Sparks to Norwich

Loco-powered services between Liverpool Street and Norwich came to an end earlier this year, although unlike the cessation of HST workings on the East Coast Main Line at the end of 2019, coronavirus meant there was no big farewell. David Russell looks back at 35 years of electric traction on the route.

- David Russell

THE Great Eastern Main Line from Liverpool Street to Norwich has been a busy route for many years and one of the most important for long-distance travel in East Anglia. Extension of the earlier outer suburban electrification north of Colchester, including the branch to Harwich, was authorised in November 1982 and completed in three stages to Ipswich in 1985, Harwich in 1986, and finally Norwich in 1987.

Diesels took over from steam between London and Norwich in 1958. EE Type 4 (Class 40) No. D200 hauled the inaugural diesel working on the route, which was the 10.27 Liverpool Street-Norwich on April 18, 1958. Thereafter, the ‘Whistler’ and five classmates Nos. D201-5 became a familiar sight on the route, with Nos. D206-9 joining the fleet at Stratford in 1961.

A further change took place in 1965 when more powerful Brush Type 4 (Class 47) power was introduced, enabling timetable improvements to be made. The ‘47s’ became the usual motive power on the route for the next 20 years, and in the early 1980s several of the Stratford-based locos were upgraded with electric train heating (ETH). This enabled a rolling stock upgrade to take place, with the appearance of air-conditioned Mk.2 coaches cascaded from the East Coast Main Line by the introduction there of HSTs.

LOCO SWAPS AT IPSWICH

Electrification work between Colchester and Ipswich/ Harwich was completed in 1985, the first electric train to operate to Ipswich under its own power being a pair of EMUs, Nos. 305505/10, on a test run on April 9.