Network SouthEast
Encyclopedia
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...
created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, although the network reached as far west as Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. Before 1986, the sector was known as London & South Eastern.
In the privatisation of British Rail
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...
on 1 April 1994 it was gradually broken into a number of franchises
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
.
History
Before the sectorisation of BR in 1982 the system was split into regions: those operating around London were London Midland Region (Marylebone, Euston, St Pancras and Broad Street), Southern RegionSouthern Region
Southern Region may be:* Southern Region, Malawi* Southern Region of British Railways* Southern Region, Eritrea* Southern Region, Brazil, an official grouping of states for economic and statistical purposes* Southern Region, Serbia...
(Waterloo, Victoria, Charing Cross, Holborn Viaduct, Cannon Street and London Bridge), Western Region
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
(Paddington) and Eastern Region (King's Cross, Moorgate, Broad Street, Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street). It has been claimed that the move to sectorization of the main BR businesses - commuter services in the south-east of England, long distance intercity services, local services in the UK regions, parcels and freight - was due to the desire of the Conservative government of the time to reduce the level of public subsidy for the railways.
Upon sectorisation, the London & South Eastern sector took over passenger services in the South-East of England. The livery of this sector was nicknamed Jaffa Cake. The livery was composed of chocolate brown, orange and grey colours.
In 1986, under new chairman Chris Green
Chris Green (railway manager)
Chris Green is a British railway manager. He has a reputation for the adoption of business-led management of passenger services both in the British Rail and privatised eras, and has been described as "the best chairman BR never had"....
, L&SE was relaunched as Network SouthEast, along with a new red, white and blue livery.
On privatisation, NSE was split into various franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
s and the Waterloo & City Line
Waterloo & City Line
The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank...
sold to 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...
for a nominal sum of one pound.
The last passenger train still in NSE livery was lost on 15 September 2007, when a Class 465, 465193, the last still in NSE colours, was sent to Stewarts Lane TMD by Southeastern for revinyling into Southeastern livery. However, there is still a departmental bubble car, used for route learning, in original NSE livery operating on the Chiltern Lines.
Beginning in 1983, BR’s operating regions were replaced with several business sectors: InterCity for principal passenger trains, Network SouthEast (NSE) for London commuter trains, Provincial for other local trains (including commuter rail outside London), Railfreight, and Parcels. BR’s regions were retained for infrastructure management purposes. The aim was to introduce greater budgetary efficiency and managerial accountability through sectorisation, rather than privatizing BR outright. Although BR owned all five sectors, each sector was given primary responsibility for various assets (rolling stock, tracks, stations), and control resided with the primary user. Other sectors could negotiate access rights and rent facilities, using their own resources.
Sectorisation brought big changes to London with the creation of Network SouthEast. In contrast to BR Provincial, which was intended to operate interregional and other subsidised services, NSE was expected to cover most of its operating costs from revenues. Not all London commuter traffic was profitable, but NSE charged fees to other BR sectors using its tracks, and used more profitable commuter and express flows to cross-subsidize branch line operations. As before, the central government remained the source of capital funding for Network SouthEast.
Although NSE did not own or maintain infrastructure, it exercised control over almost all carrier core functions. NSE set its own goals and service standards in consultation with BR, and created its own management structure and oversight. BR allowed NSE to decide about scheduling, marketing, infrastructure enhancements, and rolling stock specifications on NSE-assigned lines and services. NSE owned its equipment, which it painted in its own colors, as other sectors (and PTEs in the other metropolitan areas) were doing. NSE was able to exert much greater control and accountability over both its operating budget and service quality than BR could under its Regions. Relations were generally good between NSE and other sectors, although operating pressures sometimes forced staff to use equipment and assets belonging to other sectors to meet immediate needs.
Network Railcard
Although NSE no longer exists, the grouping of services that it defined before privatisation remain grouped by the Network Railcard, which can be bought for £28 and which offers a 34% discount for adults and 60% discount for accompanying children after 10:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends (subject to a minimum weekday fare of £13).Subdivisions
NSE was broken down into various sub-divisions.| Subdivision | Main Route(s) | Route Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chiltern | Chiltern Main Line Chiltern Main Line The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa... , London to Aylesbury Line London to Aylesbury Line The London to Aylesbury Line is the main railway line between London and Aylesbury, going via the Chiltern Hills; it is operated by Chiltern Railways. The line includes the only route where National Rail trains use track that is utilized by London Underground services... |
London Marylebone-Aylesbury/Banbury |
| Great Eastern | Great Eastern Main Line Great Eastern Main Line The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as... |
London Liverpool Street-Ipswich/Harwich/Clacton-on-Sea/Walton-on-the-Naze/Southend Victoria |
| Great Northern | East Coast Main Line East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh... , Hitchin-Cambridge Line |
London King's Cross-Peterborough/Cambridge (and subsequently London King's Cross-Cambridge-King's Lynn) |
| Island Line | 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... |
Ryde-Shanklin |
| Kent Link | North Kent Line North Kent Line The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge... , Bexleyheath Line Bexleyheath Line The Bexleyheath Line runs for 8 miles from Blackheath to Dartford in Kent operating between the North Kent Line just to the east of Blackheath station and to the same line south of Slade Green in Dartford.-History:... , Dartford Loop Line Dartford Loop Line The Dartford Loop Line is one of three lines linking London with Dartford in Kent, England. It lies to the south of the other two: the North Kent Line and the Bexleyheath Line.-Construction:... , Mid-Kent Line, Catford Loop Line Catford Loop Line The Catford Loop Line is a railway line in southeast London. It carries a suburban stopping service from central London to Sevenoaks, and is also a relief route for the Chatham Main Line which conveys passenger trains from London Victoria to the Kent coast... , Hayes Line Hayes Line The Hayes Line is the railway service in south east London, United Kingdom operated by Southeastern between Charing Cross or Cannon Street and Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley... |
London Victoria/Charing Cross-Dartford/Gravesend/Gillingham/Orpington/Sevenoaks/Hayes |
| Kent Coast | Chatham Main Line Chatham Main Line The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway... , Hastings Line Hastings Line The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :... , Sheerness Line Sheerness Line The Sheerness Line connects Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent with Sittingbourne on the mainland, and with the Chatham Main Line for trains to London and elsewhere in Kent. It opened on 19 July 1860.... |
London Victoria/Charing Cross-Margate/Dover/Folkestone/Ashford/Tunbridge Wells/Hastings (and subsequently North Downs services as far as Redhill/Three Bridges) |
| London, Tilbury and Southend | LTS Line London, Tilbury and Southend Railway The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail... |
London Fenchurch Street - Tilbury - Southend Central - Shoeburyness |
| North Downs | North Downs Line North Downs Line The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton Main Line... |
Reading-Guildford-Reigate-Gatwick Airport-Tonbridge |
| Northampton Line/North London Lines | West Coast Main Line West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the... , Marston Vale Line Marston Vale Line The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge.... , North London Line North London Line The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail... |
London Euston/Broad Street-Watford-Milton Keynes-Northampton-Birmingham, Bedford-Bletchley |
| Solent and Wessex | Portsmouth Direct Line Portsmouth Direct Line The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England... , South Western Main Line South Western Main Line The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth... |
London Waterloo-Guildford-Portsmouth, London Waterloo-Basingstoke-Southampton-Bournemouth-Weymouth |
| South London Line | South London Lines South London Lines The Inner South London Line is an horseshoe-shaped Inner London railway route from Victoria to London Bridge via Peckham Rye. "Inner" distinguishes it from the Outer South London Line which runs from London Victoria to London Bridge via Gipsy Hill. The line is in Travelcard Zone 2 apart from the... , Oxted Line Oxted Line The Oxted Line is a railway line in southern England. It was originally operated jointly by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and the South Eastern Railway. It is now part of the Southern franchise.... , Sutton & Mole Valley Lines |
London Victoria & London Bridge to Croydon London Victoria-East Grinstead/Uckfield/Sutton/Epsom Downs/Dorking/Horsham |
| South Western Line | Alton Line Alton Line The Alton Line is a railway line operated by South West Trains. Today Alton station is the terminus of a main line branch, although it was at one time the junction for three lines. The branch leaves the South Western Main Line at Pirbright Junction near Brookwood... , Waterloo-Reading Line Waterloo to Reading Line The Waterloo to Reading Line is a National Rail suburban electric railway line running generally westwards from London, England. It is operated by South West Trains... |
London Waterloo-Alton/Reading/Windsor/Guildford |
| Sussex Coast | Brighton Main Line Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer... , Arun Valley Line Arun Valley Line The Arun Valley Line, also known as the Mid Sussex Line, is part of the Southern-operated railway services. For the initial part of the route trains follow the Brighton Main Line, and at a junction south of Three Bridges the route turns westwards... , East Coastway Line East Coastway Line East Coastway is the name used by the train operating company, Southern , for the routes it operates along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton, England. Those to the West of Brighton are named the West Coastway Line... , West Coastway Line West Coastway Line The West Coastway Line is a railway line in England, along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, between Brighton and Southampton, plus the short branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis.... |
London Victoria/London Bridge-Gatwick Airport-Brighton/Eastbourne/Littlehampton, Brighton-Hastings, Brighton-Portsmouth-Southampton |
| Thames | Great Western Main Line Great Western Main Line The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great... , Cotswold Line Cotswold Line The Cotswold Line is an railway line between and in England.-Route:The line comprises all or part of the following Network Rail routes:*GW 200 from Oxford*GW 310 from Wolvercot Junction*GW 300 from Norton Junction*GW 340 from Worcester Shrub Hill... Windsor branch |
London Paddington-Slough- (-Windsor-) Reading-Oxford-Worcester/Stratford |
| Thameslink | Thameslink Thameslink Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than... |
Bedford-Luton-London-Gatwick Airport-Brighton |
| Waterloo & City | Waterloo & City Line Waterloo & City Line The Waterloo & City line is a short underground railway line in London, which was formally opened on 11 July 1898. It has only two stations, Waterloo and Bank... |
Waterloo-Bank |
| West Anglia | Fen Line Fen Line The Fen Line is a railway in the United Kingdom that runs between the cities of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire and King's Lynn, Norfolk; the line is so called because it runs through The Fens. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5 and comprises SRS 05.06 and part of 05.05... , Lea Valley Line |
London Liverpool Street-Harlow-Cambridge-King's Lynn (express services to Cambridge, and almost all services to King's Lynn, were subsequently transferred to the Great Northern route from London King's Cross); London Liverpool Street-Stansted Airport |
| West of England | West of England Main Line West of England Main Line The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter... |
London Waterloo-Basingstoke-Salisbury-Exeter |
Modernisation
Soon after conception, Network SouthEast started to modernise parts of the network, which were run down after years of under investment. The most extreme example was the Chiltern Lines.Chiltern Lines
The Chiltern Line ran on two railway lines (Chiltern Main LineChiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
and London to Aylesbury Line
London to Aylesbury Line
The London to Aylesbury Line is the main railway line between London and Aylesbury, going via the Chiltern Hills; it is operated by Chiltern Railways. The line includes the only route where National Rail trains use track that is utilized by London Underground services...
) from London Marylebone to Aylesbury
Aylesbury railway station
Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and is a major stop on the London to Aylesbury Line from Marylebone station via Amersham. It is 37.75 miles from Aylesbury Station to Marylebone Station...
and Banbury
Banbury railway station
Banbury railway station serves the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. The station is currently operated by Chiltern Railways, on the Chiltern Main Line, and has four platforms in use.-History:...
. These lines were former GWR
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and GCR
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
intercity lines to Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton Low Level railway station
Wolverhampton Low Level was a railway station on Sun Street, in Springfield, Wolverhampton, England .It was built by the Great Western Railway, on their route from London to Birkenhead via Birmingham...
and Nottingham respectively. After the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in the 1960s, these lines became seriously run down with a lack of investment and a reduction of services.
By the late 1980s, the 25 year old Class 115s
British Rail Class 115
The British Rail Class 115 diesel multiple units were 41 high density sets which operated the outer-suburban services from Marylebone usually to destinations such as High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Banbury which are on the Chiltern Main Line and Great Central Main Line...
needed replacement; the lines had low speed limits and were still controlled by semaphore signalling from the early 1900s; stations were empty and needed more than a lick of paint; and Marylebone only served infrequent local trains from High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
and Aylesbury. The lines were the best place to reminisce about the glory days of steam as there were frequent steam railtour
Railtour
A railtour is a special train which is run in order to allow people to experience rail travel which is not available using timetabled passenger services...
services. It was more of a heritage railway than a commuter railway.
South Ruislip station
South Ruislip is a station served by London Underground and Chiltern Railways in South Ruislip in west London. The station is owned, managed and staffed by London Underground. The station is in Travelcard Zone 5.-History:...
/Harrow-on-the-Hill
Harrow-on-the-Hill station
Harrow-on-the-Hill station is a London Underground station served by National Rail and London Underground trains. It is located between College Road and Lowlands Road in the Greenhill area of Harrow, about half a mile north of the locality from which it takes its name.-Railway geography:The...
, meaning that Marylebone would close and be converted into a coach station. Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
trains would be extended to Aylesbury and BR services from Aylesbury will be routed to London Paddington via High Wycombe. Also the line north of Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough railway station
Princes Risborough station is a railway station on the Chiltern Main Line that serves the town of Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, England...
would close. However, this did not happen due to the fact that London Baker Street
Baker Street tube station
Baker Street tube station is a station on the London Underground at the junction of Baker Street and the Marylebone Road. The station lies in Travelcard Zone 1 and is served by five different lines...
and Paddington would not be able to cope with the extra trains and passengers.
What did happen was total route modernisation
Total route modernisation
Total route modernisation is a concept first introduced by British Railways whereby a particular railway route is upgraded in one "big bang", with track, signalling and often stations and rolling stock all being renewed or modernised simultaneously in a multifaceted programme of works.This is in...
. This was an ambitious plan to bring the lines into the modern era of rail travel. Class 115s were replaced by new state of the art Class 165s
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
. Semaphore signals were replaced by standard colour light signals and ATP
Automatic Train Protection
Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...
was fitted on the line and trains. Speed limits were increased to 75 mph (only 75 due to running on 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...
track between Harrow and Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
), all remaining fast loops at stations were removed and the line between and Aynho Junction was singled. Stations were refurbished and even reconstructed (£10 million spent on stations alone), and signal boxes and the freight depots/sidings were demolished. Regular services to Banbury, and a few specials to Birmingham were introduced and a new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury. This was a massive undertaking and work began in 1988 and by 1992, the route had been completely modernised, demand for the service had grown considerably and the route had become profitable.
Since modernisation the route has seen further improvements (see Chiltern Main Line).
Electrification was considered but was deemed to be too expensive as the Thames Line sector would then have to be electrified as well. Another reason electrification did not take place was that some part of the line ran on underground lines, which were electrified as 4-rail 660 V DC, while British Rail preferred 25 kV AC overhead traction for lines north of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Success of the modernisation implemented by NSE has made it possible for the Chiltern Main Line to compete with the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
and there are now plans to increase speeds and quadruple sections of the line, returning the line back to the state it was before the Beeching Axe.
New trains
- Chiltern - British Rail Class 165British Rail Class 165The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
- Great Eastern - British Rail Class 321British Rail Class 321The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively...
- Great Northern - British Rail Class 365British Rail Class 365The British Rail Class 365 "Networker Express" are dual-voltage 25 kV AC and 750 V DC) electric multiple units built by ABB at York from 1994 to 1995. These were the last units to be built at the York factory before it closed...
- Island Line - British Rail Class 483British Rail Class 483The 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...
(LU 1938 Stock) (Ex-Underground stock built from 1938; replaced older 1920s units) - Kent Coast - British Rail Class 465British Rail Class 465The British Rail Class 465 Networker electric multiple units were built by GEC Alsthom and BREL between 1991 and 1993, and by ABB Rail between 1993 and 1994. They were brought into service from 1991 onwards. They are mostly used on suburban routes serving the South East of England, now operated by...
, British Rail Class 466British Rail Class 466The Class 466 750 V DC third rail electric multiple unit is a suburban EMU, which operates with Class 465 EMUs in southeast London and Kent on the Southeastern network...
, British Rail Class 365British Rail Class 365The British Rail Class 365 "Networker Express" are dual-voltage 25 kV AC and 750 V DC) electric multiple units built by ABB at York from 1994 to 1995. These were the last units to be built at the York factory before it closed... - North Downs - British Rail Class 165British Rail Class 165The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
, British Rail Class 166British Rail Class 166The British Rail Class 166 Turbo Express is a fleet of diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by ABB at York Works between 1992 and 1993... - Northampton Line - British Rail Class 321British Rail Class 321The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively...
- Solent and Wessex - British Rail Class 442British Rail Class 442The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
- South London Lines - British Rail Class 456British Rail Class 456The British Rail Class 456 electric multiple-unit trains were built by BREL at York Works from 1990-91.- Description :24 two-car units were built as direct replacements for the elderly Class 416 2EPB units which operated on the Central Division of the Southern Region of British Rail. Units were...
- Thames - British Rail Class 165British Rail Class 165The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
, British Rail Class 166British Rail Class 166The British Rail Class 166 Turbo Express is a fleet of diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by ABB at York Works between 1992 and 1993... - Thameslink British Rail Class 319British Rail Class 319The British Rail Class 319 dual-voltage electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990. The trains were introduced for new north-south cross-London services from Bedford to Brighton, and since privatisation these services have been operated by Thameslink and...
- Waterloo and City - British Rail Class 482British Rail Class 482This article concerns the trains used on the Waterloo & City Line immediately prior to its takeover by London Underground in 1994. For their service after 1994, see London Underground 1992 Stock...
(LU 1992 Stock) - West Anglia British Rail Class 317British Rail Class 317The British Rail Class 317 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches, from 1981-82 and 1985-87. They were the first of several classes of British Rail EMU to be based on the all-steel Mark 3 bodyshell, departing from the "PEP"-aluminium design which had...
and British Rail Class 322British Rail Class 322The British Rail Class 322 electric multiple units were built by BREL in 1990. Five 4-car units were built for the dedicated Stansted Express service from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport. The units were then used by First ScotRail, operating on the North Berwick Branch Line, between /... - West of England British Rail Class 159British Rail Class 159The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit of the Sprinter family, built in 1989 - 1992 by BREL at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as Class 158...
Note: The British Rail Class 168
British Rail Class 168
The Class 168 Clubman is a diesel multiple-unit train used on services between London and the Midlands.-Description:The units were built in several batches from 1997 onwards. The first batch of units was classified 168/0 under TOPS and resembled the Class 165 units previously built by BREL at York...
were also planned by Network SouthEast for the Chiltern line for a planned service to Birmingham but privatisation intervened. However, new private operators Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
ordered 5 Class 168/0 units based on the NSE designs in 1996 for their service to Birmingham Snow Hill.
Privatisation
After privatisation, NSE was divided up into several franchises:| Original franchise | Route(s) | Currently |
|---|---|---|
| LTS Rail | London, Tilbury and Southend London, Tilbury and Southend Railway The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail... |
Rebranded c2c C2c c2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway... |
| Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches... (management) |
Chiltern | Unchanged |
| Great Eastern Railway | Great Eastern | Rebranded as First Great Eastern First Great Eastern First Great Eastern was an award-winning train operating company that operated suburban, local and medium distance train services from London Liverpool Street via Romford to Essex and Ipswich in the United Kingdom on the Great Eastern Main Line railway.First Group gained the Great Eastern... , then merged into larger franchise operated by National Express East Anglia (and will be renamed Abellio Greater Anglia in 2012) |
| Thames Trains Thames Trains Thames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport... |
North Downs Thames section (Gatwick/Redhill - Dorking/Guildford/Reading) |
Merged into larger franchise operated by First Great Western First Great Western First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales.... |
| Island Line | 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... |
Operated by Stagecoach South Western Trains, but is still called Island Line |
| North London Railways | Northampton Line North London Line North London Line The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail... |
Rebranded as Silverlink Silverlink Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes in North London and from London to Northampton... , later split up into two franchises operated by London Midland London Midland London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007.... (Northampton) and London Overground London Overground London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London... (N.London) |
| South Eastern | Kent Coast, Kent Link, North Downs (Tonbridge- Redhill section) | Rebranded by original franchisee Connex as Connex South Eastern Connex South Eastern Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent... , then passed to South Eastern Trains South Eastern Trains South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006.... , then to Southeastern Southeastern (train operating company) London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise... |
| Network SouthCentral Network SouthCentral Network SouthCentral was a "shadow" franchise that existed from 4 February 1994 to 13 October 1996, when Connex Rail took over the running of the franchise, which became Connex South Central. The franchise is now operated by Southern... |
South London Line South London Line South London Line may refer to one of two semicircular railway lines which both run between London Victoria and London Bridge stations through the southern suburbs of London, UK:*Inner South London Line - running via Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye... Sussex Coast |
Rebranded by original franchisee Connex as Connex South Central Connex South Central Connex South Central was a short-lived train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group, and operated under the Connex brand between October 1996 until mid-2001.... , then passed to Southern Southern (train operating company) Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service... |
| Thameslink Thameslink (train operating company) Thameslink was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, run by Govia . It operated the London commuter railway line known by the same name... |
Thameslink Thameslink Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than... |
Merged into larger franchise operated by First Capital Connect First Capital Connect First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006... |
| WAGN | Great Northern West Anglia |
Split with GN merged into First Capital Connect and WA merged into National Express East Anglia |
| 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... |
Solent & Wessex South Western Line West of England Line |
Operated by Stagecoach South Western Trains, but is still called South West Trains |
Further reading
- British Railways Board: London and South East Commuter Services, 1980 Competition CommissionCompetition CommissionThe Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
report - British Railways Board: Network South East, 1987 Competition CommissionCompetition CommissionThe Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
report