Greater Anglia’s new bi-mode trains have been crowned “most reliable train of their type” in the country in independent industry awards for the third year running.
Greater Anglia’s Class 755 four-carriage bi-mode trains were named the most reliable “second generation new diesel” train at the Golden Spanners Awards 2023.
Awards are made purely on the statistical reliability of every single type of train over the past 12 months up to 16 September 2023.
Those train types with the fewest faults, and are therefore the most reliable, receive the awards and, to provide a level playing field, similar types of trains are compared against each other, on measures including age, power (diesel or electric) and the type of service they operate (e.g. intercity, London and South East commuter services, or regional services).
The four-carriage Class 755 trains, which operate on rural lines in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire, were named the most reliable train of their type in England, Scotland and Wales, for the second year running, with 12,716 miles between faults, after the three-carriage bi-mode trains were named the most reliable train in the same category in 2021 – creating a hat trick for the Greater Anglia bi-mode fleet.
Jamie Burles, Managing Director, Greater Anglia, said: “Our new trains have transformed rail travel in the region, and we are delighted that they have been recognised again with this award.
“This excellent result is a tribute to the work of both our team and the Stadler team at our Norwich Crown Point depot, who work round the clock keeping our trains running and further improving their performance.
“It is that excellent reliability which is also a key factor underpinning the very high punctuality results we have been achieving on our regional routes.”
In a recent 4 week period running to 14 October, Greater Anglia was the best UK train operator on all five of the performance measures on which train operators are regularly measured – on time at all stations, time to 3 minutes at all stations, time to 15 minutes at all stations, the public performance measure (arrival time at destination within 5 minutes of scheduled time) and cancellations.
Punctuality across the Greater Anglia network for that period averaged 95.9% – using the long-standing public performance measure (PPM), which measures arrival times at destination stations for each service.
The current GA moving annual average PPM figure was 94.4% in October and has since risen further to 94.5% – continuing the historically high results being delivered by the train operator over the last three and a half years.
Great Eastern services across Essex, serving destinations such as Southend, Chelmsford, Braintree, Colchester, Clacton, Harwich, and up to Ipswich in Suffolk, now have an annual punctuality average of 95.8%. Rural services across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, plus the Marks Tey to Sudbury line, are averaging 94.7%. Intercity services between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford and London are averaging 94.0%. West Anglia services to destinations including Hertford East, Harlow, Bishops Stortford, Cambridge and Ely are averaging 93.3% and Stansted Express services are averaging 91.1%.
Exceptional annual results of 97.5% or over have been achieved on four routes:
- Norwich to Great Yarmouth 98.6%
- Marks Tey to Sudbury 98.1%
- Norwich to Sheringham 97.9%
- Norwich to Lowestoft 97.5%
Photo credit: Greater Anglia
