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Why is Abellio Greater Anglia train painting so inconsistent?

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Eshonbel

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This is a major case for a lot of the larger AGA trains, usually the classes 321 and 90's. Nearly every Mk3 90 is some white+red doors and some blue+light green doors (well, this will change with the redesign). Why is this the case with most of these trains? It makes AGA look unprofessional.
 
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jopsuk

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it's a combination of factors:
Halfway through the previous franchise, with some of the fleet still in previous operators colours, National Express rebranded from 'one' (blue, green doors, rainbow stripes) to National Express East Anglia - white, with dark blue doors, silver ends to the carriages and their "dot to dot" silver diagional stripes. This was going to be the livery for all National Express operations- even the coaches. When National Express East Coast collapsed the following year the unified branding was dropped, with further repaints simply being into plain white with dark blue doors. The franchise was supposed to end in 2010, but the franchising review saw it limp on a further two years.

Greater Anglia took over on what was supposed to be 16 month franchise. This will in the end be a four and half year franchise. The franchise was awarded as a "caretaker", so included few commitments to invest. the repainting was continued as required, with red doors instead of blue.

They've now moved on to a modified version of this, with a light grey band low down and a darker grey window band. This seems to be getting applied a bit quicker, and even (I think?) being applied to units in all-over white. But don't hold out hope of the fleet being in a single livery by the end of the franchise! Some of the DMUs are still in the Anglia livery they were originally delivered in in 2002.
 

TheNewNo2

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Well at the moment Greater Anglia has the following liveries:

* First Group Barbie debranded (the dark blue ones, 360s only I think)
* "One" unbranded (the blueish one)
* "One" Breckland Line (blue with Breckland Line vinyls)
* National Express (the ones with grey and white diagonals)
* National Express unbranded (379s only I think - white with grey doors)
* Greater Anglia (white with red doors)
* Greater Anglia revised (white with red doors and black window surrounds)
* Class 321 demonstrator (dark grey)
* TfL rail (white with purple bottom)

There may well still be a few First Great Eastern ones floating around somewhere, and I think there was a 321 in yellow and blue Dutch railways livery a few years back, though it's probably been repainted since.


You're right, it is a bit rubbish of them. I expect the reason behind it is that they were only meant to have an 18 month contract, so repainting units wasn't much of a priority.
 

phil beard

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Well at the moment Greater Anglia has the following liveries:

* First Group Barbie debranded (the dark blue ones, 360s only I think)
* "One" unbranded (the blueish one)
* "One" Breckland Line (blue with Breckland Line vinyls)
* National Express (the ones with grey and white diagonals)
* National Express unbranded (379s only I think - white with grey doors)
* Greater Anglia (white with red doors)
* Greater Anglia revised (white with red doors and black window surrounds)
* Class 321 demonstrator (dark grey)
* TfL rail (white with purple bottom)

There may well still be a few First Great Eastern ones floating around somewhere, and I think there was a 321 in yellow and blue Dutch railways livery a few years back, though it's probably been repainted since.


You're right, it is a bit rubbish of them. I expect the reason behind it is that they were only meant to have an 18 month contract, so repainting units wasn't much of a priority.

The livery you've missed, of course, is filth. I've never known an area to consistently have trains that are always filthy. White trains are just the worst when not kept clean... and not much better when clean!
 

MK Tom

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When I traveled on GA in 2012 I found some units still in Central Trains livery. 156418 to be precise looking at my photos, as well as 170271 wearing a white and green livery I don't recognise.

I'm hoping whoever wins the next franchise embarks on a full rebranding programme, because the mix of liveries in the Anglia area is like nothing else on the network. The 360s also look terrible (I understand why they've not been painted, but still) for such modern units. They look a good decade or two older than they are.
 

387star

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Indeed

Can confirm none now in central or fge livery


Loads of 321s plus several 317 in plain white blue doors

Several 321s and 317/6 in white red doors
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Not sure why the 360s haven't been re branded but they lost barbie stripes some time ago


Have they fitted new seat covers to the 360s yet?
 

jon0844

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A lot of the white trains on West Anglia look pretty clean to be honest. Not that I'm sure many people liked it when a Stansted Express service last week (possibly coming back) was formed of a 4-car 317. Hmm, 3+2 seating.. Lovely!

I expect that as and when every train requires repainting it will get done then, as that makes most sense. It may not project a very professional image with so many liveries, but it's money that can be best used for something else.
 

badassunicorn

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How comes a lot of GA stock is so dirty? Other TOC's trains seem to be quite clean on the exterior on the whole, do they do more hand cleaning? Or are their washer plants a bit better?
 

jon0844

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The white 317s seem cleaner than white 379s. The latter always seem very brown at each carriage end.
 
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My figures on the fleet mix.
On May 31st, 69 sets move to Transport for London - pre CrossRail and London Overground.

Fleet beyond May 31st without changes: Total = 173.
Class 90 [15] - AGA red/white = 9; NatEx grey = 3; "one" blue = 3.
Class 82 [15] [DVT] - AGA red/white = 10; "one" blue = 5.
Class 153 & 156 [14] - AGA red/white = 14 [completed].
Class 170 [12] - "one" blue = 9; Anglia green/blue = 3.
Class 321 [66] - AGA red/white = 15; NatEx grey = 7; pre-AGA blue doors = 43; demonstrator = 1.
Class 360 [21] - former Great Eastern = 21.
Class 379 [30] - basic white and blue doors = 30.

After 31st May:
Remaining 46
Class 317/5 [15] - AGA red/white = 4; NatEx grey = 9; pre-AGA blue doors = 2.
Class 317/6 [24] - AGA red/white = 13; pre-AGA blue doors = 11.
Class 317/7 [1] - AGA red/white = 1. [Completed]
Class 317/8 [6] - NatEx grey = 5; pre-AGA blue doors = 1.

Departing to TfL 75
Class 315 [61] - AGA red/white = 50; "one" blue= 6; preCrossrail white/blue = 5.
Class 317/7 [8] - AGA red/white = 4; NatEx grey = 4.
Class 317/8 [6] - NatEx grey = 6.

AGA inherited a mess of liveries, which included 91 in white with blue doors, and AGA has painted 64 to red doors, plus demonstrator [321448].

Of the 75 sets of Class 315/318 fleet departing on 31st May, 54 are in red AGA livery, 6 in Tfl 5 remain in one livery and 10 in Natex.

So AGA have repainted to their red door livery, 129 of 322 sets, [40%] and will lose 54 in the changeover - that is, 54 they presented in their own livery to lose them due to Tfl/franchise alterations. [16% of their investment in fleet co-ordination/presentation].

The remaining fleet [247] will have this mix:
AGA red doors = 66
AGA blue doors = 92
former one livery = 17
former Natex livery = 48
former Anglia livery = 3
former Great Eastern = 21.

If livery was a major concern, it might be easy to repaint 92 blue doors to red doors, then 63% would be in AGA livery.
 
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chubs

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I highly doubt this franchise will ever have a uniform fleet.

Even in the old days Anglia had one IC set in Intercity Swallow and the DMU's were in a few different liveries. The GE side had green/grey livery and then some in First Great Eastern livery.

ONE made a very impressive stab at getting everything in their livery quickly, although the IC sets with a mix of Virgin, One and an Anglian DBSO looked a bit stupid.
 

jon0844

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You wouldn't think the train was painted white anywhere near the front!

You know what I mean; the ends where the carriage shape goes inwards for clearance. On a 379 these are particularly bad, as if the train wash brushes can't quite reach!
 

MCR247

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Had to be awkward :lol: I know exactly what you mean, the fronts of them are also very dirty. I have to admit though so do the TL 377s, so it can't all be down to the white livery
 

badassunicorn

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Its lucky there are buckets and brushes dotted around on platforms to keep the windscreen free of bugs and stuff ^_^
 

dk1

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Even in the old days Anglia had one IC set in Intercity Swallow and the DMU's were in a few different liveries.

That set also had different interior decor & seating moquet as refurb was signed off before Anglia specified a more dusky pink.

As for earlier comments of dirty exteriors, on the loco-hauled sets those done in paint rather than wallpaper are looking very smart indeed & stay that way. AGA are not going to paint the NXEA blue doors red when they are due to be done in an already agreed contract. Im not sure the average passenger is that fussed.
 
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Well at the moment Greater Anglia has the following liveries:

* First Group Barbie debranded (the dark blue ones, 360s only I think)
* "One" unbranded (the blueish one)
* "One" Breckland Line (blue with Breckland Line vinyls)
* National Express (the ones with grey and white diagonals)
* National Express unbranded (379s only I think - white with grey doors)
* Greater Anglia (white with red doors)
* Greater Anglia revised (white with red doors and black window surrounds)
* Class 321 demonstrator (dark grey)
* TfL rail (white with purple bottom)

There may well still be a few First Great Eastern ones floating around somewhere, and I think there was a 321 in yellow and blue Dutch railways livery a few years back, though it's probably been repainted since.


You're right, it is a bit rubbish of them. I expect the reason behind it is that they were only meant to have an 18 month contract, so repainting units wasn't much of a priority.

You have missed the Anglia Railways 170 that works out of Ipswich, white and green
 
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