Abellio Greater Anglia Charity Tour - April 2016

Harry here, covering Matthew who's away. As stated, in order to raise funds for EACH (East Anglia Children's Hospice), Abellio Greater Anglia ran a special Class 37 Short Hauled MK2 Charter Service today (Saturday 30th April). Normally, the short set usually only operates weekdays - with 2 MK2s not 4 so this is very special. Tickets sold out for the event, with all 4 carriages (200 seats) booked!


Operated: 10:15 Norwich to Ely (11:20), 11:55 Ely to Norwich (12:55), 13:33 Norwich to Liverpool Street (15:33), and 16:27 Liverpool Street London to Norwich (18:22).

Before the event, it even reportedly operated 07:36 Norwich-Great Yarmouth and 08:17 Great Yarmouth - Norwich (services on the usual short set weekday diagram, but never usually formed of four MK2s, only two!
Tickets for the EACH trips costed £60, plus an at-seat trolley of light refreshments was available onboard.

Tim was at the event, and has kindly let us use his great photos! Firstly we see the set at Norwich (above), and then at Ely (right).

Also, when the MK2s went for maintenance the week before the tour though, something needed to cover the diagram for the Class 37s, 405 and 419, between Norwich and Yarmouth/Lowestoft on the usual diagram.

So the MK3 and DVT style was once again adopted. More photos here. This time, AGA livery coaches and hauled by the 37s.  Plus 82152 was the DVT, hosting the emergency equipment, cycle space, tannoy and guards area.

Jonathan's kindly let us use this shot, taken at Norwich too to show proof of these MK3s in the mixture! 

Here are the coaches closer up - 12031 (Usual Coach E) and 12108 (Usual Coach F). The latter is not only in AGA colours but also has had an internal overhaul - one of the first to receive this treatment. Overall, comfort and luxury on the Great Yarmouth / Lowestoft branch. 

More Details Of The Event Here. We must congratulate AbellioGreaterAnglia who've raised £20000 for the Children's Hospice, plus all of the crew and staff concerned in planning and operating such a good day!

I'm off to get comfy before ITV BGT, and will be back Monday - until then farewell! ^Harry.
Regards:

Our Popular Posts....

07/02/17: Recent Goings On

Image
Harry Here, Summarising Some Of The Interesting Fleet News Between Oct 2016 and Spring 2017...... 10/2016: 142073 heads to  Doncaster for overhaul , as all ArrivaTrainsWales are going into the new livery gradually. 27/01/2017: 37423 and an extra DRS MK2 arrive at Norwich from  Derby, for Short Set usage.  Meanwhile, 68021 and 68016 arrive to take over duty's on the 68 Hauled Anglia Short Set, because 68025 and 68005 both need exams.  01/17: Virgin East coast finish the overhaul of all 45 trains! 
Read More....

Abellio Greater Anglia to Abellio East Anglia

Image
As Many Of You Are Aware, The AGA Franchise Renews This October For Services In East Anglia, Including To Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Abellio Continue The Franchise, But Renamed East Anglia Ltd.  Greater Anglia, as it was at first, began in February 2012 - operating the short term tender which was due to expire in July 2014. However, the Government later extended this franchise, and it then became the rebranded Abellio Greater Anglia.
Read More....

Reminder: Stock + Service Changes, Abellio East Anglia.

IN SUMMARY: - Free Wi-Fi on Many Trains and also an  improved WiFi service at stations .  - Additional seats on trains across the network, by increasing train lengths and capacity.  - CET toilets, so waste isn't flushed onto tracks. This is already on MK3s.  - Increasing train punctuality and performance. - Entire fleet replacement (stated below), so other units are displaced or withdrawn. - Norwich to Cambridge trains extended to Stansted, and Sudbury branch lines running to Colchester. - Lowestoft connections to London Liverpool Street reinstated, using the electro-diesel units, four times per day. - Trains half hourly to Great Yarmouth, plus later connections to Sheringham and Lowestoft.
Read More....

Exclusive ~ VirginTrains ~ Penguilino & Claus 91

Image
To get into the Xmas spirit, Virgin Trains have unveiled East Coast  82209 & 91128  and Virgin West Coast revealed Pendolino 390013 in their Winter-style livery, as designed by Madeleine Deakin (aged 11) and Amber Maxfield (age 9) whom won a competition earlier this season.  The units were unveiled at London Kings Cross this morning and will remain in the livery until January. Claus 91, as it's been named, operates on the East Coast mainline between Kings Cross and Scotland via Penguinborough, whilst the Penguilino can be found on Virgin Trains West Coast services between London Euston and The North (North Pole) via Ho Ho Crewe.
Read More....

SOUTH - Last Day of Class 458/0 Operations

Image
©Liam Jenkins Good Evening, Liam here, offering you a post regarding the last day of South West Trains Class 458/0 service. Enjoy! On Sunday 8th November 2015, South West Trains operated the last day of Class 458/0s on the units' final day of operations. These units are to be sent to Doncaster Works, where they will be refurbished with the Gatwick Express Class 460s into a new Class 458/5 class.
Read More....

Special - Rebuilding the 1960's Class 73's.

Image
It's Friday, and today's post is a special! Not as I'm here (Andy)... Class 73's were built in the 1960's and generally used in the Southern region. In 2013, it was announced that GB Railfreight would initially be re-building 5 Class 73's to make them Class 73/9's. The complete re stripping and rebuilding has taken place at Brush Traction in Loughborough.  The Class 73/9's first started testing in late 2014 (73 961 - 965) as there had been some issues, however they were all resolved pretty soon. The 73/9's are intended to work infrastructure trains (test trains under Network Rail) and also to be used on Rail Head Treatment Trains. As a result of the rebuild, it has given the Class 73/9's up to 25 years more in service, and more 73/9's are to be released over the coming months which should see them introduced on to the Serco Sleeper eventually!
Read More....

Peter Skuce Reports (6A)

Image
Chiltern 168. (C) P Skuce. Peter. Part A is for the Chiltern Line Modernisation. Part B will lead from this. During the 1960s British Railways built forty one, 4 carriage Class 115 DMU trains for the London Marylebone – Aylesbury Chiltern Line. One trailer carriage had entirely Standard Class accommodation with 106 seats, whilst the other trailer carriage was a composite, featuring First Class cabins with seating to the 2+2 layout and Standard Class with two toilets. They were powered by Leyland Albion engines, with mechanical transmission and their maximum speed was 70 mph. A new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury to accommodate the trains.
Read More....