Southern (train operating company) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia

Govia

Govia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...

, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group

Go-Ahead Group

The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...

and Keolis

Keolis

Keolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It runs passenger railways, tramways, bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses, and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by SNCF, the French state rail operator. AXA Private Equity and Caisse de dépôt et...

, and has operated the South Central rail 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...

since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...

service since 22 June 2008.

The company operates train services to South 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...

, 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...

and Sussex

Sussex

Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...

from and , alongside regional services on the East and West Coastway lines from Brighton. Southern also operates a service from to via west London.

History

Govia, which also operates the neighbouring 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...

franchise and 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....

services in the West Midlands

West Midlands (region)

The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...

, was first awarded the South Central rail franchise in 2000 after the then incumbent operator, 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....

, was stripped of the franchise for poor management and performance.

Upon assuming control, the company operated the service under the branding SouthCentral until 30 May 2004, when, in a deliberate recall of the pre-nationalisation Southern Railway, the service was rebranded as Southern, with a green roundel logo with ‘Southern’ written in yellow in a green bar.

On 22 June 2008, Southern assumed responsibility for the non-stop Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...

between Victoria and Gatwick Airport from National Express Group

National Express Group

National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...

, and from December 2008 extended the service to Brighton during peak times. The company then, in December 2008, took over the running of services between Redhill and Tonbridge from 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...

.

Despite originally being awarded a 20 year franchise for the service, the South Central franchise end date was brought forward to December 2009, a date which was further cut to September 2009 upon the integration of the Gatwick Express service, in order to allow the new operator to be in place during "major changes" to the timetable in and around South London in December 2009. In the run up to the bidding process for the South Central/Gatwick Express combined franchise, reports emerged suggesting that Transport for London

Transport for London

Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...

, the operator of the 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...

service, wished to take control of all overground services in South London, including the 'Metro' area of the South Central franchise, however such a transfer never took place and the entire franchise was put forward for tender by the Department for Transport.

The bidding process for the new franchise began in May 2008, when expressions of interest were sought, with the process formally beginning on 20 August 2008 when the DfT announced that Govia were one of the four shortlisted bidders for the franchise and would face competition from NedRailways Limited

Abellio (transport company)

Abellio is a public transit operator in Germany which operates both bus and rail networks. The headquarters of the company are in Essen. Abellio Germany is part of the Abellio Group , the international expansion arm of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen.-History:Abellio was formed by the Essen public...

, the National Express Group

National Express Group

, and the 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...

.

The Department for Transport

Department for Transport

In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...

announced on 9 June 2009 that Govia

Govia

had retained the franchise, and would operate the service until 2015, with the possibility of extending the franchise until 2017.

Routes

Details of each route, including maps and timetables, are on Southern’s website (see External links, below). Its routes off peak Monday to Saturday, with frequencies in off-peak trains per hour, include:

Brighton Mainline
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to Fast	2 trains per hour	,
or to Semi-fast	1 trains per hour	, , , and . Some peak time services calling at , , , ,
Gatwick Express
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	4 trains per hour	non-stop Dedicated airport service.
Mainline East
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , Service runs with Mainline West service to Littlehampton between London Victoria and Haywards Heath where both services divide due to the capacity of the 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... .
to	1 train per hour
Mainline West
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , Service runs with Mainline East services to Eastbourne and Ore between London Victoria and Haywards Heath where both services divide due to the capacity of the 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... .
to	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Bognor Regis services run with a service to either Portsmouth or Southampton between Victoria and Horsham, where they divide. Bognor Regis services call at all stations between Horsham and Barnham twice hourly with the exceptions of Amberley and Christ's Hospital, where there is only an hourly service. Portsmouth and Southampton services run non-stop between Horsham and Barnham
to	1 train per hour
to	1 train per hour
Coastway East
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , ,
to	1 train per hour	, ,
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , Appledore,
Coastway West
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , ,
to	2 trains per hour
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /,
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , ,
to	1 train per hour	,
to	1 train per hour
Oxted
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , ,
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , ,
Redhill
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , . Earlswood Earlswood (Surrey) railway station Earlswood railway station serves Earlswood, south of Redhill, in Surrey. It is on the Brighton Main Line, south of the junction between the 'Redhill line' and the 'Quarry line'. Train services are provided by Southern.-History:... , , , , , , , ,
to	1 train per hour
to	2 trains per hour
West London
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Metro
Route	Frequency	Calling at
to via Denmark Hill	2 trains per hour	, , , , , ,
to via Crystal Palace	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , Sydenham, , , ,
to via Sutton	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , ,
to via Sutton	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , ,
to via Norbury	1 train per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , Sutton, Belmont, , ,
to via Norbury	1 train per hour
to via Norbury	2 train per hour
to via Mitcham Junction	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , , ,
to via Norbury	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , , , , , , , .
London Bridge London Bridge station London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the... to via Forest Hill	2 trains per hour	, , , , Sydenham, , , , East Croydon East Croydon station East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting... , , , , , , .
to	1 train per hour	, East Croydon East Croydon station East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting... , , , , , , , .
to	1 train per hour	, , , , , .
to via Crystal Palace	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , , .
to via Norbury	2 trains per hour	, , , , , , , , , , .
Other Services
Route	Frequency	Notes
to	1 train per day	Parliamentary train Parliamentary train A Parliamentary train or Parly is, nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station or, in some cases, the whole line is open, although in reality the... running once a day in each direction.
to	1 train per day	Parliamentary train Parliamentary train A Parliamentary train or Parly is, nowadays, a British English term for a train that operates a Parliamentary service - that is to say a token service to a given station, thus maintaining a legal fiction that either the station or, in some cases, the whole line is open, although in reality the... running once a day, although passengers cannot join this service due to the health and safety at Newhaven Marine, service runs to keep the station open.
to	1 train per day (departing Streatham Hill 15:56)	Service calling at , , , , , .

Performance

Punctuality figures released by the ORR for the fourth quarter of the 2010/11 financial year were PPM of 90.1% and MAA of 89.6%.

On-train announcements

Southern use on-train announcements on all services operated by Classes: 171, 313, 377, 442, 455 and 456. These announcements are automated and are voiced by Julie Berry (who also announces on 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...

, Heathrow Connect

Heathrow Connect

Heathrow Connect is a train operating company in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and First Great Western, connecting Heathrow Airport with station. The service follows the same route as the Heathrow Express service but serves intermediate stations en route, thus connecting several...

, 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...

, 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....

, National Express

National Express

National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...

, Merseyrail

Merseyrail

Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...

, 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...

and the Piccadilly line

Piccadilly Line

The Piccadilly line is a line of the London Underground, coloured dark blue on the Tube map. It is the fifth busiest line on the Underground network judged by the number of passengers transported per year. It is mainly a deep-level line, running from the north to the west of London via Zone 1, with...

Current fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Cars per set	Routes operated	Built
Class	Image	Type	mph	km/h	Number	Cars per set	Routes operated	Built
Class 09 British Rail Class 09 The British Rail Class 09 is a class of 0-6-0 diesel locomotive designed primarily for shunting and also short distance freight trips along branch lines....		diesel locomotive Diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...	27.5	44.3	1	1	Shunting & De-icing	1959, 1961
Class 73 British Rail Class 73 The British Rail Class 73 is a United Kingdom model of electro-diesel locomotive. The type is unusual in that it can operate from a 750 V DC third-rail or an on-board diesel engine to allow it to operate on non-electrified routes...		electro-diesel locomotive Electro-diesel locomotive An Electro-diesel locomotive is powered either from an electricity supply or by using the onboard diesel engine...	90	145	1	1	Thunderbird locomotive Assisting engine An assisting engine is an additional locomotive attached to a train to assist the train engine – the locomotive assigned to haul the train...	1965–1967
Class 171 Turbostar British Rail Class 171 The Class 171 Turbostar is a type of diesel multiple unit built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England which is identical to the Class 170, except for the replacement of the BSI coupler with a Dellner coupler...		diesel multiple unit Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...	100	160	15	2/4	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.... (Uckfield branch) Marshlink Line Marshlink Line The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings in the South East of England. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway to extend its coast route to Hastings...	2003–2004
Class 313 British Rail Class 313 British Rail Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works between February 1976 and April 1977 and were the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...		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...	75	120	19	3	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.... : Brighton - Hove/West Worthing/Portsmouth Harbour and Littlehampton - Barnham/Bognor Regis/Portsmouth & Southsea 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... : Brighton - Lewes/Seaford Also operate services between Brighton and Littlehampton, Bognor Regis and Eastbourne during peak hours.	1976–1977
Class 377 Electrostar British Rail Class 377 The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...		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...	100	160	182	3/4	Entire Southern network (apart from the Uckfield and Marshlink lines). 377/5 units in use with 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... sub-leased from Southern.	2002–2009
Class 442 (5Wes) Wessex British Rail Class 442 The 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...		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...	100	160	24	5	London Victoria - Gatwick Airport Gatwick Airport railway station Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at London Gatwick Airport that provides a direct rail connection to London 43 km away. The station platforms are located directly below the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is adjacent to that terminal’s concourse... /Brighton Brighton railway station Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom... (Gatwick Express Gatwick Express Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise... ) London Bridge London Bridge station London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the... - Eastbourne Eastbourne railway station Eastbourne railway station serves Eastbourne in East Sussex, England. It is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern. It is one of two railway stations in the town, the other being Hampden Park Station... Weekends: London Victoria - East Croydon - Brighton Brighton railway station Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom... (Southern)	1988–1989
Class 455/8 British Rail Class 455 The British Rail Class 455 is a type of electric multiple unit drawing power from a 750 V DC third rail. Built by BREL at York works in the early and mid-1980s, they were initially categorised as Class 510 as the successor to the Class 508...		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...	75	120	46	4	Suburban services from London Victoria and London Bridge London Bridge station London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the... on London Metro	1982–1984
Class 456 British Rail Class 456 The 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...		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...	75	120	24	2	Suburban services from London Victoria and London Bridge London Bridge station London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the... on London Metro. Soon to be cascaded to 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... once 313s are in service, and class 377/3s have taken over South London lines.	1990–1991
Class 460 (8Gat) Juniper British Rail Class 460 The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458...		electrical multiple units	100	160	2	8	Two units temporarily reinstated, remainder in store. Ultimately to be transferred to 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... for possible integration into units.	2000

Past fleet

Class	Image	Type	Built	Withdrawn	Notes
Class 205 (3H) British Rail Class 205 The British Rail Class 205 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh from 1957–1962. They were replaced by Turbostar units.-Description:This class of unit were built in four different batches for use on different lines....		diesel multiple unit Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...	1957-60	2004
Class 207 (3D) British Rail Class 207 The British Rail Class 207 diesel-electric multiple units were built by BR at Eastleigh in 1962.-Technical details:Power car * Introduced: 1962* Weight: 56 tons...		diesel multiple unit Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...	1962	2004
Class 319 British Rail Class 319 The 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...		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...	1987	2008	Transferred to 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... .
Class 421 (4Cig) British Rail Class 421 The British Rail Class 421 electrical multiple units were built at BR York Works between 1964 and 1972. Units were built in two batches, and were initially introduced on services on the Brighton Main Line. Later units were introduced on services to Portsmouth. These units replaced older Southern...		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...	1964-66	2005
Class 423 (4Vep) British Rail Class 423 The British Rail Class 423 electrical multiple units were built by BR at York Works from 1967 to 1974, although the MBSOs and TSOs of the first 20, 7701-7720, were constructed at Derby Works. They feature manually-opening doors next to every seating row and were the last coaching stock built in...		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...	1967-71	2005
Class 460 (8Gat) Juniper British Rail Class 460 The British Rail Class 460 electrical multiple units were built by Alstom at Washwood Heath from 2000-01. These units are part of Alstom's "Juniper" family of units, which also includes Classes 334 and 458...		electrical multiple units	2000	2009-2011	Two units temporarily reinstated, remainder in store. Ultimately to be transferred to 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... for possible integration into units.

Future fleet

Southern plans to reform some of its Class 377 units into five car formations, allowing it to run ten-car trains as required, as station platforms via Balham

Balham station

Balham station consists of two adjacent stations located in the Balham area of south London, England...

are due to be extended for 10 carriage formations. The Sydenham and routes are all recommended to be extended from 8 to 12 car platforms prior to 2012, but the Sydenham 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...

services will be extended to 10 carriages closer to the time.

In 2011, Southern announced that, due to the delays in the procurement of the new trains for the Thameslink Programme

Thameslink Programme

The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...

, the 23 Class 377s

British Rail Class 377

The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...

on sub-lease to 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...

would not be returned on time to deliver the operator's planned capacity increases, due to begin with the December 2013 timetable change. As a consequence, Southern began the process to procure up to 130 new carriages for delivery by December 2013.

Future

Southern, as part of their successful bid for the South Central franchise in 2009, made several commitments to improving services across the network. These included:

Increasing the length of suburban services in South London to 10 cars between 2011 and 2013
Increasing the service level on all routes in South London to 4 trains per hour (tph) until 23:00 each day, and the introduction of late night services on Fridays and Saturdays
The introduction of an hourly service on Sundays between Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...

and Southampton Central
Southampton Central railway station
Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...

, and an increase in the number of late night services between Brighton and Worthing
Worthing railway station
Worthing railway station is the main station serving the town of Worthing in West Sussex. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The other operator is First Great Western. It is one of the main stations on the West Coastway Line; all timetabled trains stop...
The introduction of late night services on the London to Uckfield
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....

route
A new service to and an increase in the number of Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express is the name given to the frequent rail shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England, operated by the Southern franchise...

services extended to Brighton in peak times
Introduction of CCTV in all Southern operated trains and stations by June 2011
Installation of new ticket gates at 22 stations across the network
Increasing the number of car parking spaces at stations by 1,000 and the number of cycle spaces by 1,500
Cleaning and refreshing of all stations and trains on the network
Major refurbishments to seven stations, specifically , , , , , and
Introduction of ITSO
Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation
ITSO is a non-profit membership organisation which maintains and develops the ITSO specification. The specification is an open one which is Crown copyrighted and available to all with the aim of allowing interoperable ticketing between transport operators in the UK....

smartcards by January 2012
Southern will be running some Class 313s
British Rail Class 313
British Rail Class 313 electric multiple units were built by BREL at York Works between February 1976 and April 1977 and were the first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail...

, These trains will run along the Coastway routes. This will allow 3 car class 377 sets to be transferred to routes in South London.

Uckfield-Lewes line

The franchise consultation paper that was released at the beginning of the 2009 franchising process stated that the ultimate franchise agreement would include a change mechanism that would enable the DfT to incorporate supplemental routes into the South Central franchise and invited bidders to submit priced options for schemes put forward by stakeholders. One such scheme could, as indicated in the South Central Franchise Consultation Paper, be the reopening of the Uckfield - Lewes

Wealden Line

Taking its name from its route through the chalk hills of the North and South Downs of the Weald, England, the Wealden Line is a partly abandoned double track railway line in East Sussex and Kent that connected Lewes with Tunbridge Wells, a distance of ....

line, which closed in 1969. In recent years, several interested parties have been examining the possibility of reopening the line.

Criticism

In early 2006, Southern became the focus of attention from cyclists' groups as a result of their policy prohibiting the carriage of ordinary cycles during peak hours on trains destined for London and Brighton.

Southern and sister company Southeastern

Southeastern (train operating company)

were criticised in January 2007 for not wishing to introduce Oyster Pay As You Go on their London routes

Oyster card (pay as you go) on National Rail

The acceptance of Oyster Card on National Rail in London, England had been limited to a restricted number of National Rail services since the introduction of the stored-value product on London Underground in January 2004...

, stating that it was not financially viable. In 2007 Southern introduced Oyster

Oyster card

The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...

on its Watford Junction to Clapham Junction route, and the company later agreed in principle to the introduction of Oyster across their network, but did not give any firm timescale for any roll out, with Southern's managing director Chris Burchell saying

"There are still a number of outstanding issues that need to be discussed with TfL, but we do not believe these will prevent us making PAYG a reality on our network. We look forward to discussions with TfL on how we can make this happen as soon as possible for our passengers."

In their successful franchise bid in 2009, Southern said they were committed to rolling out Oyster Pay As You Go in the London area, but also that such a move was subject to industry agreement.

Timetables

Much of the criticism that Southern have faced surrounded major changes that were made to their timetables in December 2007 and December 2008.

In December 2007, Southern changed the arrangement for the splitting of services to and from London Victoria on the 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...

, opting to split trains at Horsham

Horsham railway station

Horsham railway station serves the town of Horsham in West Sussex, England. It is on the Arun Valley Line 61 km south of London Victoria and the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines, and train services are provided by Southern...

rather than Barnham

Barnham railway station

Barnham railway station is in West Sussex, serving the village of Barnham, around 5 miles north of Bognor Regis.It is located on the West Coastway Line which runs between Brighton and Southampton. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern...

. Some passengers criticised this change as it increased the journey time to and from London by up to 10 minutes from certain stations, whilst in the event of services running behind schedule, trains were sometimes not split at Horsham, and proceeded non-stop to Barnham, leaving commuters from the Arun Valley left at Horsham with the prospect of no onward trains.

In December 2008 further timetable changes were made, which included the introduction of the extended Gatwick Express services. However, reliability and timekeeping on some of the new services were considered poor, leading to several public meetings being held relating the problem. On 22 January 2009, Southern responded to some of these criticisms. During 2009 these services have recorded improved timekeeping and criticisms have since subsided.

The new timetable also led to unhappiness due to the difference in speed and frequency of service between East Coastway services and those on the Brighton Main Line.

December 2010 Timetable

Further changes to the timetable were made in December 2010; the first timetable change to include many of the requirements of the new franchise. Additional services were included at evenings and weekends. In the London area a 'metro' frequency of service was introduced on most routes with the extension of the weekday daytime 4 trains per hour norm to late evenings (up to around midnight), Saturdays and Sundays. In addition new late night services were introduced from London on Friday and Saturday nights with last trains leaving central London at around 0030 (times varying by route).

Outside London, a new later evening service was introduced to Uckfield from London Bridge, new late night services from Brighton along the west coastway (2303 and 0003) and direct services between Southampton and Brighton on Sundays.

Southern's plans for enhanced services between Victoria and Brighton with a new 4 trains per hour frequency were rejected at the last minute by the Office of Rail Regulation

Office of Rail Regulation

The Office of Rail Regulation is a statutory board which is the combined economic and safety regulatory authority for Great Britain's railway network. It was established on 5 July 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, replacing the Rail Regulator...

and were so not introduced.

External links

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