The Greater Anglia Class 321 Farewell charity charter has been a resounding success, raising £22,000 which will be shared between three charities.

Taking place on the 29th of April, the charter marked the approaching withdrawal of Class 321s from the rail operator’s network. The event was created for rail enthusiasts and saw funding raised for the following charities:

• East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) has hospices in Milton in Cambridgeshire, The Nook in Norfolk and The Treehouse near Ipswich in Suffolk.
• Havens Hospices which supports families in Mid and South Essex
• The Railway Mission is a charity which offers friendship and a listening ear to those connected with railways such as staff, customers or the wider public supporting people through times of loneliness, stress, depression, bereavement or ill health.

The charter saw 300 people purchase tickets, which supported the funding raised for the three charities and a raffle held during the event.

Starting at London Liverpool Street, the train visited Clacton, Walton, Harwich Town, Stowmarket, then back to Shenfield and onto Southend Victoria before returning to London and Liverpool Street. The special day saw the train tour routes traditionally travelled by the Class 321s during their working life. Rail enthusiasts were also treated to trips over several loops and sections of tracks, which are not usually used by passenger trains.

The electric Class 321 units have seen service in East Anglia for nearly 30 years, operating both suburban and commuter services. Greater Anglia is currently replacing the units with its brand-new Class 720 trains, which feature many improvements for passengers, such as:

• More seating
• Plug and USB points
• Enhanced performance
• Improved accessibility

Charity specials by Greater Anglia aimed at rail enthusiasts have seen tours take place during 2016 using Class 37 locomotives, in 2017 with Class 68 locomotives, and in 2019, once again with Class 37 locos.

Jonathan Denby, Head of Corporate Affairs for Greater Anglia said: “We’re delighted that our special Class 321 Farewell trip was such a success. It was a great way to mark the impending withdrawal of Class 321s from use at Greater Anglia, as the full rollout of new trains onto every single GA service is now imminent. We’re glad to be raising funds for three charities with strong links to the Greater Anglia network – EACH, Havens Hospices, and the Railway Mission. They are all extremely worthwhile causes focused on the region we serve and supported by many of our employees. Our thanks go to everyone who joined us on the day, who helped generate such a significant sum for charity and to everyone at Greater Anglia, Network Rail, Eversholt Rail and others in the rail industry, who helped organise and operate such an excellent tour.”