Published on: Tuesday, 8 February 2022
Last updated: Monday, 4 September 2023
One of Greater Anglia's new trains at King's Lynn. Credit: Greater Anglia
Greater Anglia passengers can now enjoy new state-of-the-art trains across the whole of the network as new commuter trains entered service between Ely and King’s Lynn.
New trains are now in service on every single route in the Greater Anglia network, with many routes operated exclusively by new trains.
The new trains went into service on the King’s Lynn route on Monday 7 February, when the company started running extra services as commuters carry on returning to the office.
In the new timetable, two services every weekday are running to King’s Lynn.
The new trains are scheduled to run as the 06.18 King’s Lynn to Liverpool Street and 19.07 Liverpool Street to King’s Lynn, both via Cambridge and Ely.
The new electric commuter trains on the King’s Lynn route have been made in the UK by Alstom, who are supplying 133 five-carriage trains which can be coupled to run as ten-carriage trains.
Each carriage of the new Alstom Aventra Class 720 trains is longer with more seats than carriages of Greater Anglia’s old trains.
They have USB and plug points, fast free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, improved accessibility features including an accessible toilet on every train, passenger information screens and dedicated cycle spaces.
The trains are the first in the UK to have underfloor heating which works with an overhead heating and ventilation system to improve passenger comfort and increase foot room for passengers sitting in window seats.
They feature regenerative braking which delivers energy back into the electrical supply network, rather than wasting the energy through heat, as is the case with conventional systems.
Some are already in passenger service on routes between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, Hertford East, Southend Victoria, Southminster, Braintree, Clacton, Ipswich and Colchester Town. Ely to King’s Lynn is the final route on the network to see the new trains.
Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia client and programme director said: “We’re very pleased that customers between Ely and King’s Lynn are now able to enjoy our new trains.
“We know from customer feedback that customers enjoy the added comfort, the plug and USB sockets and other improved features these new trains have.
“We’ll continue rolling out new trains in the coming months as part of our plan to replace all our old trains with brand new trains.”
There are already new trains operating all services on the Norwich–London Intercity, Stansted Airport–London Stansted Express, Norwich–Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Sheringham, Ipswich–Cambridge, Peterborough, Felixstowe and Lowestoft, and Marks Tey –Sudbury routes.
The company is continuing with enhanced cleaning and sanitisation paying particular attention to high touch areas such as push buttons and grab handles.
The company is also asking passengers to continue to wear face coverings on trains and stations, following government advice to wear them in busy places.