Abellio Greater Anglia Class 755s (Regional Trains)

[TheWalrus]

Does anyone know if the 755s have been used on any other routes out of Liverpool Street yet? I.e. Southend, Southminster, Braintree, Walton? I know they were tested on Clacton line but not sure if they were ever tested - or even used in service - on the other lines I mention?

 

[saismee]

Does anyone know if the 755s have been used on any other routes out of Liverpool Street yet? I.e. Southend, Southminster, Braintree, Walton? I know they were tested on Clacton line but not sure if they were ever tested - or even used in service - on the other lines I mention?

I don't think theres enough of them to spare for them to be used on fully electrified routes. The 720s are much more plentiful, however.

 

[dk1]

Does anyone know if the 755s have been used on any other routes out of Liverpool Street yet? I.e. Southend, Southminster, Braintree, Walton? I know they were tested on Clacton line but not sure if they were ever tested - or even used in service - on the other lines I mention?

It’s possible they may have been used on the Braintree line during any OHL isolations like the 156s occasionally were but not totally sure. They did have diagramed weekend work on the Harwich branch. We’ve taken them all over during testing but don’t think they’ve ever carried passengers to Southend, Southminster, Walton or Clacton.

 

[TheWalrus]

It’s possible they may have been used on the Braintree line during any OHL isolations like the 156s occasionally were but not totally sure. They did have diagramed weekend work on the Harwich branch. We’ve taken them all over during testing but don’t think they’ve ever carried passengers to Southend, Southminster, Walton or Clacton.

Thank you thats very interesting - never knew 156s ever worker the Braintree line!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Dec 2024 ==

I don't think theres enough of them to spare for them to be used on fully electrified routes. The 720s are much more plentiful, however.

I read somewhere that due to the effect of COVID, there are now too many 720s and not enough FLIRTS?

 

[Essex Express]

Thank you thats very interesting - never knew 156s ever worker the Braintree line!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Dec 2024 ==


I read somewhere that due to the effect of COVID, there are now too many 720s and not enough FLIRTS?

Quite a few early morning or late evening blocks Class 156 and class 170 have been to Braintree on Sunday during engineering works that only had the overheads turned off. Rail Replacement on the braintree line is quite expensive due to having to run mini buses to serve Cressing and White Notley so to run a full rail replacement you need 2 full size buses running Witham - Braintree Freeport - Braintree with 2 mini buses running Witham - white Notley - Cressing - Braintree Freeport - Braintree. So what has been done in the past is use the Sudbury unit on the Braintree line until the mainline is re opened then send the unit back to the Sudbury line later in the morning when. You only need two buses to cover the Sudbury line. Net saving of two buses needed to hire in.

 

[trebor79]

I read somewhere that due to the effect of COVID, there are now too many 720s and not enough FLIRTS?

Nothing to do with COVID. They just didn't order enough 745/0s. It was obvious that 10 sets wasn't enough when 10 sets are required in service to operate half hourly GEML timetable.

Moderator note: speculative discussion regarding potential new rolling stock / cascades /service frequencies can be found at the thread below:

Abellio Greater: potential timetable improvements, additional rolling stock & cascades?

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/abellio-greater-anglia-class-755s-regional-trains.148431/page-271 Nothing to do with COVID. They just didn't order enough 745/0s. It was obvious that 10 sets wasn't enough when 10 sets are required in service to operate half hourly...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[720144]

Finally. Now we just need 755420 to come back

755420 is finally back in service according to rtt.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

755420 is finally back in service according to rtt.

Yes I saw that on Tuesday

 

[47584Suffolk]

Yes I saw that on Tuesday

Just long term absentees 745103, 745104 and 755328 to get back into service now. Not been available for around two months now. Understand that 104 and 328 were both victims of tree damage, but no idea what the problem is with 103.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Starting to see 3 car 755s turning up on peak time Ipswich to Cambridge services which is an issue at peak-time between Stowmarket and Bury because of the large amount of college students travelling between those stations.

Is there a shortage of 4 cars? This only seems to have been an issue since the turn of the year, they were always historically 4 cars at peak time.

 

[720144]

Just long term absentees 745103, 745104 and 755328 to get back into service now. Not been available for around two months now. Understand that 104 and 328 were both victims of tree damage, but no idea what the problem is with 103.

Yes, I’m not too sure excactly why both, 103 & 104 haven’t been active moving since late November. That’s got to be the longest period of time they've kept a 745 long term out of use. The same thing happened with 106 towards the end of last year for about 4 weeks.

Update:

According to rtt, 745104 (long term absentee) is on the 12:00up first time since November. Just 103 & 755328 to get back into service now.

 

[Covshire1]

No cl755s on their usual London Liverpool St diagram today. Is this a permanent change?

 

[dk1]

No cl755s on their usual London Liverpool St diagram today. Is this a permanent change?

Failed on prep from what I heard.

 

[720144]

No cl755s on their usual London Liverpool St diagram today. Is this a permanent change?

745102 is working on the triple traction diagram today, as of all the 745/1s are vacant due to engineering works on the WAML this weekend.

 

[720144]

Just long term absentees 745103, 745104 and 755328 to get back into service now. Not been available for around two months now. Understand that 104 and 328 were both victims of tree damage, but no idea what the problem is with 103.

According to rtt, 745103 (long term absentee) is finally back in service after 3 months on 1B40 09:40dn. Now only 755328 & 745007 left to enter.

 

[1D54]

A silly one but how often are units changed on the Sudbury - Marks Tey line?

 

[dk1]

Each day the 755/3 remains on the branch from start to finish of service.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Apr 2025 ==

Although swaps take place overnight, now light servicing, fuel & sanding take place on Colchester shed there is no reason why the same unit cannot remain on the Sudbury diagram for days on end.

 

[smsm1]

You can use the detailed view on realtimetrains.co.uk to get the unit allocations for the past week to work it out. I see there's sometimes a swap in the middle of the day like last Saturday if there is an issue.

 

[720144]

You can use the detailed view on realtimetrains.co.uk to get the unit allocations for the past week to work it out. I see there's sometimes a swap in the middle of the day like last Saturday if there is an issue.

Still trying to work out why long term absentee 745007 hasn’t been in service since mid January. Also 755328 hasn’t been on since late November last year.

 

[1D54]

Each day the 755/3 remains on the branch from start to finish of service.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Apr 2025 ==

Although swaps take place overnight, now light servicing, fuel & sanding take place on Colchester shed there is no reason why the same unit cannot remain on the Sudbury diagram for days on end.

Potentially quite good for me as the unit I'm interested in has after doing this service for 3 days has now gone to XNC.

 

[StephenHunter]

Still trying to work out why long term absentee 745007 hasn’t been in service since mid January. Also 755328 hasn’t been on since late November last year.

745007 has been sitting in Crown Point since then according to Trainlogger sightings. Ditto for 755328, last seen outside Sheringham on 3 December.

 

[Wivenswold]

There always seems to a be a spare sat around at Colchester. Is this strategic cover for the Sudbury branch or could one of those things also rescue a 745?

 

[saismee]

There always seems to a be a spare sat around at Colchester. Is this strategic cover for the Sudbury branch or could one of those things also rescue a 745?

They can (and have) rescued 745s, though I don't know the exact purpose of the one in Colchester.

 

[transportphoto]

Back in the day, there was a Colchester Thunderbird locomotive. I believe the spare 755 at Colchester is for this purpose. @dk1, can you confirm?

 

[Railperf]

They can (and have) rescued 745s, though I don't know the exact purpose of the one in Colchester

Some diagrams start/ end the day from Colchester / so it seems to be a stabling / refuelling point at least and a good place to have a spare unit - as they do have a glut of units. Not sure how much can be done in the way of maintenance or repairs there though but according to @dk1 some light servicing does take place now.

 

[dk1]

Back in the day, there was a Colchester Thunderbird locomotive. I believe the spare 755 at Colchester is for this purpose. @dk1, can you confirm?

Although any 755 can be used as Thunderbird, officially it’s one of those that sits at Ipswich as this is where the booked Norwich/Ipswich Thunderbird driver is booked to sit and wait each shift. The one at Colchester would just be a spare (usually 3-car). Some trips are made during the day/night from Ipswich-Colchester now for refuelling rather than Crown Point. No fuelling now takes place in platform 1 at Ipswich.

 

[transportphoto]

Although any 755 can be used as Thunderbird, officially it’s one of those that sits at Ipswich as this is where the booked Norwich/Ipswich Thunderbird driver is booked to sit and wait each shift. The one at Colchester would just be a spare (usually 3-car). Some trips are made during the day/night from Ipswich-Colchester now for refuelling rather than Crown Point. No fuelling now takes place in platform 1 at Ipswich.

Makes sense, makes sense. Off topic, I’m not going crazy in that the Thunderbird 47 used to sit at Colchester… or am I?

 

[dk1]

Makes sense, makes sense. Off topic, I’m not going crazy in that the Thunderbird 47 used to sit at Colchester… or am I?

No not at all. The Norwich drivers and 47 used to sit on the old shed or on the Sudbury Dock next to platform 6.

 

[720144]

745007 has been sitting in Crown Point since then according to Trainlogger sightings. Ditto for 755328, last seen outside Sheringham on 3 December.

745007 is booked in service on the 08:00up after sitting around for 3 months according to rtt.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

745007 is booked in service on the 08:00up after sitting around for 3 months according to rtt.

There weren't many IC trains running on the Norwich run yesterday, Stansted express unit sub up and down for me