These five sets, identical to the Class 321s were built expressly for deployment on the then new Liverpool Street-Stansted Airport service in 1990. After a short period on the route the sets were transferred away and used for short term hire to North western Trains on their Manchester-London service. Under privatisation the sets technically operated by WAGN have seen use o various electrified routes and in early 2002 some sets were transferred north to Shields depot in Scotland for use on the Edinburgh-North Berwick route de to late displacement of 318s. When introduced the 322s were painted in a special Stansted Airport livery, this gave way to North western blue for a couple of sets in the late 1990s.
At the end of 2001 the sets were hired to ScotRail for use on the Edinburgh-North Berwick service, which should have been taken over by Class 318s but these were delayed from introduction by late delivery of Class 334s. In Scotlands the sets are likely to be repainted into ScotRail colours and receive interior alterations.