Greater Anglia Class 90 Acceleration 0-100mph acceleration Stowmarket to Ipswich and full journey

Class 90 Locomotives have been hauling and propelling Intercity trains between London and Norwich for almost 15 years now - and are due to be phased out with the introduction of new Swiss built and designed Class 745 Stadler FLIRT trains. Here we took the opportunity to sample the performance of a Class 90 hauled train from Stowmarket to Ipswich. Acceleration is disappointing from the loco taking over 4 minutes to reach 100mph (160km/h) from rest despite a reasonably level start followed by a mild downhill gradient. We are not sure whether this is due to a traction motor being isolated or maybe the driver taking it easy. The best Class 90's can achieve 100mph in around 70 seconds and 100mph in 3 minutes 10 seconds. The Railway performance Society (RPS) - www.railperf.org.uk - records and archives the performance and fastest train running times across the UK and Europe. The tardy start meant that the RPS fastest recorded time of 9 ins 4 seconds between the two stations was never going to be challenged - especially as the schedule only requires a time of 11.5 minutes for the 11.8 miles. In the Northbound direction trains are scheduled to run in just 10 minutes. The service was 1P39 Norwich to Shenfield hauled by 90002. Leaving Stowmarket 1 mins 40 sec down on its booked departure time of 13:39:30, it achieved a 10 min 14 sec timing - to arrive just 24 secs late at Ipswich. In this case - more down to the slack schedules rather than any heroics on the part of the driver and locomotive.

[@MarioStahl1983]

I always say: Whenever you see an old class 90 or class 86/87 you know: Yes, there WAS an alternative to dieselization even back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. 😊

[@adamhiley2308]

there is no need to replace these very comfortable doubt the new ones will last cheap foreign junk