not using flash photography.
“Road-users in Norfolk should also be alert at level crossings as there will trains going past in the middle of the night and the early hours of the morning at times when they not used to the level crossing barriers being down.”
Martino Celeghini, technical project manager at Stadler, said: “We are now in the final stages of the production process for the bi-modes. Extensive testing is taking place in East Anglia, demonstrating the good progress that the project has made so far.
“With contracts signed less than three years ago, we are delighted that an increasing number of Stadler trains will be tested on the network over the next weeks.
“These trains will provide Greater Anglia passengers with a sneak preview of the new Stadler fleet, which will soon become an integral part of the UK rail landscape.”
The trains being tested are bi-modes, made by Swiss company Stadler. They switch between electric and diesel power and have many environmentally-friendly features.
The diesel engine, which is fitted into the middle of the trains, meets the latest, tighter, standards for emissions and is also quieter for passengers than existing diesel engines.
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Great Northern has announced they are entering the new Class 717 trains on the Great Northern Line for their Moorgate Services.
From Great Northern
As part of our improvement for Great Northern passengers 25 6-car Class 717 trains have been built and tested in Germany by Siemens. The trains will replace all the current 40-year old Class 313 trains running in and out of Moorgate, provider greater capacity and improved reliability for passengers.
The new trains will double capacity on some services and feature the latest passenger technology. Benefits include:
· 2-by-2 seating
· customer information screens with live updates from London Underground
· Wi-Fi*
· Power sockets
· CCTV
Operational testing has continued over the New Year period. You can expect to see more test trains in passenger service daily from Monday 21 January (Monday-Friday). Building up to the first train being introduced by early February.
From Monday 28 January the following preview services will appear on customer information screens:
· 10:37 Moorgate calling at Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill
· 14:47 Moorgate calling at Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill
We have the drivers and engineering teams in place and ready to go to support this introduction, and additional resource training is continuing.
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CityTransportInfo has uploaded video footage of the Class 717 on his YouTube channel.
Here’s the recent London Bus tender awards.
LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:
| Route | Current Operator | New Operator | PVR | Vehicles |
| 197 | Arriva London | Go-Ahead Metrobus | 15 | New Euro VI hybrid double deck |
| 663 | Arriva London | Go-Ahead Metrobus | 1 | 2010 Euro V diesel double deck |
* To be upgraded to Euro VI emissions standards.
The above contracts will commence on 31st August 2019.
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