By Keith Fender
GREATER Anglia operator Abellio, together with industry partners Eversholt, Wabtec and Vossloh Kiepe, launched the first of the production batch of ‘Renatus’ (Latin for ‘born again’), refurbished Class 321 EMUs, on December 16.
The first train – No. 321304 – is fully internally and externally refurbished, but not yet using the new traction equipment package. It was presented to stakeholders and the media on a special Liverpool Street to Ipswich service.
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Greater Anglia uses Class 321 units for services between London, Southend, Southminster, Braintree, Clacton, Harwich and Ipswich (with peak-hour trains to Norwich).
The prototype Class 321 ‘Renatus’ unit was originally conceived in 2011 and put into service in 2013. Set 321 448 has now operated more than 7,700 miles in service and Abellio has received more than 2,500 feedback comments from users, some of which having been used to finalise the specification for the production batch of trains.
Read more in January’s issue of The RM
