West Anglia Great Northern

West Anglia Great Northern

Class 317 at Cambridge in 2004
Overview
Franchise(s)	West Anglia Great Northern: 5 January 1997 – 31 March 2004 Great Northern only: 1 April 2004 – 31 March 2006
Main region(s)	East of England
Other region(s)	Greater London (north and north-east)
Fleet size	145
Stations called at	55
Parent company	Prism Rail (1997–2000) National Express (2000–2006)
Reporting mark	WN
Successors	One First Capital Connect

West Anglia Great Northern^[1] was a train operating company in England, owned by Prism Rail and later National Express, that operated the West Anglia Great Northern franchise from January 1997 until March 2004 and the Great Northern franchise from April 2004 until March 2006.

History[]

Corporate logos used by WAGN

Interior of a refurbished Class 313

Refurbished Class 317 in the original WAGN livery at Liverpool Street station in 2006

Prism Rail was awarded the West Anglia Great Northern franchise and commenced operations on 5 January 1997.^[2][3]

West Anglia Great Northern made an open access application to extend services from Peterborough to Doncaster but this was rejected by the Office of Rail Regulation.^[4]

In July 2000, West Anglia Great Northern was included in the sale of Prism Rail to National Express.^[5][6]

In 2002 as part of a franchise reorganisation by the Strategic Rail Authority, it was announced that the franchise would be split with the West Anglia part merged into the Greater Anglia franchise.^[7] In December 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the Greater Anglia franchise to National Express, with the West Anglia services transferring to One on 1 April 2004.^[8] After being granted a two-year franchise extension, the Great Northern services were retained with the company now referring to itself as WAGN rather than West Anglia Great Northern.^[9]

Services[]

West Anglia Great Northern operated all stops and limited stops West Anglia services out of London Liverpool Street to Chingford, Enfield Town, Hertford East, Stansted Airport, and Cambridge, and all stops and limited stops Great Northern services out of London King's Cross to Cambridge, King's Lynn and Peterborough, including the Hertford North loop line.

Rolling stock[]

West Anglia Great Northern inherited a fleet of Class 313s, Class 315s, Class 317s, Class 322s and Class 365s from British Rail.

Two of the five Class 322s were loaned to First North Western from 1997 until 1999,^[10] before all five were transferred to ScotRail in 2001.^[11]

The trains to receive an overhaul were twenty-four Class 317/2s, which were made more suitable for long-distance use through repainting, the addition of carpet, installation of lower-density seats and an improved first class area. Dedicated bicycle and wheelchair spaces and improved lighting were also provided, with the exterior receiving a new white, grey, blue and red livery.^[12]

Suburban trains were also improved with the Class 313s gaining new seats with higher backs, wheelchair provision and minor improvements to fittings such as stanchions in the passenger areas. These emerged from refurbishment at Railcare, Wolverton in a plain white undercoat^[13] before a metallic purple livery was introduced in 2001.^[14]

Nine Class 317/1s were refurbished in 1999/2000 for the dedicated Stansted Express service, and were reclassified Class 317/7. These featured improved interiors and a new metallic blue Stansted Express livery.^[15][16]

Sixteen Class 365s were transferred from South Eastern Trains in 2004.^[17] Before entering service with WAGN, these units had their original DC shoe gear removed and pantographs fitted.

Fleet at end of franchise

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Built	Notes
			mph	km/h
03		Diesel–mechanical locomotive	28.5	45.9	1	1962	03179 "Clive", used as shunter at Hornsey TMD
313		EMU	75	120	41	1976–1977	London Moorgate/London King's Cross – Hertford North, Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City
315		EMU	75	120	18	1980–1981	London Liverpool Street – Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town London Liverpool Street – Hertford East (peak times and Sundays only); transferred to One in April 2004
317		EMU	100	160	72	1981–1982, 1985–1987	London King's Cross – Cambridge London Liverpool Street – Cambridge, Hertford East and Stansted Airport Stratford – Stansted Airport; 60 transferred to One in April 2004
365		EMU	100	160	40	1994–1995	London King's Cross – Cambridge, King's Lynn and Peterborough; 25 originally; one written off in the Potters Bar rail accident of 2002; 16 added in 2004 and 2006 from South Eastern Trains

Depots[]

West Anglia Great Northern's fleet was maintained at Hornsey and Ilford depots.

Demise[]

As part of a franchise reorganisation by the Strategic Rail Authority, the Great Northern services were merged into the Thameslink franchise.^[18][19] In December 2005, the Department for Transport awarded the Thameslink franchise to FirstGroup with the services operated by West Anglia Great Northern transferring to First Capital Connect on 1 April 2006.^[20]

References[]

External links[]

Media related to West Anglia Great Northern at Wikimedia Commons