Norwich to Stansted Direct Train in 2018?

[Owen]

I travel from Norwich to Stansted and back, twice a month. The fastest i've done this trip in, was around 1 hour and 50. The changing is an irritant.

I've seen reference to a possible direct service on other threads. A service that calls in Ely, Cambridge and Audley End sounds like a good recommendation. Probably taking 90 minutes.

Surely Norwich has enough travellers to sustain this? Any news on this?

 

[Starmill]

I think a Norwich to Stansted Airport service is a franchise commitment, but not until after the new trains have been delivered.

 

[306024]

Norwich to Stansted is indeed part of the franchise bid. Achieving suitable journey times depends on the new bi-mode units not being too heavy for the higher sprinter speeds from Lakenheath to Ely, not drawing too much power from Ely to Cambridge, and not stopping at too many places. So a few hurdles to overcome yet.

 

[Owen]

Can't they use the Turbostars?

 

[Domh245]

I would think that their current DMU fleet is too stretched to be able to add this service. Once they've got the new trains in (38 units compared to today's 26) then they can add additional services.

 

[TheEdge]

Can't they use the Turbostars?

In theory yes, but I believe it would require another daily diagram for a 170, if not more, which the current fleet just can't provide.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Even with extra rolling stock, wouldn't a Norwich-Stansted service require additional paths through the bottleneck at Ely? Is that possible without infrastructure works?

 

[grumblingalong]

Even with extra rolling stock, wouldn't a Norwich-Stansted service require additional paths through the bottleneck at Ely? Is that possible without infrastructure works?

1x Norwich-Cambridge only uses the same amount of paths as 1x Norwich-Stansted.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

1x Norwich-Cambridge only uses the same amount of paths as 1x Norwich-Stansted.

Ah OK, so the proposal is to extend an existing service, not to introduce a new service. Thanks!

 

[jopsuk]

the proposal is to connect the existing Norwich-Cambridge DMU and Cambridge-Stansted EMU services into a single b-mode service. This will require re-timing; at the moment for most of the day the train from Norwich arrives at xx59 in most hours, whilst the GA services to the airport depart at xx27 mainly. Currently there's a 10 minute connection from the GA Norwich-Cambridge to the XC Cambridge-Stansted though (usually xx10)

 

[chubs]

the proposal is to connect the existing Norwich-Cambridge DMU and Cambridge-Stansted EMU services into a single b-mode service. This will require re-timing; at the moment for most of the day the train from Norwich arrives at xx59 in most hours, whilst the GA services to the airport depart at xx27 mainly. Currently there's a 10 minute connection from the GA Norwich-Cambridge to the XC Cambridge-Stansted though (usually xx10)

I travel from Norwich to Stansted and back, twice a month. The fastest i've done this trip in, was around 1 hour and 50. The changing is an irritant.

I've seen reference to a possible direct service on other threads. A service that calls in Ely, Cambridge and Audley End sounds like a good recommendation. Probably taking 90 minutes.

Surely Norwich has enough travellers to sustain this? Any news on this?

I do this journey often too and cant wait.

Going out is easy, either the GA or EMT service is fine to Ely then a few minutes wait for the XC and you can do the whole journey in about 1 hour 40-50. If you take the GA service out of Norwich you don't even have to change platforms.

The other way always seems more complicated. If you are quick and take the XC to Ely you can run and make the EMT service but you only have 2 minutes to transfer, and often miss it. If you take the GA service from Stansted to Cambridge then you have to commit to the GA service from Cambridge, last time I did this I only had 6 minutes from one end of the station to the other and only just made it through the crowds of dawdling masses. If you miss it then you have an hours wait, at least at Ely you get 2 trains an hour.

 

[Ianno87]

I do this journey often too and cant wait.

Going out is easy, either the GA or EMT service is fine to Ely then a few minutes wait for the XC and you can do the whole journey in about 1 hour 40-50. If you take the GA service out of Norwich you don't even have to change platforms.

The other way always seems more complicated. If you are quick and take the XC to Ely you can run and make the EMT service but you only have 2 minutes to transfer, and often miss it. If you take the GA service from Stansted to Cambridge then you have to commit to the GA service from Cambridge, last time I did this I only had 6 minutes from one end of the station to the other and only just made it through the crowds of dawdling masses. If you miss it then you have an hours wait, at least at Ely you get 2 trains an hour.

Northbound, the XC has about a 10-12 minute connection into the GA service for Norwich at either Cambridge or Ely.

 

[47421]

The train service requirement under the 2016 Franchise Agreement can be found in the zip file here
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-anglia-2016-rail-franchise-agreement
TSR1 applies to May 19
TSR2 May 19 to May 20
TSR3 May 20 onwards
separately there is a separate STAR requirement effective Dec 18. That has already been delayed to May 19.

Table 21 of the TSRs shows 15 on weekdays direct Norwich to Stansted Airport services in TSR 2, increasing to 17 from TSR 3.

Like many things about the GA franchise we are waiting to see what will actually be delivered. As mentioned STAR is delayed, and personally I am very doubtful that para 105.2 will be complied with, although no doubt Network Rail mostly to blame.

105. Infrastructure upgrades

105.1 By no later than 1 May 2019, the Franchisee shall make all necessary changes to the infrastructure of the Stations (including relevant associated infrastructure surrounding such Stations) in order to accommodate the Passenger Services as set out in TSR2 and the Franchisee shall incur a minimum expenditure of [REDACTED120] in doing so.

105.2 Pursuant to paragraph 105.1 such changes to the infrastructure shall include such infrastructure works at each of Hertford East, Wickford, Manningtree, Kings Lynn, Elsenham, Ware, St Margarets and Enfield Lock Stations as are necessary to enable any Passenger Services comprised of 10 rolling stock vehicles to call at such Stations by no later than 1 September 2018.

 

[Bald Rick]

Like many things about the GA franchise we are waiting to see what will actually be delivered. As mentioned STAR is delayed, and personally I am very doubtful that para 105.2 will be complied with, although no doubt Network Rail mostly to blame.

105. Infrastructure upgrades

105.1 By no later than 1 May 2019, the Franchisee shall make all necessary changes to the infrastructure of the Stations (including relevant associated infrastructure surrounding such Stations) in order to accommodate the Passenger Services as set out in TSR2 and the Franchisee shall incur a minimum expenditure of [REDACTED120] in doing so.

105.2 Pursuant to paragraph 105.1 such changes to the infrastructure shall include such infrastructure works at each of Hertford East, Wickford, Manningtree, Kings Lynn, Elsenham, Ware, St Margarets and Enfield Lock Stations as are necessary to enable any Passenger Services comprised of 10 rolling stock vehicles to call at such Stations by no later than 1 September 2018.

No doubt Network Rail will be to blame, if they have been remitted the necessary work by the franchisee, and provided with the necessary funding.

 

[TurbostarFan]

Could happen, at the moment you need to change at Ely from one train, which is operated by AGA or EMT onto another train operated by either AGA or XC. But when AGA get bi-mode trains, nothing stops them using them to run a Norwich-Stansted service via Ely.

 

[TurbostarFan]

Can't they use the Turbostars?

From 2019 onwards they will cease to use them.

 

[Edd_P]

New here. Not an expert but just signed up to pose the question, any news? Cheers in advance!

 

[grumblingalong]

New here. Not an expert but just signed up to pose the question, any news? Cheers in advance!

Short answer no, long answer errrrrr also no for the moment! Waiting for the new trains to be introduced then we might see some progress.

 

[Edd_P]

Many thanks! Will keep goggles peeled