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Island Line (train operating company)
Encyclopedia
Island Line Trains is a sub-brand of South West Trains
, a train operating company on Great Britain's National Rail Network, operating the 8½ mile Island Line
on the Isle of Wight
.
RydeRail. In 1986 Network SouthEast
was created, itself part of British Rail
, and RydeRail was incorporated into it as a sub-brand.
trains were introduced on the route. This new brand name and a logo were included on the trains' livery. However, this re-branding did not officially occur until 1994, when it had completely replaced all RydeRail branding.
From 1989 until 1996, Island Line existed as a sub-brand of Network SouthEast
. In 1996, passenger services on the line were privatised
as the Island Line franchise
, with the winning bid from Stagecoach Group
. On beginning operations, the name "Island Line" for the passenger service was retained.
Island Line was the only passenger franchise that included maintenance of the infrastructure in addition to the running of passenger services. Island Line was reportedly Britain’s most reliable and punctual train company. The shortness and simplicity of the route may be the reason for this.
The Island Line franchise was, until February 2007, the smallest train operating company
to make up the National Rail
network. It was combined with the South West franchise to make the new South Western franchise in an effort to reduce the number of TOCs in the UK.
Although South West Trains
now operates the line, the Island Line branding has been retained. Island Line Trains have repainted all their stations in a heritage cream and green colour scheme, as part of a general station improvement package.
units, which are refurbished ex-London Underground
tube trains
originally built in 1938. These replaced the older Class 485
and Class 486 units, which dated from 1923 and were introduced to the island in 1967 when the line was electrified.
When the Class 483 trains were introduced, they were painted in the standard Network SouthEast
livery. In 2000, several years after the start of the original franchise, the stock was painted into a blue livery with large pictures of dinosaur
s, aiming to entice tourists in the summer months when passenger numbers are high. Two units were later painted into London Transport
colours, which the units would have had when operating on the London Underground
. There are yellow warning panels on the front ends of the units, a modern feature for the benefit of track workers and a change compared with the original red. The entire fleet was repainted into this livery by the end of 2008.
Following its successful bid for the new integrated franchise, South West Trains
announced that there were no plans to replace the current rolling stock, instead they would invest "to ensure the continued viability of the existing Island Line rolling stock and infrastructure". By 2016, when the current franchise is due to end, the rolling stock will be almost 80 years old.
As a cost-cutting exercise, South West Trains bought the rolling stock from the leasing company HSBC Rail
in March 2007. This means the leasing costs, which were reimbursed by the government, are now eliminated, thereby lowering the line's tax burden.
The five current Class 483 trains have recently benefited from a further refurbishment, the work featured the following:
The stations have not been neglected either, they also have benefited from a refurbishment of the following:
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South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
, a train operating company on Great Britain's National Rail Network, operating the 8½ mile Island Line
Island Line, Isle of Wight
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
Before "Island Line"
From 1985 to 1990, rail services on the Isle of Wight operated under the brandBritish Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
RydeRail. In 1986 Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
was created, itself part of British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, and RydeRail was incorporated into it as a sub-brand.
Island Line - Brand or franchise?
The name "Island Line" first came into use in 1989, when Class 483British Rail Class 483
The British Rail Class 483 electrical multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground. They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works, for use on services on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This was despite having already worked for...
trains were introduced on the route. This new brand name and a logo were included on the trains' livery. However, this re-branding did not officially occur until 1994, when it had completely replaced all RydeRail branding.
From 1989 until 1996, Island Line existed as a sub-brand of Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
. In 1996, passenger services on the line were privatised
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
as the Island Line franchise
Rail franchising in Great Britain
Rail franchising in Great Britain was created by the Railways Act 1993. Passenger services are franchised, for a limited period, to train operating companies...
, with the winning bid from Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
. On beginning operations, the name "Island Line" for the passenger service was retained.
Island Line was the only passenger franchise that included maintenance of the infrastructure in addition to the running of passenger services. Island Line was reportedly Britain’s most reliable and punctual train company. The shortness and simplicity of the route may be the reason for this.
The Island Line franchise was, until February 2007, the smallest train operating company
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
to make up the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network. It was combined with the South West franchise to make the new South Western franchise in an effort to reduce the number of TOCs in the UK.
Although South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
now operates the line, the Island Line branding has been retained. Island Line Trains have repainted all their stations in a heritage cream and green colour scheme, as part of a general station improvement package.
Rolling stock
Standard National Rail vehicle types cannot be used by Island Line Trains, due to the low ceiling of Ryde Tunnel. Instead, services are operated using Class 483British Rail Class 483
The British Rail Class 483 electrical multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground. They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works, for use on services on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This was despite having already worked for...
units, which are refurbished ex-London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
tube trains
London Underground 1938 Stock
The 1938 Tube Stock is a London Underground tube stock design. The trains were built by Metro-Cammell and Birmingham RC&W, and were used on the London Underground until 1988. During their long lives they worked on the Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Northern, East London and Central lines...
originally built in 1938. These replaced the older Class 485
British Rail Class 485
The British Rail Class 485 and British Rail Class 486 electrical multiple units were original built for the London Electric Railway from 1923-31 as their 'Standard' tube stock...
and Class 486 units, which dated from 1923 and were introduced to the island in 1967 when the line was electrified.
When the Class 483 trains were introduced, they were painted in the standard Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
livery. In 2000, several years after the start of the original franchise, the stock was painted into a blue livery with large pictures of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s, aiming to entice tourists in the summer months when passenger numbers are high. Two units were later painted into London Transport
London Regional Transport
London Regional Transport was the organisation responsible for the public transport network in Greater London, UK from 1984-2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.The organisation was...
colours, which the units would have had when operating on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. There are yellow warning panels on the front ends of the units, a modern feature for the benefit of track workers and a change compared with the original red. The entire fleet was repainted into this livery by the end of 2008.
Following its successful bid for the new integrated franchise, South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
announced that there were no plans to replace the current rolling stock, instead they would invest "to ensure the continued viability of the existing Island Line rolling stock and infrastructure". By 2016, when the current franchise is due to end, the rolling stock will be almost 80 years old.
As a cost-cutting exercise, South West Trains bought the rolling stock from the leasing company HSBC Rail
HSBC Rail
Eversholt Rail Group is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
in March 2007. This means the leasing costs, which were reimbursed by the government, are now eliminated, thereby lowering the line's tax burden.
Recent Refurbishment of Trains and Stations
- An exterior repaint into London Transport maroon with cream window pillars
- A retrim of the seat moquette into the same moquette that the London Underground A60/62 Surface Stock received during their refurbishment between 1992–94
- New route maps in green
The stations have not been neglected either, they also have benefited from a refurbishment of the following:
- New tarmac platforms
- New seating in green and cream
- New waiting shelters
- New 'heritage' style station name boards
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Routes operated | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| Class 483 British Rail Class 483 The British Rail Class 483 electrical multiple units were originally built as 1938 tube stock units for London Underground. They were extensively refurbished between 1989 and 1992 by Eastleigh Works, for use on services on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This was despite having already worked for... |
 |
electric multiple unit Electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages... |
45 | 72.5 | 7 | Island Line Island Line, Isle of Wight The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the... |
1938 1989 - 1992 (refurbished) |
The route
The railway operates to several stations:- Ryde Pier HeadRyde Pier Head railway stationRyde Pier Head railway station is one of three stations in the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Situated at the end of the town's pier, it is adjacent to the terminal for the Wightlink fast catamaran service connecting the island with Portsmouth on the UK mainland...
- Ryde EsplanadeRyde Esplanade railway stationRyde Transport Interchange or Gateway serves the town of Ryde, Isle of Wight, England.The interchange consists of Ryde Esplanade railway station on the Island Line, the connected bus station and taxi ranks, and the nearby Hoverport. The existing facilities were due to be rebuilt from October 2007...
- Ryde St John's RoadRyde St John's Road railway stationRyde St John's Road is a railway station on the Island Line, and serves the town of Ryde, Isle of Wight. The station is south of Ryde Pier Head—the Island Line's northern terminus. When the station opened in 1864, it was known as Ryde railway station, as it was the northern terminus of the...
- Smallbrook JunctionSmallbrook Junction railway stationSmallbrook Junction railway station is a railway station on the Isle of Wight, England. It is unusual because it has no public access but exists purely to provide a connection between two rail systems....
- BradingBrading railway stationBrading railway station is a railway station serving Brading on the Isle of Wight. It is located on the Island Line from Ryde to Shanklin.- History :...
- SandownSandown railway stationSandown railway station is a railway station serving Sandown on the Isle of Wight. It is located on the Island Line from Ryde to Shanklin.- History :...
- LakeLake railway stationLake railway station is a station on the Isle of Wight serving the village of Lake. Until the construction of an interchange station with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Smallbrook Junction in 1991, this station was the newest on the island having opened in 1987. The Station is formed of only a...
- ShanklinShanklin railway stationShanklin railway station is a railway station serving Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. It is the present terminus of the Island Line from Ryde, although the line used to run to Ventnor. The station now has one platform with a ticket office and a small shop with the second platform now in use as a...
External links
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