An £80m fleet of trains has been placed in the sidings after a warning system showed faults in their engines.
Commuters on the Colchester to London rail line are having to endure a return to slam-door carriages while engineers try to figure out what the fault is on the new Desiro trains.
It is the latest in a stream of problems to plague the German-built Desiro trains since they were introduced in August.
Rail users may also have to get used to some overcrowding while the problem is sorted as some 12-car trains are being reduced to eight and some eight-car ones will only have four carriages.
A spokeswoman for rail operator First Great Eastern said it was believed the fault was in the trains' transformers and half of the fleet was affected.
Published Friday January 16, 2004
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article