Greater Anglia has told RailAdvent that it is currently amending its order with Bombardier regarding their Class 720 trains.
The operator has cancelled the order for the 22 ten-carriage Class 720/1 trains, which was originally part of the order along with 89 five-carriage Class 720/5 trains.
However, Greater Anglia has now amended its order to increase the quantity of the Class 720/5s to 133, which will give the same amount of carriages, a total of 665.
Half of these have been built, and the Class 720s are set to go into passenger service in 2020.
Greater Anglia's new trains have more seats, plug sockets and better passenger information screens (PIS')
Angel Trains is financing the 665 carriages, which are then are leased to Greater Anglia.
A Greater Anglia spokesperson told RailAdvent: “We are in the process of amending our order for Class 720 trains from Bombardier from 22 x ten-carriage and 89 x five-carriage trains to 133 x five carriage trains, which gives us the same number of carriages overall – a total of 665.
“Bombardier has now built nearly half of the carriages and the first Class 720 train is due to go into passenger service on the Greater Anglia network later this year.”
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That would mean 89 Class 720/5s (720501-720599) are still being built but Greater Anglia also want 44 extra 5-Car Class 720/6s (720601-720644). With the Class 720/6 that c2c have ordered would be re-numbered or re-classified to Class 720/1 (720101-720106) to replace the Class 387/3s (387301-387306) and to cascade them elsewhere or to be stored. I think that makes sense.
133 Class 720/5+720/6 for “Abellio” Greater Anglia (720501-720599 & 720601-720644). And Class 720/6 for Trenitalia c2c (720601-720606 which would be renumbered as 720645-720651).
So why cancel the 22 Class 720/1 10-Car units that would be ideal for commuter “semi-fast” West Anglia and Great Eastern services (Liverpool Street-Cambridge, Colchester, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester Town, Walton-on-the-Naze, Southend Airport, Southend Victoria, Bishops Stortford, Harwich Town, Harwich International and Ipswich). With a possible extra 10-Car 720/1s if needed.
And the 89 Class 720/5 to be operated on all services on the West Anglia and Great Eastern services (including the branch lines including-Braintree line, Crouch Valley line (Wickford-Southminster), Hertford East line, Mayflower line (Manningtree-Harwich Town & Ipswich-Harwich Town) and the Sunshine lines (Colchester-Walton-on-the-Naze and Colchester-Colchester Town shuttle). With a possible extra 5-Car 720/5s if needed.
i dont think the 720s will go on the mayflower line except to Harwich Intl ONLY, given the platforms are too short for the 720s as all stations bar Harwich Intl are only long enough for a 4 car Class 321/360, i think the 755s will be taking over the Harwich branch, given the stop boards have Class 755 on them so doubt the 720s will be going Harwich Town
So there won’t be no 10-Car Class 720s to work on the West Anglia and Great Eastern routes as well on the branch lines. As the Class 720 has been increased to 89 to 133 5-Car units. Whilst c2c have ordered 6 10-Car Class 720/6 to replace the Class 387/3.
Is that enough to provide better services as the Class 745s which were built by Stadler as 12-Car that are currently working on the London-Norwich main line and the Stansted Express services. And the Class 755 3-Car and 4-Car operating on the local regional routes.
I’m sure that Bombardier will still get the chance to build 10-Car Class 720 units to be used on Liverpool Street-Ipswich, Cambridge, Clacton-on-Sea, Southend Victoria and Colchester.