A Fond Farewell

Following the withdrawals of the Class 321s across the many other operators of the type by 2017 Greater Anglia were left with the vast majority, the few exceptions being the units that had seen conversion to Class 320s, as well as the Northern Class 321/9 and Class 322s based in the Leeds area. Replacement of the full Greater Anglia fleet was initially meant to happen by 2019 to coincide with the changes made to disability requirements for trains operating in the United Kingdom, though due to delays in the introduction of the Class 720s this original date was missed. Issues arose however as most of the fleet did not meet these requirements, as only the 30 Renatus refurbished units were ever fitted with Universal Access toilets and updated wheelchair facilities during their large scale refurbishment in the 2010s.

A solution however was reached when dispensation was given to the unrefurbished units, providing they operated in multiple with a unit which met the new disability requirements. This meant that 8 and 12 car formations could continue to operate with unrefurbished units providing at least one unit was of the Renatus type. During this time the Leeds based 321/9 and 322 fleet were introduced to Greater Anglia following their replacement with new trains to the Northern fleet, which added a much needed 9 further units as they also met the disability requirements thanks to their own, though much more simple, refurbishment during the late 2000s. This created a fleet of 39 refurbished units which operated alongside the 71 unrefurbished units.

By the end of 2021 enough Class 720s were in service on Great Eastern diagrams to see the end of the unrefurbished Class 321s. The last service on Greater Anglia worked by one of these units being the 09:23 Ipswich to London Liverpool Street (1Y31) on Tuesday 21st December 2021, where 321406 worked alongside Renatus refurb 321308 before returning alone to Ilford E.M.U.D. for withdrawal.

With the last of the original fleet of unrefurbished Class 321s withdrawn from Great Eastern duties, focus during this time shifted to covering more diagrams on West Anglia routes to Bishops Stortford and Cambridge to see the withdrawal of the large Class 317 fleet. The much smaller Northern fleet of 9 would also see withdrawal during this time, with the last of the Class 322s seeing withdrawal during August of 2022. The intention had never been to have these units last a long time, their use by Greater Anglia lasting around two years from their initial introduction.

The last to see passenger use on Greater Anglia were the 30 Renatus refurbished units, with the fleet still seeing diagrams across much of the network during the latter half of 2022. Starting in 2023 however diagrams for the class began to dwindle, with the last booked Class 321 to operate a passenger service on the mainline running on the 10th of February. Following this work was restricted to branch lines as well as ad hoc work to and from London. Class 321s operated the North Essex branch lines serving Walton and Harwich until the 3rd April 2023, where the last unit concluding passenger work for the entire Class on a full days service between Colchester and Walton-on-the-Naze via Colchester Town.

A farewell tour was operated later in the month, on the 29th of April 2023, with a pair of Class 321s (321307 and 321314) running across the Great Eastern network to many of the locations the Class 321s saw operation during their lives, including Colchester Town, Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, Harwich Town, Stowmarket and Southend Victoria.

This train was operated with red ‘Class 321 Farewell’ headboards on either end of the consist. One of these has been preserved by me, and most recently has appeared back at London Liverpool Street on the Varamis Rail Class 321s when they visited in 2024.

Although the last Class 321s had operated their last services by May 2023, Ilford were responsible for two units (321305 and 321321) all the way until November of 2024. This was due to the leasing company requiring that all units were returned in operational condition, and these units requiring substantial works to achieve this. It was however decided that due to the impending scrapping of the rest of the fleet that these units could be returned faulty and scrapped immediately. 321305 made the journey first, making 321321 the last Class 321, and the last of the legacy British Rail fleet, to operate out of Ilford Car Sheds. 321321 was dragged by 37800 on November 11th to Newport Sims scrapyard, where it was then cut up.

TOP (1) Greater Anglia Silver and White 321430 at Burnham-on-Crouch station. (2) Greater Anglia White (Red doors) 321440 at Stratford station. (3) Greater Anglia Silver and White 321426 at Wickford station.

MIDDLE (1) Northern Trains 321901 at Ingatestone station. (2) Northern Trains 322485 at Ipswich station. (3) Northern Trains 322482 at London Liverpool Street station.

BOTTOM (1) Renatus 321314 at Southend Victoria station, with farewell headboard. (2) Renatus 321307 at Colchester Town station, with farewell headboard. (3) Renatus 321321 at Shenfield Station.

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