It provided local, suburban and express services from London Liverpool Street to destinations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk in the East of England.

In December 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority announced it planned to combine all of the services operating out of London Liverpool Street into one Greater Anglia franchise.

[3][full citation needed][4] In April 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority announced Arriva, GB Railways and National Express had been shortlisted to bid for the new franchise.

[11][12] Following a change of government at the 2010 General Election, the Department for Transport announced all refranchising would be put on hold while a review was conducted into the franchising process.

For eight weeks in summer 2004, Ipswich tunnel was closed with One running two Norwich to Liverpool Street services via Cambridge with Cotswold Rail Class 47s.

[16] In December 2004 new services were introduced from Liverpool Street to Lowestoft (via East Suffolk Line or Norwich), Peterborough, Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge via Ipswich.

Initially the Mark 3s entered service in the same run-down condition in which they had left Virgin, before all were overhauled at Bombardier Transportation's Derby Litchurch Lane Works.

[20] A Class 47 was hired from Cotswold Rail for use on rescue duties and to haul the initial weekday and later Summer Saturday only services from Norwich to Great Yarmouth.

[21] Network Rail, which is responsible for the infrastructure, intended to improve performance by work carried out during a planned closure of London Liverpool Street station over Christmas and New Year 2007/8.