In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at
10:41:52 on Fri, 13 Dec 2013, remarked:
Even if they don't get many points for their trains (including the
Stansted Express which is painfully slow, although they are quite new
and clean) Greater Anglia have introduced quite a lot of ticketing
innovations. Far more than any other TOC I can think of.

Indeed. They have revolutionised my arrangements for business trips to
London.

And talking about their trains, they appear to have downgraded the
Cambridge-Ely-Norwich service to 2-car trains at the recent timetable
change. During the day that won't be too much of an issue, but if
it's a permanent thing, in the rush hours I can foresee quite a bit
of over- crowding especially between Cambridge and Ely.

Are you sure it wasn't just an occasional instance? They have 8 three-car
units, bought for the Anglia franchise and 4 two-car units bought for the
Cambridge-Norwich service launch in 2002.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 13:04:03
on Fri, 13 Dec 2013, remarked:

And talking about their trains, they appear to have downgraded the
Cambridge-Ely-Norwich service to 2-car trains at the recent timetable
change. During the day that won't be too much of an issue, but if
it's a permanent thing, in the rush hours I can foresee quite a bit
of over- crowding especially between Cambridge and Ely.

Are you sure it wasn't just an occasional instance?

When a 2-car turned up for my trip to Cambridge yesterday it confirmed
my suspicion - I'd only seen 2-car all week. The first day was last
Sunday, and I thought it might have been a substitution due to being a
Sunday, but it appears to have carried on all week.

They have 8 three-car units, bought for the Anglia franchise and 4
two-car units bought for the Cambridge-Norwich service launch in 2002.

They were using 3-car on the Peterborough-Ipswich too (quite a step up
from when the service was run with a dogbox). Today I'll try to look out
for specific trains.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 08:01:47 on Sat, 14 Dec
2013, Roland Perry remarked:

They were using 3-car on the Peterborough-Ipswich too (quite a step up
from when the service was run with a dogbox). Today I'll try to look
out for specific trains.

All three (CambridgeNorwich and PeterboroughIpswich) just now were
3-car. So the 2-car I've been seeing all week do seem to be the odd ones
out, if this keeps up all day.
--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at 08:01:47 on Sat, 14 Dec
2013, Roland Perry remarked:

They were using 3-car on the Peterborough-Ipswich too (quite a step up
from when the service was run with a dogbox). Today I'll try to look
out for specific trains.

All three (CambridgeNorwich and PeterboroughIpswich) just now were
3-car. So the 2-car I've been seeing all week do seem to be the odd
ones out, if this keeps up all day.

The 2-car units are meant for the Cambridge-Ipswich service these days. Use
of 3-car units on Peterborough-Ipswich is normal. They used to carry on to
Colchester or Liverpool St. The ending of services into Liverpool St (From
Lowestoft if not from Peterborough) released enough 3-car units to cascade
them to the Cambridge-Norwich service and 2-car units to end the use of
single car trains on Cambridge-Ipswich.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 15:00:18
on Sat, 14 Dec 2013, remarked:
They were using 3-car on the Peterborough-Ipswich too (quite a step up
from when the service was run with a dogbox). Today I'll try to look
out for specific trains.

All three (CambridgeNorwich and PeterboroughIpswich) just now were
3-car. So the 2-car I've been seeing all week do seem to be the odd
ones out, if this keeps up all day.

The 2-car units are meant for the Cambridge-Ipswich service these days. Use
of 3-car units on Peterborough-Ipswich is normal.

Yes, I know. What was interesting me is why there was a 2-car unit
passing Ely regularly last week (I didn't check which route, although my
Ely-Cambridge on friday was 2-car). I noticed that one of yesterday's
3-car had advertising vinyls on it, perhaps it was away having that
done.

They used to carry on to Colchester or Liverpool St.

For a few years, yes. But they changed their mind. Although it appears
they still stable them in Colchester because the first/last trains work
there rather than Ipswich.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/trai...12/15/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/trai...12/15/advanced

The ending of services into Liverpool St (From Lowestoft if not from
Peterborough) released enough 3-car units to cascade them to the
Cambridge-Norwich service and 2-car units to end the use of single car
trains on Cambridge-Ipswich.

And of course it makes Liverpool St-Ipswich 'all electric' again. I
expect these changes were done when some extra EMUs arrived (probably
321's cascaded from London Midland) a couple of years ago.

--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at
15:00:18 on Sat, 14 Dec 2013, remarked:
They were using 3-car on the Peterborough-Ipswich too (quite a step up
from when the service was run with a dogbox). Today I'll try to look
out for specific trains.

All three (CambridgeNorwich and PeterboroughIpswich) just now were
3-car. So the 2-car I've been seeing all week do seem to be the odd
ones out, if this keeps up all day.

The 2-car units are meant for the Cambridge-Ipswich service these days.
Use of 3-car units on Peterborough-Ipswich is normal.

Yes, I know. What was interesting me is why there was a 2-car unit
passing Ely regularly last week (I didn't check which route, although
my Ely-Cambridge on friday was 2-car). I noticed that one of
yesterday's 3-car had advertising vinyls on it, perhaps it was away
having that done.

If you mean the Breckland one, that's been a round for some time.

They used to carry on to Colchester or Liverpool St.

For a few years, yes. But they changed their mind. Although it
appears they still stable them in Colchester because the first/last
trains work there rather than Ipswich.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/trai...12/15/advanced
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/trai...12/15/advanced

The ending of services into Liverpool St (From Lowestoft if not from
Peterborough) released enough 3-car units to cascade them to the
Cambridge-Norwich service and 2-car units to end the use of single car
trains on Cambridge-Ipswich.

And of course it makes Liverpool St-Ipswich 'all electric' again. I
expect these changes were done when some extra EMUs arrived (probably
321's cascaded from London Midland) a couple of years ago.

That as well. The idea with the original eight 170s was to provide direct
trains from non-electrified Anglia destinations like Lowestoft.

--
Colin Rosenstiel