An additional fleet of 30 modern trains will help Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) give its Great Northern and Thameslink passengers faster journeys from key destinations, better connections at the end of the year, and more space for passengers where it’s needed most.
The Electrostars are leased from owners Porterbrook, the UK’s leading rolling stock financier and asset management company, which acquired the fleet from Akiem in March 2024.
The first two four-carriage units (numbers 379002 and 022) entered service yesterday evening as an eight-carriage train on the existing 17:42 from King’s Cross to Letchworth Garden City service. This morning they operated the 07:45 from Letchworth Garden City to King’s Cross and will continue to run these two services each weekday. More 379s will come on stream later.
The Class 379 trains, originally built in 2011 for Stansted Express, feature up-to-date customer information systems, accessibility features and plug sockets for charging devices. The units have been reactivated by GTR with support from Porterbrook and Alstom (see Alstom press release here).
Faster journeys, better connections and additional peak services
The major new timetable being introduced in December will take advantage of a £4bn decade-long series of upgrades made to the route to introduce new long-distance services to London from the North of England.
GTR has made sure there will be significant benefits for its Great Northern and Thameslink customers travelling to and from stations between King’s Lynn, Cambridge and London, including those using stations on the Hertford Loop via Hertford North.
The December 2025 changes for Thameslink and Great Northern customers include:
- Three more peak time services and seats for commuters between Cambridge, Letchworth Garden City and London King’s Cross, including a new Letchworth to London King’s Cross stopping peak time service, calling additionally at New Barnet.
- New departures at Hertford North, Bayford, Cuffley and Crew’s Hill in the morning peak.
- Up to seven minutes faster journey times between London King’s Cross and King’s Lynn, Ely, Cambridge and stations along this route, including Foxton, Knebworth and Welwyn North.
- New early morning peak time service between Peterborough and London King’s Cross.
- Extra stops at Knebworth on morning peak Thameslink services from Peterborough to Horsham.
- More evenly spaced departure times so customers don’t need to wait as long for a train.
- Provision for all Thameslink and Great Northern services between Cambridge and central London to call at the new Cambridge South station when it opens.
The introduction of the recently acquired fleet of Class 379s will also provide sufficient capacity to release a number of existing Class 387 Great Northern trains to support and strengthen passenger services south of London on Southern and across the South East on Southeastern (see editor’s notes about the fleet cascade).
GTR Engineering Director Steve Lammin said: “These extra trains we have started to bring into service are a real demonstration of GTR working with partners across the rail industry to give passengers extra services and better journeys right across the South East. They’re supporting our steady recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
“Here, on the route north of London to Cambridge and King’s Lynn, we’ve worked with our partners across the rail industry to develop this new timetable for December 2025 that capitalises on the massive £4bn decade-long investment in the East Coast Main Line.
“For our Great Northern and Thameslink customers travelling to and from stations between London, Hertford North, Cambridge and King’s Lynn that will mean more passenger space at peak times where it is needed most, quicker trips to and from London from key destinations and more evenly spaced departure times so customers don’t need to wait as long for a train.
“The timetable will also ensure we are ready for new services to be introduced in the future, for example at Cambridge South station when it opens.”
Stefan Rose, Chief Investment Officer at Porterbrook, said: “I’m delighted that more of our Electrostars are entering service with GTR. When we acquired the fleet from Akiem last year we were confident that they would be perfectly suited to GTR’s requirements, and it’s excellent to see them back out on the network to serve passengers for many more years to come.”
Image credit: GTR
