Abellio Greater Anglia
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Franchise(s): |
Greater Anglia 5 February 2012 – 15 October 2016 |
| Main region(s): | Cambridgeshire, Essex, London, Norfolk, Suffolk |
| Other region(s): | Hertfordshire |
| Stations called at: | 170 |
| Stations operated: | 154 |
| Parent company: | Abellio |
| Website: | www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk |
Abellio Greater Anglia[1] is a train operating company in Britain owned by Abellio (a subsidiary of Nederlandse Spoorwegen) operating the Greater Anglia franchise. It provides the majority of commuter/regional services from its Central London terminus at London Liverpool Street to Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire as well as many regional services throughout the East of England. The service was branded Greater Anglia until December 2013.
The company's suburban London services were transferred to TfL Rail, the precursor to Crossrail, and to London Overground on 31 May 2015, and the current Greater Anglia franchise will be replaced by a new East Anglia franchise on 16 October 2016.
History
In December 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the Greater Anglia franchise to National Express, with operations starting on 1 April 2004.[2][3] The franchise was to run until March 2011, with provision for a three-year extension if performance targets were met.
In November 2009 the Department for Transport announced that National Express would not be granted the three-year extension for which it had met the criteria, because it had defaulted on the National Express East Coast franchise.[4][5]
Following a change of government at the 2010 General Election, the Department for Transport announced in June 2010 that all refranchising would be put on hold while a review was conducted into the franchising process.[6] As a result, National Express East Anglia was granted an initial extension until October 2011, followed by another until February 2012.[7]
In March 2011 the Department for Transport announced that Abellio, Go-Ahead, and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the franchise.[8] In October 2011 it awarded the new franchise to Abellio; the services operated by National Express East Anglia transferred to Greater Anglia on 5 February 2012.[9][10][11]
The franchise was originally to run until July 2014. The reason for awarding a short franchise, at the same time as the government was speaking of a desire to move to longer franchises, was to allow the government to digest the recommendations of the McNulty Rail Value for Money study before letting a long-term franchise.
In March 2013 the Secretary of State for Transport announced the franchise would again be extended until 15 October 2016.[12] Greater Anglia was rebranded as Abellio Greater Anglia in December 2013.
On 31 May 2015 the Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford services, as well as the Romford to Upminster service, transferred to London Overground Rail Operations.[13] Also on 31 May 2015, the Liverpool Street to Shenfield stopping services transferred to the Crossrail concession managed by MTR. They will run as TfL Rail until the new Crossrail trains are delivered in 2017.[14]
On 22 December 2014 the refurbishment of the company's fleet of British Rail Mark 3 carriages began. This long-awaited refurbishment includes a total internal rewiring, new toilets with waste-retention tanks, improved Wi-Fi provision, plug sockets at each seat, and a complete refresh of body panels, carpets and seat covers. The refurbishment is expected to be complete during 2016.
In 2016 Abellio created controversy as it was revealed that trains were so packed that they were dangerous.[15]
Improvements
A number of improvements are planned during the franchise period, including:[9]
- Improved station and ticket facilities and better information for passengers;
- A text messaging service to keep passengers informed of any disruptions;
- Extending Oyster card pay-as-you-go capabilities between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield/Hertford East;
- Mobile-phone and print-at-home ticketing facilities;
- 600 extra car park spaces at stations;
- Additional bicycle storage facilities;
- New automatic ticket barriers at Brentwood (No automatic ticket barrier was installed by Abellio and management of the station later passed to TfL Rail).
Services
Stansted Express
Abellio Greater Anglia operates the Stansted Express sub-branded airport rail link between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.[16]
Dutchflyer
Abellio Greater Anglia operates the Dutchflyer sub-branded boat train between London Liverpool Street and Harwich International.[17]
Performance
The latest punctuality statistics released by Network Rail for period 7 of 2013/2014 were 94.0% PPM (Public Performance Measure) down 1.0 percentage points on the same period last year and the MAA (Moving Annual Average) up to 12 October 2013 also fell slightly to 92.3%. In 2013, Abellio Greater Anglia was named train operator of the year.[18][19] However, a survey in February 2014 by the consumer group Which? found that customer satisfaction of Abellio Greater Anglia was at last place (out of 20 train operators) with a satisfaction percentage of 40%.[20]
Rolling stock
Abellio Greater Anglia inherited a fleet of Class 90, Mark 3 carriages, Driving Van Trailers, Class 153, Class 156 and Class 170 diesel multiple units, and Class 315, Class 317, Class 321, Class 360 and Class 379 electric multiple units from National Express East Anglia. Due to its short franchise term, Abellio Greater Anglia is not planning to introduce any new trains.[21] On 31 May 2015, the company's fleet of Class 315 trains were cascaded to London Overground and TfL Rail, and some Class 317 trains have been cascaded to London Overground, which has taken over local services in North and East London from the AGA franchise.
Fleet
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Livery
Abellio Greater Anglia has continued to repaint rolling stock in the same base white livery as National Express East Anglia used, but with red doors instead of blue using Greater Anglia logos, although most trains still bear the National Express livery. During late 2013 new Abellio Greater Anglia logos started to be applied to trains.
Sanitation
In November 2013, an online petition was launched, with the aim to stop Greater Anglia trains from dumping raw sewage from the train toilets.[22] There have also been concerns with the 'sewage mist' from passing trains making Network Rail staff ill, and Greater Anglia is "working closely" with the government to introduce a fleet upgrade.[23]
Depots
Abellio Greater Anglia's fleet is maintained at Clacton-on-Sea, Ilford and Norwich Crown Point depots.
See also
- National Express East Anglia
- Abellio
- Rail transport in Great Britain
- List of companies operating trains in the United Kingdom
References
- ↑ "Abellio Greater Anglia Ltd 06428369". Companies House.
- ↑ "National Express Group Announced as Preferred Bidder for new Greater Anglia Franchise". Strategic Rail Authority. 22 December 2003. Archived from the original on 4 January 2004.
- ↑ "National Express wins rail franchise". The Daily Telegraph (London). 22 December 2003.
- ↑ "National Express loses East Anglia rail franchise". BBC News. 26 November 2009.
- ↑ Millward, David (26 November 2009). "National Express loses East Anglia franchise three years early". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ↑ "Rail Franchising". Department for Transport. 17 June 2010.
- ↑ Osborne, Alistair (15 September 2010). "National Express wins extension to East Anglia rail franchise". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ↑ "Shortlisted Bidders for Greater Anglia and Intercity West Coast Rail Franchises" (PDF). Department for Transport. 24 March 2011.
- 1 2 "Better services for East Anglian passengers under new franchise" (Press release). Department for Transport. 20 October 2011.
- ↑ "Abellio awarded Greater Anglia franchise". Railway Gazette International (London). 20 October 2011.
- ↑ "Abellio has been awarded the Greater Anglia Franchise" (Press release). Abellio. 20 October 2011.
- ↑ "Railway plan puts new focus on passengers". Department for Transport. 26 March 2013.
- ↑ London Overground operator appointed to run additional services for TfL Travel & Tour World 4 June 2013
- ↑ TfL announces MTR to run Crossrail services TfL 18 July 2014
- ↑ http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Accident-waiting-happen-Newmarket-Cambridge-rail/story-28751220-detail/story.html
- ↑ "Stansted Express". Abellio Greater Anglia. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ↑ "Dutchflyer". Stena Line. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
- ↑ "Rail performance results period 7". Network Rail. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ↑ "Greater Anglia named train operator of the year". Rail Business Awards. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ↑ "Best and worst UK train companies". Which?. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ↑ "Greater Anglia franchise agreement" (PDF). Department for Transport. 1 November 2011.
- ↑ "Commuters demand end to raw toilet waste being dumped at Liverpool Street station". Metro (London). 18 December 2013.
- ↑ "Cambridge rail worker's health fears over excrement spray". BBC News. 18 December 2013.
External links
Media related to Abellio Greater Anglia at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by National Express East Anglia Greater Anglia franchise |
Operator of Greater Anglia franchise 2012 - 2016 |
Incumbent |
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