2001: Capacity Doubled



Early 2001 and First Great Eastern promised they'd be able to solve the overcrowding problems at the May 2001 timetable change, they'd located a spare 2-car Class 150 unit from Arriva Trains Northern (150245) which would be transferred to Anglia Railways, who would then lend a 150 daily to FGE.


The Original FGE Livery on a Class 321
150217 was one of the 10 150s that Great Eastern borrowed from Anglia

In the mean time First Great Eastern and Railtrack worked on getting Route Clearance for the 150s, and on May 21st 2001, 150255 (Henry Blogg) became the 1st Class 150 to work to Sudbury, although the deal meant that Great Eastern paid for a 150 seven days a week, they still only borrowed single 153s for weekends where passenger numbers are lower.

Also in 2001 with the help of the SRA's Rail Passenger Partnership, First Great Eastern was able to secure a sum of money in the region of £80,000 to operate a Sunday service up until the end of their franchise. After this date the Sunday service would continue without the funding, as it would be built into the price of the new franchise.

Summer 2002 saw the Gainsborough Line enter the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, this was already in operation for the Harwich, Southminster, Clacton and Walton Lines, and with the addition of Suffolk County Council as a main partner, the Sudbury line was able to join, which would give the local people a change to form an Action Group to help promote their line.

Also in late 2002, the SRA announced that as of April 2004 the Great Eastern and Anglia franchises would be merged to form a Greater Anglia franchise, and in December 2003 after a bitter struggle, which saw First Group excluded from bidding, subsequent court action, then finally First purchasing GB Railways (parent company of Anglia Railways), National Express Group were announced as the winner.

One Railway ---->


156416

History


In this section you can find out about the Stour Valley Line, from its opening in 1849 right through the years of its expansion, then decline, then stability under BR which led the way for the investment from the privatised railway in the late 90s and now.

Whatever your interest in Railways, this section should have something for you. If you feel that anything has been missed please get in touch