This article is about the state-owned train operator. For its privately-owned predecessor, see Greater Anglia (2012–2025).
Greater Anglia
FranchiseEast Anglia 12 October 2025
RegionsEast of England
Greater London
Parent companyDfT Operator
Fleet
Stations150
Stationsop134
HeadquartersLondon
AbbrLE
PredecessorGreater Anglia
Websitewww.greateranglia.co.uk

GA Trains Limited,[1] trading as Greater Anglia, is a state-owned British train operating company that provides commuter and inter-city services from its Central London terminus at Liverpool Street station to Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, as well as many regional services throughout the East of England.

It took over the services of the operator of the same name from Transport UK Group and Mitsui & Co on 12 October 2025.

History

In the lead-up to the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Labour Party of Keir Starmer committed itself to bring the passenger operations of the British rail network back under state ownership.[2][3] Following its election win, the government introduced the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Act 2024 that received royal assent in November 2024.[4][5]

In December 2024, it was announced that Greater Anglia's contract would be terminated after the Department for Transport activated a break clause, with DfT Operator taking over services on 12 October 2025.[6][7][8]

In January 2026, Greater Anglia announced installation of new anti-trespass measures.[9] Figures from 2025/26 revealed that trespass incidents caused more than 18 days' worth of delays, as a result the installation of additional fences, gates and witches' hats (rubber spikes on the ground) at stations in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.[9]

Services

As of May 2026, the following services, inherited from Greater Anglia's predecessor, operate during the off-peak period, Monday to Friday:[10]

Inter-City

RoutetphCalling at
–2

[a] (1 tph), (1 tph)

  • Services call at either Chelmsford or Stratford.

Great Eastern

Great Eastern Main Line
RoutetphCalling at
London Liverpool Street –1Stratford, Chelmsford, Colchester, Manningtree
Shenfield–Southend and Crouch Valley lines
RoutetphCalling at
London Liverpool Street –3Stratford, (2 tph), Shenfield
Wickford –3⁄2
Braintree branch line
RoutetphCalling at
London Liverpool Street –1Stratford, Shenfield, Chelmsford, Witham
Gainsborough line
RoutetphCalling at
Marks Tey –1
Sunshine Coast Line
RoutetphCalling at
London Liverpool Street –1Stratford, Shenfield, Chelmsford, Beaulieu Park, Witham, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, Colchester
London Liverpool Street –1Stratford, Shenfield, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester
Colchester – Colchester Town1Shuttle service
Colchester –1Colchester Town[b], Hythe, Wivenhoe, Thorpe-le-Soken
Mayflower line
RoutetphCalling at
Manningtree –1
  • Additional irregular services in partnership with Stena's Dutchflyer to Harwich International are provided from , , and .

West Anglia

West Anglia Main Line
RoutetphCalling at
–2

(1 tph), (1 tph), (1 tph), (1 tph), (1 tph), (1 tph), (1 tph)

  • Harlow Mill, Sawbridgeworth, Stansted Mountfitchet, Elsenham, Newport, Great Chesterford, and Shelford are all served by the same trains.
–2Tottenham Hale
Stratford – Bishop's Stortford2

Lea Bridge, Tottenham Hale, Northumberland Park (1 tph), (1 tph), (1 tph), Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Harlow Town, Harlow Mill (1 tph), Sawbridgeworth

  • Northumberland Park, Enfield Lock, Waltham Cross and Harlow Mill are served by the same trains.
Hertford East branch line
RoutetphCalling at
London Liverpool Street –2Tottenham Hale, Enfield Lock, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Broxbourne

Regional

Felixstowe branch line
RoutetphCalling at
–1
East Suffolk line
RoutetphCalling at
Ipswich –1
Ipswich–Ely line
RoutetphCalling at
Ipswich – Cambridge1

(1tp2h), (1tp2h)

  • Kennett and Dullingham are served by alternate trains.
Ipswich –1⁄2Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds
Bittern Line
RoutetphCalling at
–1[b]
Wherry Lines
RoutetphCalling at
Norwich –1
  • 2 trains per day run via Berney Arms, calling at , , and in lieu of Lingwood and Acle.
Norwich – Lowestoft1Brundall, (1tpd), Cantley, Reedham
Breckland line
RoutetphCalling at
Norwich –1Ely, Cambridge North, Cambridge
  1. ^ Pick up only northbound, set down only southbound
  2. ^ Trains reverse

Stansted Express

Greater Anglia operates the Stansted Express sub-branded airport rail link between and .[11] As of December 2025, Stansted Express' off-peak services Monday to Friday are:[10]

RoutetphCalling at
-4

(2 tph), (2 tph), (1 tph)

  • Services alternate between Harlow Town and Bishop's Stortford; with Stansted Mountfitchet being served by Bishop's Stortford services (northbound), or Harlow services (southbound).

Fleet

In October 2025, Greater Anglia inherited the following rolling stock from its predecessor.

FamilyClassImageTypeTop speedNumberCarriagesRoutes operatedBuilt
mphkm/h
Shunting locomotive
[12]N/AShunter15243N/AStock movements1952–1962
Electric multiple units
Bombardier AventraEMU1001614452018–2021
89
Stadler FLIRT10122018-2020
10122018-2020
Bi-mode multiple units
Stadler FLIRTBMU10016114[13]3[13]2018–2020
244

References

  1. ^ GA Trains Limited Companies House
  2. ^ Labour promises rail nationalisation within five years of coming to power The Guardian 25 April 2024
  3. ^ Labour pledges to renationalise most rail services within five years BBC News 26 April 2024
  4. ^ Rail nationalisation takes a step closer under Starmer’s first major public reform in Commons victory The Independent 4 September 2024
  5. ^ Government reveals first three operators to be renationalised after law change Railnews 4 December 2024
  6. ^ South Western Railway, C2C and Greater Anglia to be nationalised in 2025 CityAM 4 December 2024
  7. ^ Operators to move in-house every three months Rail issue 1024 11 December 2024 page 14
  8. ^ South Western Railway to return to public ownership Rail Express issue 344 January 2025 page 11
  9. ^ Ahmed, Shariqua (28 January 2026). "Greater Anglia to install anti-trespass measures across the East". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Timetables". Abellio Greater Anglia. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  11. ^ "Stansted Express". Greater Anglia. Archived 4 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  12. ^ "RSS Class 08 modifications precede Anglian shunter duties". Rail. No. 825. 26 April 2017. p. 26. Archived 5 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Just three diagrams left for GA 321s". Today's Railways UK. No. 254. April 2023. p. 59.