Southend Pier Railway
Encyclopedia
The Southend Pier Railway is a narrow gauge
railway in the English
seaside resort
of Southend-on-Sea
. It runs the 1.34 miles (2.2 km) length of Southend Pier
, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head.
Although once electrified, train service is currently provided by two diesel trains, running on gauge track. Each train consists of a diesel-hydraulic locomotive at the southern end, five trailer coaches and at the northern end, a driver control unit with passenger space. One train is named Sir John Betjeman
, and the other Sir William Heygate
.
A twin track island platform is provided at each terminus, and there is a passing loop in mid-pier, but otherwise the line is single tracked. The pier head terminus is in the open air, but the shore terminus is enclosed, and also provides rail access to a workshop for maintaining the trains. The Southend Pier Museum is situated below the shore station.
The current Southend Pier was preceded by a wooden pier built in 1830. In 1851, a narrow gauge
horse tramway
was introduced to convey goods and visitors to the pier head.
Construction of the current pier commenced in 1887, and the plans included provision for an electric railway. Construction of the line commenced in 1888, with electrification being carried out by Colonel R. E. B. Crompton
. By 1890, 0.75 miles (1.2 km) of gauge single track had been laid, and a single toastrack style car was in use. By the following year the line ran the then full pier length of 1.25 miles (2 km) and trailer cars were in use. The system expanded, until eventually, by 1930, four trains, each made up of seven cars, were running on a line that was double track throughout.
In 1949 the rolling stock was replaced with new trains similar in design to London Underground
stock, built by AC Cars
, of Thames Ditton
, in Surrey
. The new stock comprised four trains, again of seven cars, and was liveried in green and cream. Each train could carry up to 260 passengers. At a top speed of 18 mph, the journey took four minutes each way, and during peak periods a train ran every five minutes, continuing until 11pm. The record for passengers carried in one day stands at 55,000.
In 1950, two redundant 1899 built trailer cars were acquired by Volk's Electric Railway
in Brighton
, where they were converted into motor cars numbered 8 and 9. These cars continued to operate in Brighton until the late 1990s, when they were again retired. Car 8 was returned to Southend to join the Southend Pier Museum collection, and car 9 is on display at the South Downs Heritage Centre at Hassocks
.
In 1978 the electric railway closed, due to deterioration and the cost of repairs. The 1949 built electric cars were withdrawn, although preserved examples can be found in the Southend Pier Museum and the Lynn Tait Gallery in Leigh-on-Sea
.
The railway was reopened by Princess Anne
on 2 May 1986 after rebuilding to gauge. Two new diesel trains were built by Severn-Lamb and introduced on a simplified line comprising a single track with a passing loop and twin track terminal stations. As originally delivered, the trains were liveried in all-over burgundy with a white waist-band, but were repainted to a two-tone blue in 2006, retaining the white waist band. They also carry a "Southend Borough Council" logo.
A battery powered single passenger car, built by Castleline of Nottingham
, entered service in November 1995 for service in winter. This car is numbered 1835, the year that Southend Pier first appeared on Admiralty charts. There are also several wagons for maintenance trains.
On 9 October 2005, a fire severely damaged much of the pier head including the railway station. The station was temporarily re-sited, until a new and modern structure was opened on the original site in September 2009. Although the passenger trains were not damaged, two wagons used on maintenance trains were totally destroyed in the fire.
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railway in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
of Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
. It runs the 1.34 miles (2.2 km) length of Southend Pier
Southend Pier
Southend Pier is a major landmark in Southend-on-Sea. Extending into the Thames Estuary, it is the longest pleasure pier in the world. Sir John Betjeman once said that "the Pier is Southend, Southend is the Pier". The pier is a Grade II listed building....
, providing public passenger transport from the shore to the pier head.
Operation
The line is owned and operated by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, and operated every day the pier is open. The normal service uses a single train, and operates every half hour. At peak times a two train service is operated, providing a 15 minute interval service. Trains operate between stations known as Shore and Pier Head with no intermediate stops.Although once electrified, train service is currently provided by two diesel trains, running on gauge track. Each train consists of a diesel-hydraulic locomotive at the southern end, five trailer coaches and at the northern end, a driver control unit with passenger space. One train is named Sir John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
, and the other Sir William Heygate
Heygate Baronets
The Heygate Baronetcy, of Southend in the County of Essex, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 30 September 1831 for William Heygate, Lord Mayor of London from 1822 to 1823 and Member of Parliament for Sudbury from 1818 to 1826. The second Baronet married Marianne...
.
A twin track island platform is provided at each terminus, and there is a passing loop in mid-pier, but otherwise the line is single tracked. The pier head terminus is in the open air, but the shore terminus is enclosed, and also provides rail access to a workshop for maintaining the trains. The Southend Pier Museum is situated below the shore station.
History
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
horse tramway
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
was introduced to convey goods and visitors to the pier head.
Construction of the current pier commenced in 1887, and the plans included provision for an electric railway. Construction of the line commenced in 1888, with electrification being carried out by Colonel R. E. B. Crompton
R. E. B. Crompton
Rookes Evelyn Bell Crompton FRS was a British electrical engineer, industrialist and inventor. He was a pioneer of electric lighting and public electricity supply systems. The company he formed, Crompton & Co., was one of the world's first large-scale manufactures of electrical equipment...
. By 1890, 0.75 miles (1.2 km) of gauge single track had been laid, and a single toastrack style car was in use. By the following year the line ran the then full pier length of 1.25 miles (2 km) and trailer cars were in use. The system expanded, until eventually, by 1930, four trains, each made up of seven cars, were running on a line that was double track throughout.
In 1949 the rolling stock was replaced with new trains similar in design 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...
stock, built by AC Cars
AC Cars
AC Cars Group Ltd. formerly known as Auto Carriers Ltd. is a British specialist automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest independent car marques founded in Britain...
, of Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton is a village in Surrey, England, bordering Greater London. It is situated 12.2 miles south-west of Charing Cross between the towns of Kingston upon Thames, Surbiton, Esher and East Molesey...
, in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. The new stock comprised four trains, again of seven cars, and was liveried in green and cream. Each train could carry up to 260 passengers. At a top speed of 18 mph, the journey took four minutes each way, and during peak periods a train ran every five minutes, continuing until 11pm. The record for passengers carried in one day stands at 55,000.
In 1950, two redundant 1899 built trailer cars were acquired by Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway
Volk's Electric Railway is the oldest operating electric railway in the world. It is a narrow gauge railway that runs along a length of the seafront of the English seaside resort of Brighton...
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, where they were converted into motor cars numbered 8 and 9. These cars continued to operate in Brighton until the late 1990s, when they were again retired. Car 8 was returned to Southend to join the Southend Pier Museum collection, and car 9 is on display at the South Downs Heritage Centre at Hassocks
Hassocks
Hassocks is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. Its name is believed to derive from the tufts of grass found in the surrounding fields....
.
In 1978 the electric railway closed, due to deterioration and the cost of repairs. The 1949 built electric cars were withdrawn, although preserved examples can be found in the Southend Pier Museum and the Lynn Tait Gallery in Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...
.
The railway was reopened by Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
on 2 May 1986 after rebuilding to gauge. Two new diesel trains were built by Severn-Lamb and introduced on a simplified line comprising a single track with a passing loop and twin track terminal stations. As originally delivered, the trains were liveried in all-over burgundy with a white waist-band, but were repainted to a two-tone blue in 2006, retaining the white waist band. They also carry a "Southend Borough Council" logo.
A battery powered single passenger car, built by Castleline of Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, entered service in November 1995 for service in winter. This car is numbered 1835, the year that Southend Pier first appeared on Admiralty charts. There are also several wagons for maintenance trains.
On 9 October 2005, a fire severely damaged much of the pier head including the railway station. The station was temporarily re-sited, until a new and modern structure was opened on the original site in September 2009. Although the passenger trains were not damaged, two wagons used on maintenance trains were totally destroyed in the fire.
The railway in popular culture
- Celtic folk band Straight Furrow were inspired by the railway to write an instrumental, "The Old Pier Railway" MP3 sample