We use cookies to track usage and preferences. You can view our cookies policy here.
Home » TOCs » Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia runs trains around Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. They operate the Stansted Express route and run on a number of key routes to London, too.

Greater Anglia is owned by Transport UK Group. They’ve been running trains since 2012, though some of that was under the ‘Abellio Greater Anglia’ name. They have a fleet of 191 trains, which consists of 133 Aventra trains and 58 Stadler FLIRTs.

They serve 150 stations and run 134 of them. They also operate the Stansted Express service.

One of the best deals that Greater Anglia offers is their fares between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street. Their trains are slower than Great Northern (who run trains to King’s Cross), but they can be cheaper by a decent amount.

On a weekday, an Off-Peak Day Return is £23.50 (versus £30.30 on Great Northern) so long as you arrive in London after 10am. On a weekend, this drops to £15.90 (versus £20.70 on Great Northern).

On board services

Luggage

You’ll find a variety of luggage racks and bigger luggage stacks on the ‘FLIRT’ trains which run on trains to Norwich and Stansted Airport. The ‘Aventra’ trains which run to Southend, Clacton, Walton, Braintree, Cambridge and Hertford have very narrow aisles. So, we wouldn’t recommend trying to walk down them with large suitcases.

Food & Drink

Most trains between Norwich and London have a buffet car in Coach C. It’ll be open for around half of the journey. Selected trains also have an at-seat trolley.

WIFI

All Greater Anglia trains have free WiFi available.

Bikes

You’ll need to make a reservation on ‘InterCity’ trains between Norwich and London. All other trains are first-come first-served, but there are some restrictions during peak times. There’s more information in our dedicated guide to travelling with bikes.

Special Assistance

You can find out more about Passenger Assist on our dedicated page.

Standard Class

Greater Anglia runs two main train fleets. Their FLIRT trains run on ‘rural’ routes, as well as Norwich to London and the Stansted Express route. The trains for their rural routes can run on both diesel and electric and have either three or four carriages. Meanwhile, the trains that serve London have 12 coaches and are electric-only.

All FLIRT trains have seats in a 2+2 layout, and you can access a three-pin socket and USB port at every seat. Trains to Norwich have First Class too, which has seating in a 2+1 layout.

All other trains coming from London are operated by Aventras. They have five carriages, but they often run in pairs to form a 10-carriage train.

All seats are in a 3+2 layout, and they all have access to a three-pin socket and USB port. Just be careful moving down the train, as the layout is very cramped and narrow.

There aren’t any seat reservations on Greater Anglia, so you’re free to sit in any available seat on all of their trains.

Can I upgrade to First Class?

You can travel in First Class on Greater Anglia between Norwich and London Liverpool Street on most services. You’ll get a bigger seat with more legroom and first-class lounge access.

If your train is scheduled to have a cafe bar service, you can show your ticket there for complimentary refreshments (coffee, tea, water, hot chocolate, biscuits).

On their website, you’ll find a list of trains between Norwich and London that don’t have First Class. This is also subject to last-minute alteration. You can also see a list of which trains are scheduled to have a cafe bar.

Information about routes

  • Norwich – London Liverpool Street
  • Ipswich – London Liverpool Street
  • Harwich Town – Manningtree
  • Clacton-on-Sea – London Liverpool Street
  • Braintree – London Liverpool Street
  • Colchester Town – Colchester/London Liverpool Street
  • Walton-on-the-Naze – Colchester
  • Southend-on-Sea – London Liverpool Street
  • Wickford – Southminster
  • Cambridge North – London Liverpool Street
  • Stansted Airport – London Liverpool Street (Stansted Express)
  • Hertford East – London Liverpool Street
  • Stratford – Bishops Stortford
  • Stratford – Meridian Water.

They also run trains away from London. These routes are known as their ‘rural’ routes:

  • Sheringham – Norwich
  • Lowestoft – Norwich
  • Lowestoft – Ipswich
  • Felixstowe – Ipswich
  • Peterborough – Ipswich
  • Cambridge – Ipswich
  • Stansted Airport – Norwich
  • Marks Tey – Sudbury.

During peak hours, they also run additional trains through to London from Walton-on-the-Naze, as well as trains to Harwich International that connect with ferries to the Netherlands.

Fun Facts

Rather than having all of their equipment under the floor, Greater Anglia’s diesel FLIRT trains (which run on the ‘rural’ routes) have it all stored in a ‘Power Pack’. It’s actually possible to walk through this area to get between the carriages! As a result of this design, you won’t hear much engine noise during your journey.

Greater Anglia also has one of the most modern train fleets in the country. Their FLIRT trains first entered service in 2019, while the Aventra trains came on stream in December 2020.