Class 156s Return

A new timetable was introduced in 2004 which improved connections to parts of East Anglia which had lost their through services many years ago.

Early 2005, One Railway announced that they were going to replace their 10x2-car Class 150 units with 9x2-car 156 units - the same ones which previously worked in East Anglia back in 1994.
Central Trains livered 156412 became the first 156 to work to Sudbury under One Railway on 25th March 2005.
Single Car Class 153s continued to work the branch at Weekends.

Major Engineering Works - Year 1
The Network Rail Business plan of 2004 stated that, along with most other lines in the area, the Sudbury Branch was in need of total track replacement works.
The line was closed for 15 days from the 9th July 2005 for track replacement works between Chappel Station and Bures Crossing, and between Bures Station and Lamarsh.
The old bull head rail and wooden sleepers were replaced with new continuous welded rail on steel sleepers, and with it brought the rare sight of Engineers Trains on to the branch in the daytime.

For full details and photos of the work, please visit our Engineering Work Section.

Mind the Stops
At approx 18:27 on 27th January 2006 the 18:05 service from Marks Tey was involved with a collision with the buffer stops at Sudbury Station.

The train was carrying approximately 100 people and traveling about 6mph at the time of the collision.
A report by the Rail Accident and Investigation Branch, which was published in December 2006 had investigated the collision and the cause was put down to driver error.
Comments were made in the report about the poor condition of the rail head and zigzag weld on top of the rails, although stated that this was not a factor.

The unit suffered minor damage to its gangway connection, cow catcher and coupler, it also caused the buffer stops to deform with one of the cross bars snapping. A number of people suffered minor injuries, ambulances attended however no one was taken to hospital.

Buses replaced trains for the remainder of the evening whilst the incident was investigated by the RAIB, Police and Railway Authorities. 156422 was rescued the following morning by single car Class 153 unit 153335 and taken back to Norwich Crown Point for further examination. The service resumed with the 10:33 Marks Tey to Sudbury on Saturday morning with 153322.

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