New longer trains now running on Hertford East line

Greater Anglia’s new longer ten-carriage trains are now running on the Hertford East line providing many more seats for customers on this busy commuter route – however customers are advised to check which carriage they need to use to get on and off because at some stations trains are longer than platforms.

The introduction of new ten-carriage longer trains, formed of pairs of five-carriage Class 720s, on the Hertford East line marks another major milestone in Greater Anglia’s £1.4 billion programme to replace every single train on the network with brand new trains.

Platform extension work has been completed at Hertford East, Ware, Broxbourne and Stratford long enough for the new ten-carriage trains – with 17 days of intensive works carried out during August.

On 5 September, the first ten-carriage trains – with at least 73 per cent more seats than the old trains they replaced – were put into service on the Hertford East line.

Ten-carriage new trains can now call at all stations on the Hertford East/Bishops Stortford to Stratford/London Liverpool Street routes, but platform lengths at some stations mean doors in some carriages will not open at those stations.

The Alstom-built trains have special door-opening software which means that doors only open where there is a platform next to them and any other doors not next to a platform remain shut.

Greater Anglia has produced posters for each station affected to show customers where to get on or off the train depending on their journey.

There will be announcements on trains and graphics on passenger information screens on trains and platforms to show passengers which carriage they should travel in.

The information is also available online https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/station-information, and on the company’s social media to help people to plan their journeys in advance if they want to.

Stations where trains will be longer than the platforms on the Hertford East/Bishops Stortford to Stratford/London Liverpool Street lines are: St Margarets, Rye House, Harlow Mill, Roydon, Waltham Cross, Enfield Lock, Brimsdown, Ponders End, Meridian Water, Northumberland Park, Tottenham Hale (platform 2), Lea Bridge and Hackney Downs.

Passengers should check posters on platforms and listen out to announcements when travelling to or from these stations so that they board the train in the right section so they can get off at their destination.

On the ten-carriage trains, wheelchair-users should let the member of staff who is assisting them know where they’re getting off to ensure they can get off at their destination.

The wheelchair area has a blue stripe with a wheelchair icon on the outside of the train so people can see at a glance where it is.

Ten carriage trains also have two bike areas for full size bikes in each five-carriage train, so cyclists should use the right half of the train so they can take their bike off the train at their destination.

Cycle areas are marked with a green stripe with a bike icon on the outside of the bike.

Restrictions apply on taking full size bikes on Greater Anglia trains during the rush hour – details are on the Greater Anglia website.

Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia’s client and programme director, said: “Passengers on the Hertford East line can now see the full benefits of our new longer trains and enjoy more comfortable journeys with many more seats available.

“We’re very grateful to customers on the Hertford East line for their patience this summer while we have carried out works to make platforms longer at Hertford East, Ware and Broxbourne.

“We’re advising customers to check arrangements at some intermediate stations between Hertford East/Bishops Stortford and Stratford/London Liverpool Street as our new commuter trains are still longer than some of the platforms they will be stopping at, especially when they are ten carriages long.

“The trains’ on-board computers are programmed so that doors will only open onto a platform – as is the case with many trains on other railways.

“We will do everything we can to make sure customers know which part of the train they need to be on to get on and off at the start and end of their journey.

“Anyone unsure about which carriage to travel in can ask a member of station staff or contact us using the assistance button on ticket machines which will put them through to a member of staff based in Norwich who will be able to help or tweet @GreaterAnglia.”

All of Greater Anglia trains in passenger service in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and West Essex are new longer trains with more seats, plug and USB sockets, fast free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and better passenger information screens.

They also have much better facilities for disabled customers, including wheelchair areas with seating for non-wheelchair users too so families and friends can travel together and an accessible toilet on every train – two on ten-carriage trains.

The new trains also have many more environmental features including regenerative braking which puts electricity back into the network during braking and lighter, more aerodynamic chassis which make trains more energy efficient.

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