THE NETWORK SOUTHEAST ACHIEVEMENT
A CHRONOLOGY OF 12 YEARS FORWARD PROGRESS AND DELIVERY, 1982 - 1994
compiled by John P McCrickard.
January to December 1989
6 January 1989 - Networker Project Director newly-created post has Jim Vine as first incumbent to oversee this massively important undertaking - very much a jewel in the crown for NSE!
8 January 1989 - Fares increases well above inflation of 10% on NSE and up to 20% on InterCity London season tickets are roundly condemned - but are necessary to meet both investment programmes and reducing Government subsidy to BR.
8 January 1989 - Capitalcard and LT Travelcard tickets merged under the ‘Travelcard’ name, with some validity/zone alterations.
8 January 1989 - NSE Network Card for a Gold Card Partner introduced, the new Partner Card for use by relatives or friends.
8 January 1989 - Network Saver ticket renamed Network AwayBreak, available at lower minimum price with some small validity alterations.
9 January 1989 - Anglia Electrics Class 321/3 first EMUs arrive at Southend Victoria.
12 January 1989 - DoT ‘Transport Statistics for London’ new annual publication reports big rises in commuting to the Capital since 1983 - 19% on BR and 42% by London Underground.
18 January 1989 - Class 413 4-CAP No 3301 first in NSE livery enters service after overhaul.
20 January 1989 - Clapham Junction accident memorial service for victims of the 12 December 1988 tragedy held at Winchester Cathedral; senior figures and leading politicians are amongst the congregation.
23 January 1989 - Anglia Electrics Class 321/3 EMUs enter timetabled service - initially on London Liverpool Street - Cambridge duties.
26 January 1989 - Central London Rail Study report published: leading a range of recommended new routes to ease congestion present and future are new ‘Crossrail’ East-West (Liverpool Street - Paddington) and North-South (Euston/King’s Cross - Victoria) BR tunnels plus enhanced ‘Thameslink Metro’ services, together with a new London Underground Chelsea - Hackney tube line; Transport Secretary Paul Channon holds press conference on the report the following day.
26 January 1989 - NSE report published on London Waterloo - Exeter St Davids route development for the next 40 years includes electrification and station refurbishments amongst the possible options.
26 January 1989 - ‘Battersea Bullet’ £12m rail proposals unveiled by the Alton Group; three new Class 447 4-car EMUs, to be based at Selhurst depot, will shuttle between London Victoria (Platform 1) and a new station serving the Battersea leisure complex planned to be converted from the disused famous power station and envisaged to open together with the rail link in 1990. Carriages will be darkened and windows blacked out to create the sensation of travelling at 150mph - although 35mph will be the actual speed on the 3½ minute journey!
Note: With the impending recession, leisure complex and EMUs are never built.
30 January 1989 - SR reorganisation reduces number of Area Managers to 11 with Portsmouth, Redhill and Salisbury subsumed into adjacent areas.
31 January 1989 - Templecombe wins 1988 Best Station competition with Ipswich station staff receiving top customer care award.
6 February 1989 - Stansted Airport rail link excavation starts on 1m 184y tunnel carrying the line under the main runway to the station located at the new airport passenger terminal; breakthrough ceremony on 23 October celebrates completion of the tunnel, with the trackbed of the new line handed over to BR - Chairman Sir Robert Reid officiating.
7 February 1989 - Chiltern Line Class 165 Networker Turbo DMU 77 vehicles authorised as part of the London Marylebone - Aylesbury/Banbury Total Route Modernisation; 23 March - £39m order placed with BREL York.
8 February 1989 - Cambridge - King’s Lynn £21m electrification scheme receives go-ahead, including seven Class 321/3 EMUs intended for the new services.
11 February 1989 - Wessex Electrics Class 442 final EMU (No 2424) delivered to Bournemouth depot.
12 February 1989 - Thameslink service between Bedford - London St Pancras is subject to a ‘Steaming’ attack - common in the US - in which a gang of robbers storm through the train relieving passengers of their money and possessions; happily, arrests are quickly made after the incident.
13 February 1989 - Epsom Downs re-sited station opens, first used by trains late that evening, replacing former station 300yds along the line closed at same time and thence sold-off for redevelopment; TV personality Leslie Crowther formally opens the new station on 22 September - but it was quite a comedown from the nine platform terminus that once existed here necessary to handle traffic for the nearby race course, which could number over 200 trains on Derby Day!
13 February 1989 - Lewes station is damaged by a meteorite which crashes through the roof - luckily without any injuries.
17 February 1989 - BR unveils at Bounds Green depot the four liveries it intends to use for all locomotives by 1993 in supercession of 1965-vintage Corporate blue - Departmental (exhibited on 31412), InterCity (91003), Mainline (47625) and Railfreight (37893) - although exceptions will be permitted such as NSE and Provincial.
27 February 1989 - Oxford £3.5m new station buildings construction starts.
1 March 1989 - ‘Station Watch’ British Transport Police initiative launched at London Victoria based on the Neighbourhood and Business Watch community crime prevention schemes.
3 March 1989 - Northampton Line ‘last trains’ calls will cease with the new timetable from 15 May when through-night services are introduced; new Class 321/4 EMUs enter service on the route from July.
4 March 1989 - Purley collision - 1147 Portsmouth Harbour/1217 Littlehampton - London Victoria (4-CIGs 1280/95) runs into the rear of the 1250 Horsham - London Victoria (4-VEP 3441); five passengers die and 88 are injured; cause - signal passed at danger. Robert Morgan, driver of the 1147/1217 is charged with manslaughter on 7 September, but released from prison on 2 November 1990 after his original sentence is quashed. Accident report published on 17 December 1990 recommends introduction of Automatic Train Protection as quickly as possible to help prevent similar accidents in the future.
6 March 1989 - NSE orders a further 792 Quickfare automatic ticket machines making the total 1,200 at £21m overall cost.
6 March 1989 - Twyford refurbishment begins.
13 March 1989 - Brighton EMU sidings empty stock derailment blocks Up Main towards London and cuts out 3rd rail power in the station area severely dislocating services until late evening.
16 March 1989 - NSE Beilhack rotary Snowblower (No ADB968501) unveiled; the £500,000 German-built self-propelled vehicle promises quicker clearance of snow blockages with versatility to be used for shunting, inspection platform or vegetation clearance duties the rest of the year. It had been delivered to Stewarts Lane depot on 10 February - and remains in use with Network Rail in 2011.
17 March 1989 - Slade Green derailment of 0500 empty stock working off depot to Dartford wreaks disruption to morning peak services and through to early afternoon.
22 March 1989 - Clapham station wins ‘Best of the Worst’ awards staged by Daily Telegraph in response to BR’s Best Station annual competition (see 31 January 1989).
22 March 1989 - Class 321 further 31 EMUs authorised - making a total of 102 now on order.
24 March 1989 - Liverpool Street IECC opened with first stage of Great Eastern lines resignalling commissioned between the terminus and Bethnal Green, the existing boxes at both places abolished; the IECC is the first on BR and in London.
24 March 1989 - Reading new station concourse, RailAir coach lounge, Brunel Arcade, footbridge and improved facilities into use - with Royal ceremonial opening by HM The Queen on 4 April; the associated new Apex Plaza commercial office development is adjacent.
29 March 1989 - Waterloo & City line reopens following closure for two weeks after stock problems reduce Class 487 EMU availability to just two trains which were thus dangerously overcrowded in the peaks; the age and unreliability of the 49-year old units is thus dramatically highlighted - and the urgent need for replacement by new stock (see 8 November).
31 March 1989 - BR annual report 1988/9: NSE record 468,000 commuters into London during the morning peak results from the economic boom and four years of continuous growth, 4% of this over the past year.
6 April 1989 - Wimbledon derailment of 4-CIG 1822 on the 1036 London Waterloo - Southampton fortunately sees nobody hurt - although services are disrupted.
7 April 1989 - Class 442 EMU first to be named is No 2402 ‘County of Hampshire’ at Eastleigh station.
11 April 1989 - London Bridge buffer collision by the arriving 0725 ex-Tattenham Corner hurts six people.
13 April 1989 - Colchester - Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze services go over to Class 310 EMUs, allowing 313061-4 - allocated to Clacton on 29 September 1986 - to be returned to the Great Northern.
22 April 1989 - Network Day for holders of Network Cards, including Gold and Partners Cards.
27 April 1989 - 1814 London Euston - Northampton ‘Cobbler’ derails just south of its destination, the last five coaches of the train, hauled by 85012, leave the tracks.
29 April 1989 - London Charing Cross - Maidstone East new hourly off-peak fast trains launched by special formed of three 4-CEP EMUs; service will be introduced with the new timetable on 15 May.
2 May 1989 - Thameslink Kentish Town - Moorgate additional signals commissioned to enhance line capacity and thus enable increased services to cope with the success of the restored cross-London link.
6 May 1989 - London King’s Cross and St Pancras redevelopment plans announced, including combined passenger concourse.
11 May 1989 - NSE offers 2% additional rise on top of BR’s national pay offer in recognition of higher living costs in the area - the Trades Unions are currently in dispute with BR over the level of the pay award with an unofficial overtime ban by ASLEF Drivers on the SR, 8-22 May.
12 May 1989 - London Waterloo - Portsmouth Harbour last day of Class 50 workings.
13 May 1989 - NSE takes over all Faversham Drivers whose duties are now solely EMU passenger services and associated stock workings; the last mixed turns, including freight, parcels and engineering with Class 33s and 73s took place the previous day.
13 May 1989 - Northampton station refurbishment completion marked by rail gala - rolling stock exhibition included NSE celebrity 86401 which is named ‘Northampton Town’ on the day (see also next item).
13 May 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321 service debut when 321321 - borrowed from Great Eastern line for crew training (with 321320) - works Rugby - Northampton shuttle specials in connection with the latter rail gala day - at a bargain 20p return fare!
15 May 1989 - Chris Green launches ‘Project 89’ - the assignment of individual identities and logos for 19 routes, each with their own managers having delegated responsibility to tailor services to best meet passenger requirements - ‘We want the customer to be a guest, not just a face in the crowd’. The 19 identities and logos unveiled are as follows:
-Anglia Electrics (Anglia Regiment badge)
-Chiltern (Chiltern Hills)
-Great Northern (London King’s Cross station)
-Island Line (Isle of Wight)
-Kent Coast (Cinque Ports badge)
-Kent Link (Greenwich)
-London Tilbury & Southend (Thames barge)
-North Downs (Tonbridge badge)
-North London Lines (colours of former Harlequin Line symbol)
-Northampton Line (Grand Union canal ‘barge-art’)
-Portsmouth Line (HMS Victory)
-South London Lines (Crystal Palace)
-South Western Lines (London Waterloo Victory Arch)
-Sussex Coast (Brighton Pavilion)
-Thames (Arms of Oxford colleges)
-Thameslink (City of London skyline)
-Uckfield Line (Hever Castle)
-Wessex Electrics (heraldic helmet)
-West of England (Arms of Exeter).
The identities and logos were used in timetables and other publicity and gradually introduced on stock allocated to the respective routes; several had already been ushered in over the past year or so, especially on new EMUs being delivered to the respective routes: Anglia Electrics, Northampton Line, Thameslink and Wessex Electrics.
However, alterations/additions to the original 19 identities and logos soon came:
-Anglia Electrics: superseded by Great Eastern (logo unchanged) later in 1989;
-Kent Link: new ‘arrow’ logo unveiled 19 December 1991 for use on Class 465s;
-Marsh Link: new (Ashford - Hastings - applied to some DEMUs);
-Solent and Wessex (three yachts): new - unveiled May 1990;
-South Western Lines: Windsor Castle logo also used;
-South Western Turbo: superseded West of England in 1993 but utilising same logo (Arms of Exeter) on the new Class 159 DMUs;
-Stansted Express: special livery and branding unveiled 3 July 1989 for Class 322s;
-Three Counties (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire crests): new - unveiled 15 March 1990;
-Uckfield Line: superseded by Oxted Line (logo unchanged) by 1990;
-Waterloo & City (Bank of England): new;
-West Anglia (Heron): new - unveiled 30 September 1989.
Previous disparate route identities and logos now superseded:
-1066 Electrics: Tonbridge - Hastings;
-Essex Express: London Liverpool St - Colchester - Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze;
-Harlequin Line: London Euston - Watford local services;
-Midland Electrics: London St Pancras/Moorgate - Bedford;
-North London Link: Richmond - North Woolwich;
-Ryde Rail: Isle of Wight.
15 May 1989 - new timetable highlights:
-Great Northern Line: London King’s Cross - Cambridge new hourly fast services with sub-60min journey times;
-London Liverpool Street loco-hauled trains now confined to the few King’s Lynn services with Class 47s throughout in place of Class 86s to Cambridge - with all workings to the latter taken over by Class 321/3 EMUs;
-London Charing Cross - Hastings off-peak frequency doubled to half-hourly after substantial traffic increases following electrification in 1986;
-London Charing Cross - Maidstone East new hourly off-peak fast service;
-Clapham renamed Clapham High Street;
-North Downs Line: Reading - Gatwick Airport through journey times reduced from 88 to 80 minutes;
-Northampton Line: London Euston - Northampton through-night services commence;
-Portsmouth Line: London Waterloo - Portsmouth off-peak fasts accelerated to 102min journey time as ‘Portsmouth Express’ service; utilising 12 refurbished Class 421/4 4-CIG EMUs (Nos 1814-25) with electrical alterations to give enhanced performance - accordingly dubbed ‘Greyhounds’ the Fratton-based units are given black stripes atop the cab ends for ident purposes; five buffet-equipped Class 412 4-BEPs are re-bogied for improved running using ex 4-REP Mk 6 motor bogies replacing the Mk 4s, with the trailer Commonwealths supplanted by B5(SR) bogies; four more ‘Greyhound’ EMU conversions are made in 1990;
-South Western Lines: London Waterloo - Basingstoke/Alton off peak services cease to combine/divide at Woking and now run as separate trains to revised pattern;
-South Western Lines: London Waterloo - Hounslow off-peak services all extended to Woking and Guildford;
-Thames Line: Islip reopened - ceremonially with special gala day service on 13 May; previously closed 1 January 1968; this is the only new station on NSE opened in 1989;
-Thameslink: Cricklewood - Orpington off-peak services extended to Sevenoaks; extra peak hour trains to/from London St Pancras;
-West of England Line: London Waterloo - Salisbury Class 33/1 + 4-TC push-pull semi-fasts superseded by Class 50 hauled Mk 2a-c sets - although shortages of the latter meant the unusuality of some Class 50 + 4-TC workings in hauled mode continued through the year; Laira-based Class 50s now booked for all services;
-other improved services on many routes to cope with booming demand.
17 May 1989 - NSE announces privately-owned catering trolleys to be introduced on seven more routes, making 11 in total.
20 May 1989 - Ilford depot open day is a great success featuring a wide array of stock old and new; a special EMU service links London Liverpool Street to a temporary platform in the depot, greatly assisting visitor numbers which top 18,000.
22 May 1989 - London Waterloo Victory Arch entrance and façade are floodlit for the first time - the event marked with due ceremony.
28-29 May 1989 - Southend air show is sponsored by NSE.
29 May 1989 - London St Pancras former Midland Grand Hotel third floor gutted by fire; the largely unused Grade II-listed structure is up for reopening as a luxury hotel.
Note: This finally took place - as the Marriott St Pancras Renaissance - on 14 March 2011 with a re-opening ceremony on 5 May that year - the latter to accord with the exact 138th anniversary of the original hotel opening in 1873; the long delay had been due to awaiting revamping of the station as London St Pancras International to accept Channel Tunnel Eurostar trains - in place of London Waterloo International - from 14 November 2007.
29 May 1989 - Chiltern Line Gala Day features bargain £2 tickets for travel on the route plus various events centred on Aylesbury station, including locomotives and rolling stock exhibition.
10 June 1989 - NSE celebrates its third Birthday with another Network Day of unlimited bargain ticket travel across its routes; overall passengers are 12% up on 1986.
16 June 1989 - Faversham £300,000 refurbishment - sponsored by local brewer Robert Neame - officially completed.
16-18 June 1989 - BRML Eastleigh repeats its open day success of the previous year, this time marking the 150th anniversary of railways serving the town; specials are operated over the normally freight-only line to Romsey.
18 June 1989 - Exeter Central gains NSE signs - the furthest western outpost of the Green empire nearing completion of a £200,000 revamp; revenue has more than doubled in four years.
29 June 1989 - BR issues its last Edmondson-style traditional small card tickets at Emerson Park; superseded by universal application of new technology APTIS (booking office) and PORTIS (on train) ticket machines.
1-2 July 1989 - Mid-Hants ‘Watercress line’ 150 celebrations see another outing for 4-SUB heritage unit No 4732 employed on Woking - Alton specials.
1-2 and 8-9 July 1989 - LT’s first ‘Steam on the Met’ event celebrates Chesham branch centenary; NSE refurbished 4-VEP No 3457 is employed as hauled stock on special shuttle services to Watford - topped and tailed by celebrity Metropolitan Railway electric No 12 ‘Sarah Siddons’ and GWR 0-6-0PT pannier tank No 9466!
2-18 July 1989 - Chichester Festival sponsored by NSE, the first of two years.
3 July 1989 - Canterbury East £400,000 refurbishment formally completed in ceremony presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie.
3 July 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321/4 first EMU No 321401 handed over to Chris Green at BREL York; the new units will displace the Class 317/1s to Great Northern services.
3 July 1989 - Stansted Express Class 322 EMU new livery is unveiled on a Class 321 Driving Trailer - fictitiously carrying No ‘322481’ - at BREL York; five Class 322s will be delivered in 1990 and feature more spacious 2+2 seating and luggage areas to meet the requirements of air passengers.
5 July 1989 - Dover Western Docks new £70,000 passenger information system announced.
5 July 1989 - Great Eastern Shenfield - Southend Victoria station environmental improvements proposed in jointly funded scheme between NSE and Thurrock Training Association.
10 July 1989 - North London Lines London Euston - Watford Junction Class 313 DOO introduced.
10 July 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321/4 London Euston - Northampton - Birmingham New Street booked workings commence.
13 July 1989 - Island Line first ‘new’ Class 483 EMU No 001 unveiled at Ryde Pier station before working a special to Brading for guests and media; the ex-LT ‘1938’ units are some 15 years younger than the Class 485/6 EMUs they replace! No 001 entered service on the Ryde Pier - Ryde Esplanade shuttles later that day, with the Class 483s deployed on Ryde Pier - Shanklin duties from 7 October, deliveries of the eight 2-car units (001-8) refurbished for £1m total cost being completed during 1990; a ninth (009) was later added, this entering traffic on 18 June 1992.
21 July 1989 - Great Northern Oakleigh Park £62,000 refurbishment officially completed.
24 July 1989 - Cecil Parkinson is appointed as the new Secretary of State for Transport replacing Paul Channon.
25 July 1989 - Great Eastern Lines £3m catenary upgrade announced by Anglia Region to improve service reliability between London Liverpool Street and Colchester; much of the overhead line installation dates from 1949 when electrified services to Shenfield were introduced.
27 July 1989 - NUR accepts BR national pay offer after a bitter and long running dispute, involving several 24-hour strikes; rail workers in the South-East receive an additional allowance on top of the basic 8.8% settlement in recognition of higher living costs in the area.
31 July 1989 - BR Anglia Region’s first General Manager John Edmonds is replaced by David Burton.
31 July 1989 - Appledore collision between the 0731 Ashford - Hastings, operated by DEMU 205101, and a van on the open crossing fortunately leaves no-one seriously hurt.
31 July 1989 - ‘Operation Recovery’ mounted by NSE in an all-out effort to restore confidence and regain passengers following the damaging effects of the Trades Union strikes in the pay dispute, thankfully now resolved; measures taken include reductions in prices of Network Cheap Day returns and Travelcards between 5 August-3 September, coupled with top priority afforded to all aspects of service quality.
4 August 1989 - Romford expanded overhead line depot opened replacing facilities at Colchester (Stanway) and Pitsea.
6 August 1989 - West Ealing derailment of the 2115 Oxford - London Paddington hauled by 50025 with nine Mk 2 coaches caused by objects criminally placed on the Up Main; amazingly only six passengers and the driver receive minor injuries, the derailed train staying ‘within gauge’ thus avoiding being hit by an HST which passes on the Down Main seconds later - but 50025 is condemned as a write-off.
7 August 1989 - Great Northern Line receives a visit from new Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson in his first official visit to BR when he tours the route.
9 August 1989 - London Waterloo CS gas attack leaves sixty people affected - believed to be part of ongoing protest stunts by anti-Channel Tunnel groups opposed to the forthcoming international station here.
11-14 August 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321/4s temporarily withdrawn from service for immediate checks following door problems.
18 August 1989 - Northampton Line 321401/8 are commandeered to operate a London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly return service for InterCity following temporary withdrawal of its new Class 90s to rectify brake system defects.
22 August 1989 - Channel Tunnel Rail Link high-speed services are promised for Kent commuters by Chris Green - halving existing journey times when the line is opened in the 1990s; to be operated by the proposed Class 342 Networker EMU.
Note: Southeastern 140mph Class 395 ‘Javelin’ services into London St Pancras International eventually fulfilled this undertaking when introduced on 29 June 2009.
25 August 1989 - Chris Green formally lays first track panel for Isle of Wight Steam Railway extension to Smallbrook Junction where a new interchange station with NSE Island Line will be provided.
27 August 1989 - Balcombe tunnel incident in which vandals attempt another derailment by placing a trolley on the line - hit by the 1615 London Victoria - Portsmouth which luckily stays railed on this occasion.
28 August 1989 - Southend Victoria gala day celebrates centenaries of the line from Shenfield and the Southminster branch - star attraction is GER Class N7 No 69621 just returned to steam for the first time since 1962; green-liveried heritage EMUs 302200 and 306017 both operate services on the Southminster line.
30 August 1989 - King’s Lynn mast planting ceremony - the first of 1,825 - marks the official start of electrification to Cambridge, although works had actually begun on the 14th.
31 August 1989 - Kent Link total route modernisation major announcements by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson during a visit to London Charing Cross and London Bridge stations:
-Networker 4-car EMU £257m orders placed today for 100 units - 50 each from BREL York (Class 465/0 - 465001-50) and GEC-Alstom (Class 465/2 - 465201-50) - delivery from September and October 1991, respectively;
-Networker EMU approval in principle given for a further 276 vehicles for Kent Link: ordered later, these comprise* - 47 Class 465/1 4-car (465151-97 - 188 vehicles) and 43 Class 466 2-car (466001-43 - 86 vehicles); together with the above order for 400 vehicles, these total 676 of the 842 vehicles required for Kent Link to replace EPB EMUs (see 30 April 1990, 13 May 1991 and 31 March 1992);
-£200m route infrastructure works for 12-car Networkers which will provide 16% increased seating capacity over present 10-car EPB formations: covers 137 route miles and consists of - platform lengthening at 63 stations, Driver-only operation, power supply upgrade, resignalling, gauge clearance, layout remodelling including London Cannon Street, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Orpington, new train maintenance depot at Slade Green and 16 stabling sidings at Grove Park with new staff accommodation. The project also incorporates the (separately funded) requirements of the Channel Tunnel route alterations to accommodate the forthcoming new ‘Eurostar’ and international freight trains - both due in 1994 (see 30 April 1990).
Note: Due to Government capital spending restrictions in the early-1990s recession, route infrastructure works are deferred two years in final completion to 1996.
*actually totals 274 rather than 276 vehicles authorised.
1 September 1989 - Southampton Parkway further upgrading of facilities announced, to cope with burgeoning traffic and expansion of the adjacent airport.
3 September 1989 - Wessex Electrics Class 442 EMU No 2407 runs away driver-less for ½m from Bournemouth depot, overrunning the buffers with the leading vehicles coming to rest in adjacent Wharfedale Road - fortunately without harm to anyone.
4 September 1989 - Strood - Paddock Wood converted to Paytrain operation with staff only retained at Maidstone West, New Hythe and Snodland.
5 September 1989 - North London Lines Brondesbury Park £174,000 reconstruction officially completed as pilot for refurbishment of all 28 stations on the route; Gospel Oak and Kew Gardens are to be dealt with next, remaining stations to follow.
9 September 1989 - NSE ‘Network Thamesday’ family fun festival held again at the London South Bank Centre.
11 September 1989 - Great Eastern Class 315 EMUs made all ‘No Smoking’ accommodation in three month experiment.
15 September 1989 - Ealing Broadway £250,000 refurbishment officially completed.
20 September 1989 - London Liverpool Street services severely disrupted when signalling cables are stolen.
21 September 1989 - BR Vice-Chairman David Kirby resignation announced - he had been widely anticipated to replace Chairman Sir Bob Reid retiring in 1990; John Welsby announced as BR Chief Executive from 1 January 1990 by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson.
29 September 1989 - Langley £500,000 restoration ceremonially completed with unveiling of a commemorative plaque.
30 September 1989 - ‘West Anglia’ (Heron) new route identity/logo unveiled for London Liverpool Street - King’s Lynn and branches on the occasion of a rail gala day at Cambridge station; specials are operated over the normally freight only Fen Drayton (former St Ives) and King’s Lynn - Middleton Towers branches.
2 October 1989 - timetable change highlights:
-Great Northern Line: London King’s Cross - Huntingdon frequency doubled to half-hourly utilising Class 317/1s displaced from the Northampton Line;
-North London Lines: Richmond - North Woolwich integrated with London Euston - Watford Junction local services and go over to Class 313s in replacement of the much older Class 416 2-EPBs which have plied the route since 13 May 1985 - and now return to the SR for continued employment on South London Lines!;
-North London Lines: London Liverpool Street - Watford Junction remaining peak-hour services reduced to just one return in each direction;
-Thameslink: Class 317/1 EMUs return to the route when six are temporarily drafted in from the Northampton Line to enable strengthening of Bedford - London St Pancras/Moorgate peak services to 8 cars to cope with demand; pending delivery of Thameslink’s own new 319/1 augmenting order during 1990.
2 October 1989 - Magdalen Road renamed Watlington - reverting to its previous appellation borne until 1 June 1875 - although the signal box at the station continues as Magdalen Road (still thus in 2011)!
3 October 1989 - Chris Green in an address to the Railway Studies Association reveals that NSE passenger business has risen 25% since 1983 with 468,000 passengers travelling into the Capital daily, commuting accounting for 64% of the sector’s market; a massive investment of £1.4bn up to 1994 will transform services on many routes - including the much proclaimed new state-of-the-art Networker trains; new rail links to Dunstable and Luton Airport proposed; 15 new stations are planned; station car parking will rise by one third to 100,000 spaces by 2001.
7 October 1989 - Silvertown & London City Airport rebuilt station formally opened.
7 October 1989 - North London Lines gala day held, with Gospel Oak and Kew Gardens station refurbishments officially completed.
12 October 1989 - Conservative Government announces postponement of BR privatisation in a speech to the party’s annual conference in Blackpool.
13 October 1989 - South Western Trains 1718 London Waterloo - Alton is victim of a commuters ‘sit-in’ when it is terminated at Woking due to staff shortages; the protest comes after regular similar occurrences short of the advertised destination.
13 October 1989 - NSE awards three-year on train catering contracts for the Portsmouth, Sussex Coast, West of England and Weymouth routes following competitive tendering.
23 October 1989 - Chiltern Line continues to be affected by problems with its ageing DMUs - some services are temporarily withdrawn to provide a reliable timetable.
26 October 1989 - Thames Line 0130 London Paddington - Reading DMU 55023 collides with derailed Whatley - Ripple Lane stone train near Maidenhead; services are disrupted and there are seven injuries aboard the overturned DMU.
30 October 1989 - Thames Line Class 165 Networker Turbo £59.3m order for further 103 vehicles placed with BREL York for delivery in 1991-2 - the units both to replace ageing DMUs on London Paddington suburban services, and to cope with growth both on this and the routes out of London Marylebone.
30 October 1989 - Slade Green depot £20m modernisation commences to accommodate new Class 465 Networker EMUs from 1991.
-- October 1989 - Kent Link Networker Total Route Modernisation gets underway with platform extension works at Nunhead to accept 12-car trains.
-- October 1989 - North London Lines Route Manager appointed - supplanting the previous fragmented organisation.
8 November 1989 - Waterloo & City £23m Total Route Modernisation announced: the 23 obsolete 1940-vintage Bullied Class 487 cars will be replaced by 20 new Class 482 EMU vehicles based on LUL’s new Central Line tube stock and built as part of that production run; the line will also be resignalled and power supplies upgraded; upon completion in 1992 service frequency will be increased by 20%.
18, 25 November and 2 December 1989 - Princes Risborough - Milton Keynes Central Saturday Christmas ‘Shoppers Specials’ repeated for third year, calling at all stations to Aylesbury, thence Quainton Road and Winslow on the freight-only route via Clayton to Bletchley; over 900 passengers are estimated to have used the three trains.
20 November 1989 - Great Northern Line introduces wheel clamping for non-fee payers at station car parks on the London King’s Cross - Huntingdon route.
23 November 1989 - Ashford new IECC and associated resignalling of SE main line Chislehurst - Folkestone contract placed with Westinghouse.
29 November 1989 - Ingatestone £177,000 refurbishment completed.
-- Autumn 1989 - London Euston NSE platforms 8-11 approach ramp refurbished to include new shops and bright lighting - a dramatic improvement on the bare, austere and rather gloomy concrete structure dating from reconstruction of the terminus in 1968.
6 December 1989 - BR’s new Chairman is announced - Bob Reid, currently Chairman of Shell UK, will replace present incumbent Sir Robert Reid! The ‘new’ Bob Reid becomes BR Chairman-designate on 1 January 1990 (see 1 April 1990).
6 December 1989 - Class 471 Networker Express mock-up No ‘471001’ unveiled by Transport Minister Michael Portillo at London Victoria for three days of public display; the new 100mph air-conditioned EMUs are intended for Kent Coast services from 1992-3, where they will enable a 13% reduction in journey times.
8 December 1989 - Guildford £8m showpiece new station buildings formally opened by the city’s Bishop.
10 December 1989 - Windsor & Eton Riverside 140th anniversary rail gala includes rolling stock exhibition with rare attendance by Butterley-based ‘Black 5’ No 44932; Class 50 No 50007 and LT No 12 Sarah Siddons work shuttles to Staines comprised of 4-TC No 8018, with 319016 also participating in these workings.
12 December 1989 - Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson announces tougher financial remit for BR - including requirement for NSE to break even within three years; if achieved, it would become the world’s only commuter rail system to operate without subsidy.
12 December 1989 - London Charing Cross concourse enhancements and exterior restoration completion officially marked by the Lord Mayor of Westminster; the station is topped by a £130m 14-storey office development in progress, with the undercrofts also included.
30 December 1989 - Weymouth Quay tramway celebrates its centenary with special shuttle service in operation from Weymouth Town comprising 33117 plus 4-TC Nos 8001/23 - although 73104 worked the final trip after failure of the ’33.
8 January 1989 - Fares increases well above inflation of 10% on NSE and up to 20% on InterCity London season tickets are roundly condemned - but are necessary to meet both investment programmes and reducing Government subsidy to BR.
8 January 1989 - Capitalcard and LT Travelcard tickets merged under the ‘Travelcard’ name, with some validity/zone alterations.
8 January 1989 - NSE Network Card for a Gold Card Partner introduced, the new Partner Card for use by relatives or friends.
8 January 1989 - Network Saver ticket renamed Network AwayBreak, available at lower minimum price with some small validity alterations.
9 January 1989 - Anglia Electrics Class 321/3 first EMUs arrive at Southend Victoria.
12 January 1989 - DoT ‘Transport Statistics for London’ new annual publication reports big rises in commuting to the Capital since 1983 - 19% on BR and 42% by London Underground.
18 January 1989 - Class 413 4-CAP No 3301 first in NSE livery enters service after overhaul.
20 January 1989 - Clapham Junction accident memorial service for victims of the 12 December 1988 tragedy held at Winchester Cathedral; senior figures and leading politicians are amongst the congregation.
23 January 1989 - Anglia Electrics Class 321/3 EMUs enter timetabled service - initially on London Liverpool Street - Cambridge duties.
26 January 1989 - Central London Rail Study report published: leading a range of recommended new routes to ease congestion present and future are new ‘Crossrail’ East-West (Liverpool Street - Paddington) and North-South (Euston/King’s Cross - Victoria) BR tunnels plus enhanced ‘Thameslink Metro’ services, together with a new London Underground Chelsea - Hackney tube line; Transport Secretary Paul Channon holds press conference on the report the following day.
26 January 1989 - NSE report published on London Waterloo - Exeter St Davids route development for the next 40 years includes electrification and station refurbishments amongst the possible options.
26 January 1989 - ‘Battersea Bullet’ £12m rail proposals unveiled by the Alton Group; three new Class 447 4-car EMUs, to be based at Selhurst depot, will shuttle between London Victoria (Platform 1) and a new station serving the Battersea leisure complex planned to be converted from the disused famous power station and envisaged to open together with the rail link in 1990. Carriages will be darkened and windows blacked out to create the sensation of travelling at 150mph - although 35mph will be the actual speed on the 3½ minute journey!
Note: With the impending recession, leisure complex and EMUs are never built.
30 January 1989 - SR reorganisation reduces number of Area Managers to 11 with Portsmouth, Redhill and Salisbury subsumed into adjacent areas.
31 January 1989 - Templecombe wins 1988 Best Station competition with Ipswich station staff receiving top customer care award.
6 February 1989 - Stansted Airport rail link excavation starts on 1m 184y tunnel carrying the line under the main runway to the station located at the new airport passenger terminal; breakthrough ceremony on 23 October celebrates completion of the tunnel, with the trackbed of the new line handed over to BR - Chairman Sir Robert Reid officiating.
7 February 1989 - Chiltern Line Class 165 Networker Turbo DMU 77 vehicles authorised as part of the London Marylebone - Aylesbury/Banbury Total Route Modernisation; 23 March - £39m order placed with BREL York.
8 February 1989 - Cambridge - King’s Lynn £21m electrification scheme receives go-ahead, including seven Class 321/3 EMUs intended for the new services.
11 February 1989 - Wessex Electrics Class 442 final EMU (No 2424) delivered to Bournemouth depot.
12 February 1989 - Thameslink service between Bedford - London St Pancras is subject to a ‘Steaming’ attack - common in the US - in which a gang of robbers storm through the train relieving passengers of their money and possessions; happily, arrests are quickly made after the incident.
13 February 1989 - Epsom Downs re-sited station opens, first used by trains late that evening, replacing former station 300yds along the line closed at same time and thence sold-off for redevelopment; TV personality Leslie Crowther formally opens the new station on 22 September - but it was quite a comedown from the nine platform terminus that once existed here necessary to handle traffic for the nearby race course, which could number over 200 trains on Derby Day!
13 February 1989 - Lewes station is damaged by a meteorite which crashes through the roof - luckily without any injuries.
17 February 1989 - BR unveils at Bounds Green depot the four liveries it intends to use for all locomotives by 1993 in supercession of 1965-vintage Corporate blue - Departmental (exhibited on 31412), InterCity (91003), Mainline (47625) and Railfreight (37893) - although exceptions will be permitted such as NSE and Provincial.
27 February 1989 - Oxford £3.5m new station buildings construction starts.
1 March 1989 - ‘Station Watch’ British Transport Police initiative launched at London Victoria based on the Neighbourhood and Business Watch community crime prevention schemes.
3 March 1989 - Northampton Line ‘last trains’ calls will cease with the new timetable from 15 May when through-night services are introduced; new Class 321/4 EMUs enter service on the route from July.
4 March 1989 - Purley collision - 1147 Portsmouth Harbour/1217 Littlehampton - London Victoria (4-CIGs 1280/95) runs into the rear of the 1250 Horsham - London Victoria (4-VEP 3441); five passengers die and 88 are injured; cause - signal passed at danger. Robert Morgan, driver of the 1147/1217 is charged with manslaughter on 7 September, but released from prison on 2 November 1990 after his original sentence is quashed. Accident report published on 17 December 1990 recommends introduction of Automatic Train Protection as quickly as possible to help prevent similar accidents in the future.
6 March 1989 - NSE orders a further 792 Quickfare automatic ticket machines making the total 1,200 at £21m overall cost.
6 March 1989 - Twyford refurbishment begins.
13 March 1989 - Brighton EMU sidings empty stock derailment blocks Up Main towards London and cuts out 3rd rail power in the station area severely dislocating services until late evening.
16 March 1989 - NSE Beilhack rotary Snowblower (No ADB968501) unveiled; the £500,000 German-built self-propelled vehicle promises quicker clearance of snow blockages with versatility to be used for shunting, inspection platform or vegetation clearance duties the rest of the year. It had been delivered to Stewarts Lane depot on 10 February - and remains in use with Network Rail in 2011.
17 March 1989 - Slade Green derailment of 0500 empty stock working off depot to Dartford wreaks disruption to morning peak services and through to early afternoon.
22 March 1989 - Clapham station wins ‘Best of the Worst’ awards staged by Daily Telegraph in response to BR’s Best Station annual competition (see 31 January 1989).
22 March 1989 - Class 321 further 31 EMUs authorised - making a total of 102 now on order.
24 March 1989 - Liverpool Street IECC opened with first stage of Great Eastern lines resignalling commissioned between the terminus and Bethnal Green, the existing boxes at both places abolished; the IECC is the first on BR and in London.
24 March 1989 - Reading new station concourse, RailAir coach lounge, Brunel Arcade, footbridge and improved facilities into use - with Royal ceremonial opening by HM The Queen on 4 April; the associated new Apex Plaza commercial office development is adjacent.
29 March 1989 - Waterloo & City line reopens following closure for two weeks after stock problems reduce Class 487 EMU availability to just two trains which were thus dangerously overcrowded in the peaks; the age and unreliability of the 49-year old units is thus dramatically highlighted - and the urgent need for replacement by new stock (see 8 November).
31 March 1989 - BR annual report 1988/9: NSE record 468,000 commuters into London during the morning peak results from the economic boom and four years of continuous growth, 4% of this over the past year.
6 April 1989 - Wimbledon derailment of 4-CIG 1822 on the 1036 London Waterloo - Southampton fortunately sees nobody hurt - although services are disrupted.
7 April 1989 - Class 442 EMU first to be named is No 2402 ‘County of Hampshire’ at Eastleigh station.
11 April 1989 - London Bridge buffer collision by the arriving 0725 ex-Tattenham Corner hurts six people.
13 April 1989 - Colchester - Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze services go over to Class 310 EMUs, allowing 313061-4 - allocated to Clacton on 29 September 1986 - to be returned to the Great Northern.
22 April 1989 - Network Day for holders of Network Cards, including Gold and Partners Cards.
27 April 1989 - 1814 London Euston - Northampton ‘Cobbler’ derails just south of its destination, the last five coaches of the train, hauled by 85012, leave the tracks.
29 April 1989 - London Charing Cross - Maidstone East new hourly off-peak fast trains launched by special formed of three 4-CEP EMUs; service will be introduced with the new timetable on 15 May.
2 May 1989 - Thameslink Kentish Town - Moorgate additional signals commissioned to enhance line capacity and thus enable increased services to cope with the success of the restored cross-London link.
6 May 1989 - London King’s Cross and St Pancras redevelopment plans announced, including combined passenger concourse.
11 May 1989 - NSE offers 2% additional rise on top of BR’s national pay offer in recognition of higher living costs in the area - the Trades Unions are currently in dispute with BR over the level of the pay award with an unofficial overtime ban by ASLEF Drivers on the SR, 8-22 May.
12 May 1989 - London Waterloo - Portsmouth Harbour last day of Class 50 workings.
13 May 1989 - NSE takes over all Faversham Drivers whose duties are now solely EMU passenger services and associated stock workings; the last mixed turns, including freight, parcels and engineering with Class 33s and 73s took place the previous day.
13 May 1989 - Northampton station refurbishment completion marked by rail gala - rolling stock exhibition included NSE celebrity 86401 which is named ‘Northampton Town’ on the day (see also next item).
13 May 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321 service debut when 321321 - borrowed from Great Eastern line for crew training (with 321320) - works Rugby - Northampton shuttle specials in connection with the latter rail gala day - at a bargain 20p return fare!
15 May 1989 - Chris Green launches ‘Project 89’ - the assignment of individual identities and logos for 19 routes, each with their own managers having delegated responsibility to tailor services to best meet passenger requirements - ‘We want the customer to be a guest, not just a face in the crowd’. The 19 identities and logos unveiled are as follows:
-Anglia Electrics (Anglia Regiment badge)
-Chiltern (Chiltern Hills)
-Great Northern (London King’s Cross station)
-Island Line (Isle of Wight)
-Kent Coast (Cinque Ports badge)
-Kent Link (Greenwich)
-London Tilbury & Southend (Thames barge)
-North Downs (Tonbridge badge)
-North London Lines (colours of former Harlequin Line symbol)
-Northampton Line (Grand Union canal ‘barge-art’)
-Portsmouth Line (HMS Victory)
-South London Lines (Crystal Palace)
-South Western Lines (London Waterloo Victory Arch)
-Sussex Coast (Brighton Pavilion)
-Thames (Arms of Oxford colleges)
-Thameslink (City of London skyline)
-Uckfield Line (Hever Castle)
-Wessex Electrics (heraldic helmet)
-West of England (Arms of Exeter).
The identities and logos were used in timetables and other publicity and gradually introduced on stock allocated to the respective routes; several had already been ushered in over the past year or so, especially on new EMUs being delivered to the respective routes: Anglia Electrics, Northampton Line, Thameslink and Wessex Electrics.
However, alterations/additions to the original 19 identities and logos soon came:
-Anglia Electrics: superseded by Great Eastern (logo unchanged) later in 1989;
-Kent Link: new ‘arrow’ logo unveiled 19 December 1991 for use on Class 465s;
-Marsh Link: new (Ashford - Hastings - applied to some DEMUs);
-Solent and Wessex (three yachts): new - unveiled May 1990;
-South Western Lines: Windsor Castle logo also used;
-South Western Turbo: superseded West of England in 1993 but utilising same logo (Arms of Exeter) on the new Class 159 DMUs;
-Stansted Express: special livery and branding unveiled 3 July 1989 for Class 322s;
-Three Counties (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire crests): new - unveiled 15 March 1990;
-Uckfield Line: superseded by Oxted Line (logo unchanged) by 1990;
-Waterloo & City (Bank of England): new;
-West Anglia (Heron): new - unveiled 30 September 1989.
Previous disparate route identities and logos now superseded:
-1066 Electrics: Tonbridge - Hastings;
-Essex Express: London Liverpool St - Colchester - Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze;
-Harlequin Line: London Euston - Watford local services;
-Midland Electrics: London St Pancras/Moorgate - Bedford;
-North London Link: Richmond - North Woolwich;
-Ryde Rail: Isle of Wight.
15 May 1989 - new timetable highlights:
-Great Northern Line: London King’s Cross - Cambridge new hourly fast services with sub-60min journey times;
-London Liverpool Street loco-hauled trains now confined to the few King’s Lynn services with Class 47s throughout in place of Class 86s to Cambridge - with all workings to the latter taken over by Class 321/3 EMUs;
-London Charing Cross - Hastings off-peak frequency doubled to half-hourly after substantial traffic increases following electrification in 1986;
-London Charing Cross - Maidstone East new hourly off-peak fast service;
-Clapham renamed Clapham High Street;
-North Downs Line: Reading - Gatwick Airport through journey times reduced from 88 to 80 minutes;
-Northampton Line: London Euston - Northampton through-night services commence;
-Portsmouth Line: London Waterloo - Portsmouth off-peak fasts accelerated to 102min journey time as ‘Portsmouth Express’ service; utilising 12 refurbished Class 421/4 4-CIG EMUs (Nos 1814-25) with electrical alterations to give enhanced performance - accordingly dubbed ‘Greyhounds’ the Fratton-based units are given black stripes atop the cab ends for ident purposes; five buffet-equipped Class 412 4-BEPs are re-bogied for improved running using ex 4-REP Mk 6 motor bogies replacing the Mk 4s, with the trailer Commonwealths supplanted by B5(SR) bogies; four more ‘Greyhound’ EMU conversions are made in 1990;
-South Western Lines: London Waterloo - Basingstoke/Alton off peak services cease to combine/divide at Woking and now run as separate trains to revised pattern;
-South Western Lines: London Waterloo - Hounslow off-peak services all extended to Woking and Guildford;
-Thames Line: Islip reopened - ceremonially with special gala day service on 13 May; previously closed 1 January 1968; this is the only new station on NSE opened in 1989;
-Thameslink: Cricklewood - Orpington off-peak services extended to Sevenoaks; extra peak hour trains to/from London St Pancras;
-West of England Line: London Waterloo - Salisbury Class 33/1 + 4-TC push-pull semi-fasts superseded by Class 50 hauled Mk 2a-c sets - although shortages of the latter meant the unusuality of some Class 50 + 4-TC workings in hauled mode continued through the year; Laira-based Class 50s now booked for all services;
-other improved services on many routes to cope with booming demand.
17 May 1989 - NSE announces privately-owned catering trolleys to be introduced on seven more routes, making 11 in total.
20 May 1989 - Ilford depot open day is a great success featuring a wide array of stock old and new; a special EMU service links London Liverpool Street to a temporary platform in the depot, greatly assisting visitor numbers which top 18,000.
22 May 1989 - London Waterloo Victory Arch entrance and façade are floodlit for the first time - the event marked with due ceremony.
28-29 May 1989 - Southend air show is sponsored by NSE.
29 May 1989 - London St Pancras former Midland Grand Hotel third floor gutted by fire; the largely unused Grade II-listed structure is up for reopening as a luxury hotel.
Note: This finally took place - as the Marriott St Pancras Renaissance - on 14 March 2011 with a re-opening ceremony on 5 May that year - the latter to accord with the exact 138th anniversary of the original hotel opening in 1873; the long delay had been due to awaiting revamping of the station as London St Pancras International to accept Channel Tunnel Eurostar trains - in place of London Waterloo International - from 14 November 2007.
29 May 1989 - Chiltern Line Gala Day features bargain £2 tickets for travel on the route plus various events centred on Aylesbury station, including locomotives and rolling stock exhibition.
10 June 1989 - NSE celebrates its third Birthday with another Network Day of unlimited bargain ticket travel across its routes; overall passengers are 12% up on 1986.
16 June 1989 - Faversham £300,000 refurbishment - sponsored by local brewer Robert Neame - officially completed.
16-18 June 1989 - BRML Eastleigh repeats its open day success of the previous year, this time marking the 150th anniversary of railways serving the town; specials are operated over the normally freight-only line to Romsey.
18 June 1989 - Exeter Central gains NSE signs - the furthest western outpost of the Green empire nearing completion of a £200,000 revamp; revenue has more than doubled in four years.
29 June 1989 - BR issues its last Edmondson-style traditional small card tickets at Emerson Park; superseded by universal application of new technology APTIS (booking office) and PORTIS (on train) ticket machines.
1-2 July 1989 - Mid-Hants ‘Watercress line’ 150 celebrations see another outing for 4-SUB heritage unit No 4732 employed on Woking - Alton specials.
1-2 and 8-9 July 1989 - LT’s first ‘Steam on the Met’ event celebrates Chesham branch centenary; NSE refurbished 4-VEP No 3457 is employed as hauled stock on special shuttle services to Watford - topped and tailed by celebrity Metropolitan Railway electric No 12 ‘Sarah Siddons’ and GWR 0-6-0PT pannier tank No 9466!
2-18 July 1989 - Chichester Festival sponsored by NSE, the first of two years.
3 July 1989 - Canterbury East £400,000 refurbishment formally completed in ceremony presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie.
3 July 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321/4 first EMU No 321401 handed over to Chris Green at BREL York; the new units will displace the Class 317/1s to Great Northern services.
3 July 1989 - Stansted Express Class 322 EMU new livery is unveiled on a Class 321 Driving Trailer - fictitiously carrying No ‘322481’ - at BREL York; five Class 322s will be delivered in 1990 and feature more spacious 2+2 seating and luggage areas to meet the requirements of air passengers.
5 July 1989 - Dover Western Docks new £70,000 passenger information system announced.
5 July 1989 - Great Eastern Shenfield - Southend Victoria station environmental improvements proposed in jointly funded scheme between NSE and Thurrock Training Association.
10 July 1989 - North London Lines London Euston - Watford Junction Class 313 DOO introduced.
10 July 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321/4 London Euston - Northampton - Birmingham New Street booked workings commence.
13 July 1989 - Island Line first ‘new’ Class 483 EMU No 001 unveiled at Ryde Pier station before working a special to Brading for guests and media; the ex-LT ‘1938’ units are some 15 years younger than the Class 485/6 EMUs they replace! No 001 entered service on the Ryde Pier - Ryde Esplanade shuttles later that day, with the Class 483s deployed on Ryde Pier - Shanklin duties from 7 October, deliveries of the eight 2-car units (001-8) refurbished for £1m total cost being completed during 1990; a ninth (009) was later added, this entering traffic on 18 June 1992.
21 July 1989 - Great Northern Oakleigh Park £62,000 refurbishment officially completed.
24 July 1989 - Cecil Parkinson is appointed as the new Secretary of State for Transport replacing Paul Channon.
25 July 1989 - Great Eastern Lines £3m catenary upgrade announced by Anglia Region to improve service reliability between London Liverpool Street and Colchester; much of the overhead line installation dates from 1949 when electrified services to Shenfield were introduced.
27 July 1989 - NUR accepts BR national pay offer after a bitter and long running dispute, involving several 24-hour strikes; rail workers in the South-East receive an additional allowance on top of the basic 8.8% settlement in recognition of higher living costs in the area.
31 July 1989 - BR Anglia Region’s first General Manager John Edmonds is replaced by David Burton.
31 July 1989 - Appledore collision between the 0731 Ashford - Hastings, operated by DEMU 205101, and a van on the open crossing fortunately leaves no-one seriously hurt.
31 July 1989 - ‘Operation Recovery’ mounted by NSE in an all-out effort to restore confidence and regain passengers following the damaging effects of the Trades Union strikes in the pay dispute, thankfully now resolved; measures taken include reductions in prices of Network Cheap Day returns and Travelcards between 5 August-3 September, coupled with top priority afforded to all aspects of service quality.
4 August 1989 - Romford expanded overhead line depot opened replacing facilities at Colchester (Stanway) and Pitsea.
6 August 1989 - West Ealing derailment of the 2115 Oxford - London Paddington hauled by 50025 with nine Mk 2 coaches caused by objects criminally placed on the Up Main; amazingly only six passengers and the driver receive minor injuries, the derailed train staying ‘within gauge’ thus avoiding being hit by an HST which passes on the Down Main seconds later - but 50025 is condemned as a write-off.
7 August 1989 - Great Northern Line receives a visit from new Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson in his first official visit to BR when he tours the route.
9 August 1989 - London Waterloo CS gas attack leaves sixty people affected - believed to be part of ongoing protest stunts by anti-Channel Tunnel groups opposed to the forthcoming international station here.
11-14 August 1989 - Northampton Line Class 321/4s temporarily withdrawn from service for immediate checks following door problems.
18 August 1989 - Northampton Line 321401/8 are commandeered to operate a London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly return service for InterCity following temporary withdrawal of its new Class 90s to rectify brake system defects.
22 August 1989 - Channel Tunnel Rail Link high-speed services are promised for Kent commuters by Chris Green - halving existing journey times when the line is opened in the 1990s; to be operated by the proposed Class 342 Networker EMU.
Note: Southeastern 140mph Class 395 ‘Javelin’ services into London St Pancras International eventually fulfilled this undertaking when introduced on 29 June 2009.
25 August 1989 - Chris Green formally lays first track panel for Isle of Wight Steam Railway extension to Smallbrook Junction where a new interchange station with NSE Island Line will be provided.
27 August 1989 - Balcombe tunnel incident in which vandals attempt another derailment by placing a trolley on the line - hit by the 1615 London Victoria - Portsmouth which luckily stays railed on this occasion.
28 August 1989 - Southend Victoria gala day celebrates centenaries of the line from Shenfield and the Southminster branch - star attraction is GER Class N7 No 69621 just returned to steam for the first time since 1962; green-liveried heritage EMUs 302200 and 306017 both operate services on the Southminster line.
30 August 1989 - King’s Lynn mast planting ceremony - the first of 1,825 - marks the official start of electrification to Cambridge, although works had actually begun on the 14th.
31 August 1989 - Kent Link total route modernisation major announcements by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson during a visit to London Charing Cross and London Bridge stations:
-Networker 4-car EMU £257m orders placed today for 100 units - 50 each from BREL York (Class 465/0 - 465001-50) and GEC-Alstom (Class 465/2 - 465201-50) - delivery from September and October 1991, respectively;
-Networker EMU approval in principle given for a further 276 vehicles for Kent Link: ordered later, these comprise* - 47 Class 465/1 4-car (465151-97 - 188 vehicles) and 43 Class 466 2-car (466001-43 - 86 vehicles); together with the above order for 400 vehicles, these total 676 of the 842 vehicles required for Kent Link to replace EPB EMUs (see 30 April 1990, 13 May 1991 and 31 March 1992);
-£200m route infrastructure works for 12-car Networkers which will provide 16% increased seating capacity over present 10-car EPB formations: covers 137 route miles and consists of - platform lengthening at 63 stations, Driver-only operation, power supply upgrade, resignalling, gauge clearance, layout remodelling including London Cannon Street, Charing Cross, London Bridge and Orpington, new train maintenance depot at Slade Green and 16 stabling sidings at Grove Park with new staff accommodation. The project also incorporates the (separately funded) requirements of the Channel Tunnel route alterations to accommodate the forthcoming new ‘Eurostar’ and international freight trains - both due in 1994 (see 30 April 1990).
Note: Due to Government capital spending restrictions in the early-1990s recession, route infrastructure works are deferred two years in final completion to 1996.
*actually totals 274 rather than 276 vehicles authorised.
1 September 1989 - Southampton Parkway further upgrading of facilities announced, to cope with burgeoning traffic and expansion of the adjacent airport.
3 September 1989 - Wessex Electrics Class 442 EMU No 2407 runs away driver-less for ½m from Bournemouth depot, overrunning the buffers with the leading vehicles coming to rest in adjacent Wharfedale Road - fortunately without harm to anyone.
4 September 1989 - Strood - Paddock Wood converted to Paytrain operation with staff only retained at Maidstone West, New Hythe and Snodland.
5 September 1989 - North London Lines Brondesbury Park £174,000 reconstruction officially completed as pilot for refurbishment of all 28 stations on the route; Gospel Oak and Kew Gardens are to be dealt with next, remaining stations to follow.
9 September 1989 - NSE ‘Network Thamesday’ family fun festival held again at the London South Bank Centre.
11 September 1989 - Great Eastern Class 315 EMUs made all ‘No Smoking’ accommodation in three month experiment.
15 September 1989 - Ealing Broadway £250,000 refurbishment officially completed.
20 September 1989 - London Liverpool Street services severely disrupted when signalling cables are stolen.
21 September 1989 - BR Vice-Chairman David Kirby resignation announced - he had been widely anticipated to replace Chairman Sir Bob Reid retiring in 1990; John Welsby announced as BR Chief Executive from 1 January 1990 by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson.
29 September 1989 - Langley £500,000 restoration ceremonially completed with unveiling of a commemorative plaque.
30 September 1989 - ‘West Anglia’ (Heron) new route identity/logo unveiled for London Liverpool Street - King’s Lynn and branches on the occasion of a rail gala day at Cambridge station; specials are operated over the normally freight only Fen Drayton (former St Ives) and King’s Lynn - Middleton Towers branches.
2 October 1989 - timetable change highlights:
-Great Northern Line: London King’s Cross - Huntingdon frequency doubled to half-hourly utilising Class 317/1s displaced from the Northampton Line;
-North London Lines: Richmond - North Woolwich integrated with London Euston - Watford Junction local services and go over to Class 313s in replacement of the much older Class 416 2-EPBs which have plied the route since 13 May 1985 - and now return to the SR for continued employment on South London Lines!;
-North London Lines: London Liverpool Street - Watford Junction remaining peak-hour services reduced to just one return in each direction;
-Thameslink: Class 317/1 EMUs return to the route when six are temporarily drafted in from the Northampton Line to enable strengthening of Bedford - London St Pancras/Moorgate peak services to 8 cars to cope with demand; pending delivery of Thameslink’s own new 319/1 augmenting order during 1990.
2 October 1989 - Magdalen Road renamed Watlington - reverting to its previous appellation borne until 1 June 1875 - although the signal box at the station continues as Magdalen Road (still thus in 2011)!
3 October 1989 - Chris Green in an address to the Railway Studies Association reveals that NSE passenger business has risen 25% since 1983 with 468,000 passengers travelling into the Capital daily, commuting accounting for 64% of the sector’s market; a massive investment of £1.4bn up to 1994 will transform services on many routes - including the much proclaimed new state-of-the-art Networker trains; new rail links to Dunstable and Luton Airport proposed; 15 new stations are planned; station car parking will rise by one third to 100,000 spaces by 2001.
7 October 1989 - Silvertown & London City Airport rebuilt station formally opened.
7 October 1989 - North London Lines gala day held, with Gospel Oak and Kew Gardens station refurbishments officially completed.
12 October 1989 - Conservative Government announces postponement of BR privatisation in a speech to the party’s annual conference in Blackpool.
13 October 1989 - South Western Trains 1718 London Waterloo - Alton is victim of a commuters ‘sit-in’ when it is terminated at Woking due to staff shortages; the protest comes after regular similar occurrences short of the advertised destination.
13 October 1989 - NSE awards three-year on train catering contracts for the Portsmouth, Sussex Coast, West of England and Weymouth routes following competitive tendering.
23 October 1989 - Chiltern Line continues to be affected by problems with its ageing DMUs - some services are temporarily withdrawn to provide a reliable timetable.
26 October 1989 - Thames Line 0130 London Paddington - Reading DMU 55023 collides with derailed Whatley - Ripple Lane stone train near Maidenhead; services are disrupted and there are seven injuries aboard the overturned DMU.
30 October 1989 - Thames Line Class 165 Networker Turbo £59.3m order for further 103 vehicles placed with BREL York for delivery in 1991-2 - the units both to replace ageing DMUs on London Paddington suburban services, and to cope with growth both on this and the routes out of London Marylebone.
30 October 1989 - Slade Green depot £20m modernisation commences to accommodate new Class 465 Networker EMUs from 1991.
-- October 1989 - Kent Link Networker Total Route Modernisation gets underway with platform extension works at Nunhead to accept 12-car trains.
-- October 1989 - North London Lines Route Manager appointed - supplanting the previous fragmented organisation.
8 November 1989 - Waterloo & City £23m Total Route Modernisation announced: the 23 obsolete 1940-vintage Bullied Class 487 cars will be replaced by 20 new Class 482 EMU vehicles based on LUL’s new Central Line tube stock and built as part of that production run; the line will also be resignalled and power supplies upgraded; upon completion in 1992 service frequency will be increased by 20%.
18, 25 November and 2 December 1989 - Princes Risborough - Milton Keynes Central Saturday Christmas ‘Shoppers Specials’ repeated for third year, calling at all stations to Aylesbury, thence Quainton Road and Winslow on the freight-only route via Clayton to Bletchley; over 900 passengers are estimated to have used the three trains.
20 November 1989 - Great Northern Line introduces wheel clamping for non-fee payers at station car parks on the London King’s Cross - Huntingdon route.
23 November 1989 - Ashford new IECC and associated resignalling of SE main line Chislehurst - Folkestone contract placed with Westinghouse.
29 November 1989 - Ingatestone £177,000 refurbishment completed.
-- Autumn 1989 - London Euston NSE platforms 8-11 approach ramp refurbished to include new shops and bright lighting - a dramatic improvement on the bare, austere and rather gloomy concrete structure dating from reconstruction of the terminus in 1968.
6 December 1989 - BR’s new Chairman is announced - Bob Reid, currently Chairman of Shell UK, will replace present incumbent Sir Robert Reid! The ‘new’ Bob Reid becomes BR Chairman-designate on 1 January 1990 (see 1 April 1990).
6 December 1989 - Class 471 Networker Express mock-up No ‘471001’ unveiled by Transport Minister Michael Portillo at London Victoria for three days of public display; the new 100mph air-conditioned EMUs are intended for Kent Coast services from 1992-3, where they will enable a 13% reduction in journey times.
8 December 1989 - Guildford £8m showpiece new station buildings formally opened by the city’s Bishop.
10 December 1989 - Windsor & Eton Riverside 140th anniversary rail gala includes rolling stock exhibition with rare attendance by Butterley-based ‘Black 5’ No 44932; Class 50 No 50007 and LT No 12 Sarah Siddons work shuttles to Staines comprised of 4-TC No 8018, with 319016 also participating in these workings.
12 December 1989 - Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson announces tougher financial remit for BR - including requirement for NSE to break even within three years; if achieved, it would become the world’s only commuter rail system to operate without subsidy.
12 December 1989 - London Charing Cross concourse enhancements and exterior restoration completion officially marked by the Lord Mayor of Westminster; the station is topped by a £130m 14-storey office development in progress, with the undercrofts also included.
30 December 1989 - Weymouth Quay tramway celebrates its centenary with special shuttle service in operation from Weymouth Town comprising 33117 plus 4-TC Nos 8001/23 - although 73104 worked the final trip after failure of the ’33.