Stadler trains for Greater Anglia reach fleet acceptance

14 March 2024: Thanks to effective partnership working with Greater Anglia and Rock Rail, Stadler has reached fleet acceptance for the 58 FLIRTs manufactured and supplied for the East Anglia network. The contract for 38 bi-mode and 20 electric trains was Stadler’s first for the UK mainline and achieving this milestone firmly positions the company as a leading industry player in the UK market. 

The fleet acceptance underscores its high rates of availability and reliability and is testament to the close collaboration with Greater Anglia and Rock Rail. Since the first unit entered commercial service in summer 2019, overall performance of the Greater Anglia trains has risen steadily. Today, the four Greater Anglia routes with the highest levels of performance are all served by Stadler trains and record an annual public performance measure of 97 % or above (figures provided by Greater Anglia). 

In a Greater Anglia survey conducted last year among passengers travelling on branch lines using Stadler trains, 86 % of respondents said they preferred the new trains to the old ones; 77 % reported that it was easier to get off the new ones; 84 % believe that they could work productively on the new trains; and 76 % claimed that they would be more likely to recommend rail travel because of their experience on the new trains 

The Stadler trains on the Greater Anglia network have won awards for performance for three consecutive years at the UK industry-acclaimed Golden Spanner Awards, whose accolades are based entirely on statistical evidence relating to reliability. In November 2023, the Class 755 four-car bi-mode trains won a gold medal for being the most reliable in the second generation new diesel category. Judges pronounced them “the most reliable train of their type” in the country. It is the second year running that the four-car Class 755s received this award. In 2021, the three-car bi-modes were named the most reliable train in the same category. 

With 26 million journeys on the routes served by Stadler trains over the last 13 periods, the FLIRTs have transformed rail travel in East Anglia. Trains are longer and have more seats, air conditioning, wifi, dedicated cycle spaces, and improved passenger information screens. Saloons that are light and bright and have wider aisles reflect a continental approach to design. The trains’ low floors and retractable steps have improved accessibility, and level boarding at many stations was also a first for the UK mainline network. This autumn, Stadler will start installing tables into the trains on the Stansted Express route. By the end of next year, the re-fit is set to be finished.