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Class 90s
Norwich page 1 of 19
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Class 90s at Norwich station
Class 90002 in the then new "ONE" colours with a train to London from Norwich in 2005. This class 90 was unnamed at this time. It has had the names "Girls Brigade" and "Mission Impossible" at some time during it life. The platforms at Norwich station were having new paving at this time.
About Norwich Stations
Norwich had three railway statons at one time. Today only one is left.
The two stations that have closed are "Norwich City" which closed in 1959 and was the terminus for the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. "Norwich Victoria" was opened as passenger station in 1849 but later became a goods station closing in the 1970s.
"Norwich Station" is the only station left in Norwich (It used to be called "Norwich Thorpe Station"). It is a terminus station, at the end of the line from London's Liverpool Street Station via Ipswich.
After privatistion trains were run by Anglia Trains then One. The One name was changed to National Express East Anglia (NXEA).
In 2014 these trains are run by Abellio Greater Anglia who now runs the Greater Anglia franchise in 2014
Abellio Greater Anglia now also runs the trains from Cambridge to Norwich
There are also trains into Norwich on the line from Ely , from Liverpool and Nottingham via Peterborough. These trains were run by Central Trains but today are now run by East Midland Trains.
To the north east of Norwich there is the line to Cromer and Sherringham now called The Bittern Line. Trains are now run by by Abellio Greater Anglia who now runs the Greater Anglia franchise in 2014 There are lines to the east to Great Yarmouth and Lowstoft. These trains are also run Abellio Greater Anglia in 2014
"One" unbranded ex Virgin Trains class 90 in Norwich station in 2005
This ex Virgin Trains class 90 has no number and looks in a poor state in 2005. "One" had taken over the running of the Norwich London trains from Anglia trains who's colours are still on the mark 2s.
The locomotives used on the trains to London was a very poor mix of ex Virgin class 90s at this time, in 2005. A lot of time and work , has now been spent in the last few years trying to get these class 90s more reliable. (the photo above shows what a sort of state they were in then)
Class 90036 at Norwich station in 2005
This Class 90036 is on a "One" London train from Norwich. 90036 was an EWS locomotive in 2005, (EWS is now DB Schenker) It was still in its "Rail Freight Distirbution livery".
The Rail Freight Distirbution livery was introduced from about 1987 and was two tone grey. It had a Logo on the side with two red diamonds on a yellow rectangle with a offset red rectangle.
Rail Freight Distirbution was a British Rail subsecter for non-trainload freight and at first freightliner and Intermodal services came under its control. As from 1995 the Intermodal services were split to form the Company Freighliner. Rail Freight Distirbution was bought in 1996 to become EWS.
Class 90036 from the other end of the locomotive in Norwich station. This EWS class 90 still has its cast BR Arrows of Indecision and its has its logo on the side with its two red diamonds on a yellow rectangle with a offset red rectangle. This train with its British Rail Freight livery locomotive and its Virgin West Coast mark 3s, does little to tell the passenger that is in fact a train run by "ONE" to Liverpool Street station in London.
"Anglia Railways" "ONE" and "National Express East Anglia."
Anglia Railways which took over this part of the network from BR was owned by GB Railways. It operated the mainline trains out of Liverpool Street in London to Norwich. It also ran other local services in and around East Anglia, between the 5th of January 1997 and 31st March in 2004.
Then from the 1st April 2004 The "Anglia franchise was transferred to the Train Operating Company "London Eastern Railway Ltd" which was a subsidiary of the "National Express Group". Its train services were branded as "One" This wasa poor choice of name, and was changed to "National Express East Anglia" from February 2008.
In 2014 these trains are run by Abellio Greater Anglia who now runs the Greater Anglia franchise in 2014
"Anglia Railways" had used Class 86s on the London to Norwich trains. These 86s which were second hand from the WCML. They had done many 1000s of miles when they came. When "ONE" took over these class 86s were in need of replacement.
Virgin West Coast were getting the new Class 390 Pendolino's and their class 90s were not now needed. So again locomotives from the WCML, this time class 90s, were sent to the Norwich to London line.
The Class 90/0 locomotive of which 50 were built in the late 1980s had the numbers 90001 to 90050. The first 15 class 90s that were sent to the Norwich line were 90001 to 90015.
Class 90016 "Penny Black" below is not one of these class 90s and must have been being used, while the "ONE" colours were being put on some of these others members of the class.
The class 90s have a top speed of 110mph and are of the BO-BO wheel alignment. DBS and Freightliner also have have 10 class 90s each.
Class 90015 Penny Black at Norwich.
As can be seen with the two photos on this page the class 90s were in a poor state. Some of the class 86s had to be kept in service while the Crown Point Depot which is near to the station at Norwich tried to get the 90s in a better state of repair. After much hard work these class 90s are now in a much better state than they were when they first came from Virgin.
Not since the British Railways Standard class 2-6-4 pacifics that became known as the Britannia Class were put to work on the Norwich London express trains in the early 1950s, while they were still brand new, has the Norwich to London line had new top link locomotives for its express trains.
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