Abellio Greater Anglia Class 755s (Regional Trains)

[samuelmorris]

hopefully so although the morning one was cancelled between Ipswich and Harwich quite often before the 755’s came along.

From the anecdotal evidence posted here that service seems to have been cancelled almost daily for the past 10 years. I don't expect the new fleet will change its position as the 'first service to go' whenever any issues are reported, so I wouldn't hold your breath...

 

[86246]

The Law of Sod!
GA are working hard though, the return working is due to start back from Ely so I guess that a unit has been sent from Norwich (and may be the reason for initial cancellation of 1 of the diagrams I referred to up-thread).

The 16:00 from Ipswich terminated at Ely. The return is cancelled throughout. The 17:41 from Ipswich is also cancelled.

A disappointing return to the first full day of service.

GA have had one or two more promising days with the 755s in the past week and then the reliability issues return.

 

[ashkeba]

From the anecdotal evidence posted here that service seems to have been cancelled almost daily for the past 10 years. I don't expect the new fleet will change its position as the 'first service to go' whenever any issues are reported, so I wouldn't hold your breath...

I rode it on a Turbostar last year but, yes, it does seem to have "first service canned" status. Today's previous working of the unit from Lowestoft seems to have been Very Short Term Planned to terminate at Ipswich and then arrived 5 late anyway: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L42676/2020-01-20/detailed

I think when I next use the ferry, I will make sure I know my alternative routes and take a bag I can lean on instead of my stick!

 

[ashkeba]

hopefully so although the morning one was cancelled between Ipswich and Harwich quite often before the 755’s came along.

When was there a morning Cambridge-Harwich? I thought it was Harwich-Cambridge in the morning and Cambridge-Harwich in the evening for a long time, which allowed people from foreign universities to visit university events for more-or-less whole numbers of working days.

 

[dk1]

The 16:00 from Ipswich terminated at Ely. The return is cancelled throughout. The 17:41 from Ipswich is also cancelled.

A disappointing return to the first full day of service.

GA have had one or two more promising days with the 755s in the past week and then the reliability issues return.

The 17:41 is due to an engine fault on 156419.

 

[dk1]

When was there a morning Cambridge-Harwich? I thought it was Harwich-Cambridge in the morning and Cambridge-Harwich in the evening for a long time, which allowed people from foreign universities to visit university events for more-or-less whole numbers of working days.

It was Lowestoft-Cambridge via the East Suffolk in the morning & returning in the evening.

 

[43096]

The 17:41 is due to an engine fault on 156419.

Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story! It’s all down to those evil foreign trains, you know.

 

[dk1]

Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story! It’s all down to those evil foreign trains, you know.

Haha yeah!! When they work they are fantastic. My heart sinks when I have to work a 156 now & the sooner they oust the LHCS the better.

 

[ashkeba]

419 has been I service for a good while. Jinxed unit always having problems.

The 17:41 is due to an engine fault on 156419.

There seems to be something with trains ending 419. Maybe 755419 should be renumbered?

 

[dk1]

There seems to be something with trains ending 419. Maybe 755419 should be renumbered?

I was thinking that whilst typing

 

[samuelmorris]

I'd make a joke about the other use of the term '419' but that might not be appropriate

 

[dk1]

I'd make a joke about the other use of the term '419' but that might not be appropriate

Oh go on. It's often good to offend

 

[170TurboFan]

I'd make a joke about the other use of the term '419' but that might not be appropriate

Appears ‘419’ units are cursed, at least EMR are not getting 170419 from ScotRail then we will have a hat-rick. Hopefully the issues with 419 and 418 are ironed out!!

 

[43096]

Appears ‘419’ units are cursed, at least EMR are not getting 170419 from ScotRail then we will have a hat-rick. Hopefully the issues with 419 and 418 are ironed out!!

EMT are getting 170419, though.

 

[jopsuk]

a service to connect to the 0900 ferry from Harwich, based on the timings for the 2300, would have to leave Cambridge at 0547

 

[Fuzzytop]

The 17:41 is due to an engine fault on 156419.

Really not surprised, I had that unit this morning and it wasn't sounding healthy at all.

 

[stonojnr]

From the anecdotal evidence posted here that service seems to have been cancelled almost daily for the past 10 years. I don't expect the new fleet will change its position as the 'first service to go' whenever any issues are reported, so I wouldn't hold your breath...

I thought that was the Ipswich-Felixstowe lines job, which was suspended again yesterday due to a train fault

 

[gingerheid]

Have I just been unlucky, or do there seem to be less 755s between Cambridge and Ipswich than there were for a short while? While I've cut the amount I use the train significantly (for obvious reasons), I still do about 4 journeys a week and don't seem to have been on one or seen one for a while!

I thought that was the Ipswich-Felixstowe lines job, which was suspended again yesterday due to a train fault

Behold the horror: Link

You're more likely to win a free lucky dip on the lottery than a direct journey from Ipswich to Harwich!

a service to connect to the 0900 ferry from Harwich, based on the timings for the 2300, would have to leave Cambridge at 0547

Talking of which, do we know when we're getting our TSR3 pre 0710 arrival in Ipswich from Cambridge?

 

[Shunter_69]

323 is running the Sudbury’s this morning.

 

[gingerheid]

And 337 on the first pair of Ipswich - Cambridge services; first time I've seen a 3 carriage on this route.

 

[47421]

Talking of which, do we know when we're getting our TSR3 pre 0710 arrival in Ipswich from Cambridge?

Well various bits of TSR2 - extra TPH off peak to Hertford East n Southend V and extension of LivSt Ipswich semifast to Norwich all day - due May 19 have not yet been delivered, so I think we can forget about the ‘extra 1144’ trains a week due per TSR3 May 20 UFN.

 

[East74]

323 is running the Sudbury’s this morning.

332! 323 doesn’t exist. I’ve just seen photos of it sitting in Sudbury station on Twitter. I can’t wait to try it out at the weekend, even though I have already been on 755s Norwich to Gt Yarmouth and Thetford to Cambridge.

 

[Tim Regester]

So apparantly the platform at Marks Tey is too short for all three doors to be used on a 755/3 the main problem this causes is that the affected door is the one used for bicycles so the usual group of cyclists who get on at Sudbury cannot get their bikes off at Marks Tey.

 

[eastdyke]

So apparantly the platform at Marks Tey is too short for all three doors to be used on a 755/3 the main problem this causes is that the affected door is the one used for bicycles so the usual group of cyclists who get on at Sudbury cannot get their bikes off at Marks Tey.

Turn the unit round for tomorrow?

 

[Shunter_69]

Turn the unit round for tomorrow?

nice idea but that way they wouldn’t be able to get on at Sudbury.

 

[Shunter_69]

332! 323 doesn’t exist. I’ve just seen photos of it sitting in Sudbury station on Twitter. I can’t wait to try it out at the weekend, even though I have already been on 755s Norwich to Gt Yarmouth and Thetford to Cambridge.

good spot, in my defence I’m hardly awake at this time of the day let alone 4:30!

 

[samuelmorris]

Did nobody see that coming until now?

 

[Tim Regester]

Did nobody see that coming until now?

When, some time ago, the length of the 755/3s was revealed I did pace out the platform at Marks Tey, while waiting for a train. I thought it was marginal but assumed the head of the train (pointing at main line) would be further forward than it seems to be.
But you would hope that someone actually got a tape measure out and worked out the various scenarios (ironically in web design we call these user journeys) and suss cyclists would have a problem. They could have extended both platforms.

 

[eastdyke]

nice idea but that way they wouldn’t be able to get on at Sudbury.

OOPS!
Apart from cost/resource/time, what is the feasibility of extending the Marks Tey platform?

 

[Tim Regester]

OOPS!
Apart from cost/resource/time, what is the feasibility of extending the Marks Tey platform?

I would think there is room to do it on that platform. Be a bit silly to have new accessible trains only for them not to be accessible and being a Dutch Railway Company really embarrassing not to be able to accommodate Cyclists.