Here’s part 2 in the story of the Class 321 train family which were built at BREL York between 1988-91. The 321/4s were the second batch to be built, following on from the 3s in 1989-90. The only difference between the sub-classes was that the 4s had 28 1st Class seats instead of 16. Initially, all 48 four-car units were allocated to Bletchley depot to work Network SouthEast services out of Euston to Northampton and Birmingham. However, in the early 1990s 11 of the units (321438-448) were transferred to Ilford in East London for working Great Eastern services alongside the 321/3s. To standardise the FGE fleet 12 1st Class seats were declassified in the 4s and the saloon layout altered.
Unlike the earlier 321/3s, the 321/4s have had a much more nomadic life.
The units remained in service with BR until January 1997 when First Great Eastern took over the Ilford based units. The Bletchley based 321/4s were transferred to new franchise winner National Express (Trading as North London Railways) in March 1997. The franchise was rebranded ‘Silverlink’ in September 1997 and ran services until the franchise ended on the 10th November 2007, after which the 321/4s were taken over by London Midland who operated the units until 2009 when they were displaced by a new order of Siemens Class 350/2s.
13 of the Class 321s (321401-410 and 321418-20) transferred to First Capital Connect to be used on services out of London Kings Cross to Peterborough. Another 17 sets (321421-437) went to National Express East Anglia to join the 3s and the 4s transferred in the 1990s.
Initially, London Midland retained 7 sets (321411-417) for strengthening rush-hour services and also operating on the Watford Junction St Albans Abbey branch. These units were given up in 2015. After being converted to 3 cars and renumbered 320411-417 they moved to Abellio Scotrail to operate services in the Glasgow area.
More transfers followed in 2017 when the former FCC (now Great Northern) 321s were displaced. 10 (321402, 321405-410 and 321419) followed their sisters to Anglia metals whilst 5 more units (321401, 321403, 321404. 321418 and 321420) were converted to Class 320/4 for Scotland in 2018-19 bringing the Scottish total to 12 sets.
These units and the earlier Class 320/3s (320301-320322) built in 1990 will be the last of the 321 type to remain in passenger service.
The remaining Class 321/4s soldiered on in traffic on Anglia services until earlier this year when the last few units were stored. Several are earmarked to be converted to hydrogen powered Class 600s in a deal struck between owners Eversholt and Alstom. As yet, no work has taken place.
Here’s a selection of pictures looking back at the lives and times of the 321/4s. All pictures are my copyright.
The first of the sub-class, 321401 seen in unbranded Silverlink livery (London Midland had taken over the franchise the previous November) at Birmingham International with a Northbound service on the 2nd September 2008. The same unit with a different livery, operator and route. 321401 seen speeding South towards Kings Cross at Welwyn Garden City on the14th July 2014 in full First Capital Connect livery. 321404 leads a sister unit on a Silverlink service from Northampton to Euston past Roade on the 6th August 2007. Still sporting Silverlink livery but working for First Capital Connect, 321405 and 321404 stand inside the trainshed at Kings Cross on the 22nd January 2010. The end is near. Having been transferred to Anglia services but increasingly surplus to requirements as new Class 720s come into service 321407 is stabled in the sidings at Clacton on the 8th June 2021. Still working for Great Northern but with only a few months left before withdrawal at the next May timetable, 321409 is seen inside Hornsey depot on the 13th December 2016.Still sporting NSE livery but with Silverlink branding 321410 calls at Harrow and Wealdstone en-route to Euston on the 23rd June 2001.One of the sets retained by London Midland to operate rush hour services and the Abbey line, 321412 arrives into Euston on the 16th July 2010. These sets moved to Scotrail in 2015. Reduced to a 3-car, this is now numbered 320412. 321413 calls at Bricket Wood on the St Alban’s Abbey branch on the 4th November 2009. The is now another Scotrail Class 320.Silverlink’s 321415 sits in platform 8 at Rugby during the station remodelling on the 26th June 2004. Central trains leased some Silverlink 321s to operate services from Birmingham New St to Walsall. Here’s 321417 on such a run, seen at Thame Bridge Parkway on the 28th November 2007. In 2015 it became another Class 320 conversion. Fresh from transfer from London Midland to First Capital Connect and before entering service the next month 321418 is seen with newly applied FCC livery outside Doncaster works on the 30th November 2010. Here’s 321421, one of the sets transferred from West Coast to Anglia services in 2009. It’s seen at Braintree on the 4th August 2014. 321424 heads for Euston at Bushey whilst 37893 and another loco are involved in relaying the Down Fast on the 20th May 1999.After National Express had taken over the franchise but before the Silverlink livery made an appearance a couple of units appeared in white undercoat. Here’s 321428 leaving Euston on the 6th September 1997. Class 321/4s did occasionally stray. Here’s 321437 paying a visit to the Hornsey wheel lathe on the 27th April 1997. Here’s one of the first batch of eleven 321/4s that were transferred to Anglia services back in the early 1990s. Sporting FGE livery but with added National Express white stripe and branding it’s pictured descending the bank into Liverpool St station on the 21st September 2009. 321447 arrives at Coventry from the South with the 16.46 to Birmingham on the 29th March 1997The prototype ‘Renatus’ conversion, 321448 heads North from Colchester on the 25th July 2014.
Only a handful of the 321s were ever named. Here’s one (with a proper plate, although the name’s debatable). 321420 carried the name ‘Silver Service’ – although I’ve no idea from when – or why. Can anyone shed light?
You can find more pictures of the 321/4s to view or buy in the following Galleries on my Zenfolio website.
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Another old BR built Class that’s reaching the end of the line in passenger service is the Class 321/3 fleet. 66 of these 100mph, 4-car units were ordered from BREL York by Network SouthEast in 1987 with the first unit entering service on the lines out of London Liverpool St in 1988. Like the earlier classes (317, 318 and 319) the trains were based on the MK3 coach bodyshell. The major difference was that the units weren’t fitted with front-end gangways which altered their appearance dramatically and allowed drivers far better visibility compared to earlier builds.
Their introduction allowed a lot of the old slam-door electric units to be replaced with modern sliding-door stock. They’ve remained in service on Anglia services until today, although many of the units have now been withdrawn and scrapped after being replaced by the new Class 720 trains built by Bombardier at Derby. As is often the case, the new trains have been delayed. The 321s were meant to have replaced by 2019 but a few still soldier on!
During their lives they’ve had several operators. Firstly Network SouthEast. On privatisation they were sold to Eversholt leasing and operated by ‘First Great Eastern’ who took over many of the services out of Liverpool St in January 1997. FGE lasted until 2004 when the franchise was won by National Express. Initially trading under the name ‘ONE’ the franchise was rebranded National Express East Anglia in 2008 and the livery changed to National Express corporate colours. The franchise underwent a services of extensions and lasted until 2012 when it was taken over by Dutch Company Abellio who’ve run it ever since as ‘Abellio Greater Anglia‘. When Abellio won the retendered franchise in 2016 they announced a total fleet replacement which left the 321s living on borrowed time.
Apart from livery changes the biggest alteration to the Class 321/3 fleet was the ‘Renatus’ refurbishment programme of 2018 which saw the first 30 of the units (321301-330) fitted with a new Vossloh Kiepe traction package (with regenerative braking), rebuilt interior and air conditioning to replace the forced air-ventilation through open windows.
Sadly for the 321s, the ‘Renatus’ programme did little to prolong their loves, despite the traction package being designed with a 30 year life-span. Apart from a few units that are being converted for freight traffic there are no plans for passenger service elsewhere.
Here’s a series of pictures looking back at their time in traffic, from 1990 to the present day. Please note – all these pictures are my copyright…
An everyday scene that’s now disappeared. Class leader 321301 speeds past a pair of Class 315s outside Forest Gate on the 9th June 2011. This view of ‘Renatus’ set 321306 taken at Manor Park on the 12th June 2021 shows the difference compared to the original units with opening windows. The internal ambience was much improved by fitting a/c and cutting down external noise penetrating the saloons. In original condition and only a year old, NSE liveried 321307 stands next to one of the trains it was to replace, a slam-door class 307. Seen at Southend Victoria on the 7th January 1990.On the 5th August 2019 ‘Renatus’ set 321314 and a sister unit sit at Norwich between duties. The units had a regular daily diagram which brought them to the city. ‘Renautus’ set 321316 leads an unrefurbished 321342 into Colchester from Ipswich on the 6th June 2021. In National Express livery but with Abellio branding, set 321317 crosses the River Stour viaduct at Manningtree and heads for Ipswich on the 19th May 2015. 321318 sports the revised First Great Eastern livery but with National Express branding and white stripe as it leaves Liverpool St on the 9th September 2008. Here’s 321321 with another of the old slam door units it helped to replace at Clacton on the 9th August 2003. Here’s 321324 sporting the full corporate National Express livery, seen at Bow Junction on the 27th July 2010.On the 13th March 2007 a pair of Class 321s sit inside Ilford depot in East London. On the 14th April 2015 I was working for Network Rail trackside at Wrabness on the Harwich branch. Whilst I was there we were passed by 321332 working the Manningtree – Harwich Town shuttle. For short while in 2005 three Great Eastern liveried 321s were loaned to Silverlink, operating services out of Euston. Here’s 321338 at Euston on the 24th February 2005. The 3+2 seating layout, original seats and green moquette in Standard Class aboard 321339 seen at Southend Victoria on the 24th November 2014. The end of the line (literally) for 321340! It’s seen here at the terminus of the Southminster branch on the 31st March 2015. Here’s 321343 in the original FGE livery before the stripes were extended around the base of the cab. Seen at Stratford in East London on the 9th August 2000. Here’s 321346 towards the end of its BR career, seen working the 14:30 to Liverpool St at Ipswich on the 14th June 1996. On the 4th August 2014 321353 leads a classmate through Witham at speed as it heads for London Liverpool St. Just a year old and in original condition with NSE livery 321359 and 321366 call at Stratford whilst working to Southend Victoria on the 29th June 1990.
Of course the Class 321/3s weren’t the only members of their type to work Anglia services. 16 of the later batch of 321/4s also ended up working from Liverpool and in recent years the 321/9s built for Northern services have been transferred South along with the peripatetic Class 322s originally built for Stansted Express services before heading up to Scotland – then on to Yorkshire before returning to Anglia – but I’ll be dealing with them in separate blogs.
Personally, although I’ve used these trains since they were first introduced I’ve never been a great fan of the ‘Dusty Bins’ as they were nicknamed. Like the earlier Class 317s they suffered from a lack of tables and high windows which restricted views. As 100mph units they were fast, but their acceleration didn’t match their modern replacements and the saloons were noisy due to the primitive corridor connections, opening windows and slide doors that rattled when other trains passed. The ‘Renatus’ refurbishment was a great improvement, but the lack of a rolling programme of electrification has rendered them redundant just as it has the far superior class 365s.
If you want to view (or buy) pictures of the 321s you can find shots of them in these galleries. These include all versions of the 321s (3s, 4s, 9s and 322s)
I’ve a favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this blog, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 