First ‘Flirts' In Passenger Service
Rail Express|October 2019
More of Greater Anglia’s new arrivals delivered in both bi-mode and all-electric versions.
First ‘Flirts' In Passenger Service

THE first of Greater Anglia’s new bi-mode units entered service on July 29, when No. 755410 operated several services between Norwich and Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft. Its first revenueearning run was the 2J67/07.47 Lowestoft-Norwich, and it later saw use on the Class 37 ‘short set’ diagram.

A further diagram was introduced on the Norwich to Cambridge route from August 13, and No. 755410 also operated the first services on this route. Also now in revenue-earning service are Nos. 755417/418.

New deliveries to record are those of Nos. 755330/331/419 (August 13), 755402/411/412 (August 22) and 755329/332/333 (August 29). All three rakes were moved from Ripple Lane to Norwich by No. 66001.

August 27 saw the first appearance of a ‘Flirt’ unit at Clacton, when No. 755415 arrived on a training run from Colchester.

Meanwhile deliveries are also continuing of the 10-car all-electric version, the Class 745. New arrivals at Norwich Crown Point to record are Nos. 745005 (July 23) and 745101 (July 25), which arrived from Ripple Lane behind Nos. 66002 and 66001 respectively.

No. 66001 was also used to move No. 745001 from Ripple Lane to Norwich Crown Point on August 8 and then No. 745006 on August 15, the latter being taken to the Mid-Norfolk Railway by No. 37601 for storage immediately after its arrival at Norwich.

DMU

CLASS 156 ‘SUPER SPRINTER’

THE former GWR HST maintenance depot at Landore, which closed in 2018, has been taken over by Chrysalis Rail for use as a refurbishment and overhaul facility. The first unit to be dealt with at the site was ScotRail’s No. 156509, which arrived for attention on August 5 after working the 5W78/05.20 Corkerhill-Landore. It returned north to Scotland on August 27, with No. 156467 departing for Landore the next morning.

CLASS 158 ‘SPRINTER EXPRESS’

This story is from the October 2019 edition of Rail Express.

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This story is from the October 2019 edition of Rail Express.

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