Anglia Railways
| Company type | Train operating company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | British Rail sectors (InterCity, Regional Railways, Network SouthEast) |
| Founded | January 5, 1997 |
| Founder | GB Railways |
| Defunct | March 31, 2004 |
| Fate | Franchise passed to National Express East Anglia |
| Successor | National Express East Anglia |
| Headquarters | Norwich , England |
Area served | East of England, including London Liverpool Street, Norwich, Harwich International, Ipswich, Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Ely, Cambridge, Peterborough, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth |
| Products | Passenger rail services |
| Owner | GB Railways (until 2003), FirstGroup (from 2003) |
| Parent | GB Railways; later FirstGroup |
Anglia Railways was an English train operating company, initially owned by GB Railways and subsequently by FirstGroup, which held the Anglia franchise from January 1997 until March 2004.
History
The Anglia franchise was awarded to GB Railways and commenced operations on 5 January 1997. In June 1998, Anglia Railways adopted a distinctive turquoise and white color scheme. Prior to 1997, the services were provided by British Rail sectors such as InterCity, Regional Railways, and Network SouthEast. Following March 2004, the franchise was passed on to National Express East Anglia.
Services
Anglia Railways operated InterCity routes along the Great Eastern Main Line connecting London Liverpool Street with Harwich International and Norwich. Additionally, it managed regional lines linking Ipswich to Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Ely, Cambridge, Harwich International, Peterborough, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth, among other locations.
A key franchise obligation was to boost the frequency of services between London Liverpool Street and Norwich from hourly to every thirty minutes; this enhancement was accomplished in 2000. Certain trains were extended beyond Norwich to destinations including Sheringham, Great Yarmouth, and Lowestoft.
Supported by funding from the Strategic Rail Authority's Rail Partnership Funding, Anglia launched an experimental London Crosslink service in May 2000. This route utilized the North London Line to connect to Basingstoke but was discontinued in September 2002 due to insufficient passenger numbers.
A more enduring service introduced in September 2002 linked Norwich with Cambridge via the Breckland Line and remains operational.
Rolling stock
Upon commencement, Anglia Railways inherited a variety of rolling stock from British Rail, including Class 86 electric locomotives, Mark 2 carriages, Driving Brake Standard Open vehicles, as well as Class 150 and Class 153 diesel multiple units. The Mark 2 carriages underwent comprehensive mechanical overhauls and interior refurbishments. The company unveiled its turquoise and white livery on 10 June 1998. In June of that year, preserved Class 201 unit number 1001 was leased for an eleven-month period to operate services between Norwich, Great Yarmouth, and Lowestoft.
To meet the franchise requirement for two trains per hour on the London Liverpool Street to Norwich route, eight three-car Class 170 Turbostar units were introduced during 1999 and 2000. These trains also serviced new routes extending from Liverpool Street to Sheringham, Great Yarmouth, and Lowestoft; they were additionally deployed on the London Crosslink service. Starting in September 2000, some of these units were leased to GB Railways' subsidiary Hull Trains for operations between London King's Cross and Hull. Due to delivery delays of the Class 170s, temporary hires of Class 317 and Class 322 units were made from West Anglia Great Northern. In 2002, four more two-car Class 170 units arrived primarily for services running between Norwich and Cambridge.
Beginning in June 2002, Anglia hired a single Class 47 locomotive from Cotswold Rail, employed as a rescue engine and for hauling Mark 2 sets on summer Saturday services bound for Great Yarmouth.
In July 2002, a Class 90 locomotive was leased from Freightliner, intended as a replacement for the Class 86 fleet. By October 2003, Anglia operated three Class 90 locomotives leased from English, Welsh & Scottish Railway, continuing until the franchise concluded.
| Class | Image | Type | Maximum speed | Quantity | Year built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||
| 47 | Diesel locomotive | 100 | 160 | 1 (leased from Cotswold Rail) |
1966 | |
| 86 | Electric locomotive | 15 | 1965–1966 | |||
| 90 | 110 | 177 | 3 | 1987–1990 | ||
| 150/2 Sprinter | Diesel multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 10 | 1984–1987 | |
| 153 Super Sprinter |
7 |
1987–1988 | ||||
| 170/2 Turbostar |
12 |
1999–2002 | ||||
| Mark 2 |
115 |
13 (DBSO) |
1964–1975 (carriages) 1979–1986 (DBSO) | |||
Depot
Maintenance for Anglia Railways' rolling stock was conducted at Crown Point TMD located in Norwich.
Demise
In 2002, the Strategic Rail Authority restructured the franchising system, consolidating Anglia Railways into the Greater Anglia franchise. After not meeting the pre-qualification criteria for Greater Anglia, FirstGroup proceeded to purchase GB Railways in August 2003.
Subsequently, in December 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority granted the Greater Anglia franchise to National Express, resulting in the transfer of Anglia Railways' operations to One on 1 April 2004.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Defunct train operating companies in the United Kingdom
- FirstGroup railway companies
- Railway companies established in 1997
- Railway companies disestablished in 2004
- 1997 establishments in England
- 2004 disestablishments in England
- British companies disestablished in 2004
- British companies established in 1997