First Great Eastern: Data & Information
5th January 1997 – 31st March 2004
First Great Eastern, owned by First Group, gained the Great Eastern franchise in 1997 as part of the privatisation of British Rail and operated it from January 1997 until March 2004.
First Great Eastern operated all stops and limited stops services on the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria, Southminster, Braintree, Colchester Town, Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, Harwich Town and Ipswich.
It also ran services on the Romford to Upminster Line and Gainsborough Line from Marks Tey to Sudbury.
In 2002, as part of a franchise reorganisation by the Strategic Rail Authority, it was announced that the Great Eastern franchise would be merged into the Greater Anglia franchise.
In December 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the new Greater Anglia franchise to National Express, and the services operated by First Great Eastern were transferred to National Express using the brand name ‘One’ (later National Express East Anglia) on 1st April 2004.
Read MoreFirst Great Eastern, owned by First Group, gained the Great Eastern franchise in 1997 as part of the privatisation of British Rail and operated it from January 1997 until March 2004.
First Great Eastern operated all stops and limited stops services on the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria, Southminster, Braintree, Colchester Town, Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, Harwich Town and Ipswich.
It also ran services on the Romford to Upminster Line and Gainsborough Line from Marks Tey to Sudbury.
In 2002, as part of a franchise reorganisation by the Strategic Rail Authority, it was announced that the Great Eastern franchise would be merged into the Greater Anglia franchise.
In December 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the new Greater Anglia franchise to National Express, and the services operated by First Great Eastern were transferred to National Express using the brand name ‘One’ (later National Express East Anglia) on 1st April 2004.
