The Office of Rail and Road has confirmed that they have authorised new Greater Anglia Class 720 trains to enter passenger service.
Class 720/5s 720501 to 720589 have been authorised to operate passenger services after the testing period is complete.
The new trains will be used on lines into London from Essex, Cambridge, Hertfordshire and Ipswich.
There are currently restrictions for the Class 720/5s that they cannot operate as 10-car singles units.
One hundred eleven new ten and five carriage trains are in production, 655 carriages in total.
The carriages will have more seats, and the trains will be longer, with better accessibility features and four spaces for cycles.
As more of the Aventra fleet of trains enter service with Greater Anglia, it will allow the displacement of the older Class 317, 321, 360, and 379 fleets operated by the company.
The Class 720/5s are financed by and leased from Angel Trains and have been completed by Bombardier at their facility at Litchurch Lane in Derby.
A Greater Anglia spokesperson told RailAdvent: “We are very pleased that the Office of Road and Rail has authorised our new Bombardier Class 720 five-car trains for entry into service. These trains will help transform journeys for rail passengers in East Anglia. The trains are currently being tested on our network and the first one is due to be in service later this year.”
What do you think of these new trains? Let us know in the comments below.
Where Next?
RailAdvent Plus
Get image downloads, Prints and Streaming Video
News Homepage
For the Latest Railway News
RailAdvent Online Shop
Framed Prints, DVD's / Blu-Ray's and more
LocoStop Community
Come and share your railway pictures
Mainline Steam Info
Upcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements
Greater Anglia
Visit their website
prefer the class 321 but we cant assume how the 720s are without trying them.
“There are currently restrictions for the Class 720/5s that they cannot operate as 10-car singles units.”
How does a 5-car unit operate as a 10-car single unit? Do you mean multiple unit?
Bring back Class 305
Finally. It’s about time that Greater Anglia have slowly but surely have started introducing the Class 720/5 units in service that will be used on the Great Eastern and West Anglia services and to replace the Class 317, Class 321, Class 360 Desiro and Class 379 Electrostar EMU units. Why not keep and retain the Class 379 Electrostars.
As the Class 360s are cascaded to East Midlands Railway following the completion of the Bedford-Kettering & Corby Midland Main Line electrification scheme. I’m so thrilled.
I am looking forward to riding on these brand new trains that Greater Anglia have ordered. Plus 22 10-Car Class 720/1s are also to be built. The Class 720 (22 720/1 and 89 720/5) will be replacing the Class 317, Class 321, Class 360/1 Desiro (cascaded to East Midlands Railway) and Class 379 Electrostar. With rumours saying that the Class 379s might be cascaded to Gautrain or to Great Northern/Great Western Railway (Heathrow Express) or to be stored.
The Class 720 Aventra units will operate on
Great Eastern & branches
•Liverpool Street-Ipswich, Southend Victoria, Colchester, Colchester Town, Braintree, Clacton-on-Sea, Southminster, Harwich Town, Walton-on-the-Naze, Chelmsford,
Witham and Norwich (stopper). And shuttle service to Southminster from Wickford.
West Anglia & branches
•Liverpool Street-Hertford East, Bishops Stortford, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely & Kings Lynn (And possible Airport stopper service to Stansted Airport).
•Stratford-Hertford East, Bishops Stortford, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, Kings Lynn and Stansted Airport (Airport stopper) (And a shuttle service to Meridian Water from Stratford).
The Class 379s are ideal for some of the branch lines including Wickford-Southminster, Colchester-Walton-on-the-Naze, Colchester-Colchester Town, Manningtree/Ipswich-Harwich Town, Stratford-Meridian Water, Stratford-Hertford East, Bishops Stortford & Harlow Town and Liverpool Street-Hertford East, Braintree, Southminster, Southend Victoria & other services. That is if Greater Anglia may decide to retain the 30 Class 379 Electrostar EMU units.