THE NETWORK SOUTHEAST ACHIEVEMENT
A CHRONOLOGY OF 12 YEARS FORWARD PROGRESS AND DELIVERY, 1982 - 1994
compiled by John P McCrickard.
January - December 1990
1 January 1990 - John Welsby appointed BR Chief Executive.
1 January 1990 - 86401 - the sole-allocated and liveried NSE representative - returned to InterCity sector.
8 January 1990 - Hurst Green - Uckfield resignalled and controlled from Oxted signal box; line singled between Hever - Blackham, Ashurst - Crowborough and Greenhurst - Uckfield; manual boxes at Crowborough, Eridge and Hever closed with Uckfield temporarily reduced to a gate box pending resiting of station (see 13 May 1991).
22 January 1990 - Beckenham Junction buffer stop collision by arriving 4-EPB No 5408 with the 0745 ex-London Bridge - the leading bogie is derailed.
29 January 1990 - London Holborn Viaduct closed after 116 years - last trains on Friday, 26th of the latterly weekday peak-hours-only service - another lost London terminus - to enable deviation of Thameslink route underground through the City with replacement new St Paul’s Thameslink station - both opened 29 May; Holborn Viaduct station site is sold-off for the new Ludgate commercial redevelopment of this prime location - which also enables a multi-£m archaeological dig by the Museum of London to search for ancient artefacts, finds including the underground Fleet River, remains of a former prison and an 11th century 3-person lavatory seat!
31 January 1990 - Great Northern Line wins the Minister of State for Transport’s Cup award for NSE’s highest standards of service punctuality, cleanliness and reliability.
31 January 1990 - London King’s Cross £500,000 concourse refurbishment officially completed.
4 February 1990 - BR annual fares rise averages 9.9% for NSE - again well above inflation - reflecting both the continuing heavy investment programme and Government requirement to reduce taxpayer subsidy to BR.
4 February 1990 - NSE ticket validity changes:
-Singles wholly within NSE now valid for one day only;
-Returns for shorter journeys (up to about 30 miles) continue to be valid for one day only but for longer distances outward journey validity is one day with the return journey to be made within one month.
8 February 1990 - BR announces its intention to introduce Penalty Fares - £10 on-the-spot fines for ticket-less passengers - in an effort to reduce the estimated £50m lost annually due to fraudulent travel through fare-dodging.
12 February 1990 - London Paddington ‘Heathrow Express’ high-speed rail link exhibition at House of Commons formally opened; the £235m cost will be funded by NSE (20%) and British Airports Authority (80%); the Bill for the link is under House of Lords consideration.
14 February 1990 - Chelsea Bridge is damaged by a river vessel forcing introduction of temporary single line working between Clapham Junction - Kensington Olympia.
14 February 1990 - East Ham Class 305/308 empty stock EMU derailment causes track and overhead line damage disrupting London Tilbury & Southend services.
16 February 1990 - BR awards Automatic Train Protection (ATP) pilot scheme development contracts to GEC-GS covering SELCAB for Chiltern Line and ACEC Transport for TBL system on London Paddington - Bristol route.
17-18 February 1990 - Southampton Airport (Eastleigh) ‘Operation Crabstick’ clearance of unearthed wartime bombs requires temporary closure Eastleigh - Southampton with diversions via Salisbury Laverstock loop and special Class 205/207 DEMU shuttles via Fareham/Romsey.
23 February 1990 - Clacton £300,000 refurbishment formally completed.
28 February 1990 - Gipsy Hill derailment by fallen tree of Class 455/8 No 5820 on the 2019 West Croydon - London Victoria - which then hits sister unit No 5802 working the 2006 London Victoria - West Croydon.
15 March 1990 - ‘Three Counties’ route identity/logo introduced for Bletchley - Bedford - Kettering - Corby services; ceremonially unveiled on DMU at Bedford Midland, these trains serve Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, whose county crests form the route logo (see 30 September 1991).
31 March 1990 - BR annual report 1989/90: another year of spectacular growth sees London commuters at a new record 473,000 - NSE now has the leading market share (42%) across the various travel modes; NSE investment is now at around £1m a day.
-- March 1990 - Great Northern Class 317/2 EMUs redeployed on some West Anglia duties.
1 April 1990 - BR Chairman Sir Robert Reid retires after 43 years in the rail industry and his successor Bob Reid is appointed part-time Non-Executive Chairman, becoming full-time Chairman on 1 October 1990.
3 April 1990 - Knebworth £270,000 upgrading officially completed.
5 April 1990 - Class 316 Networker development 4-car overhead test EMU No 316999 officially unveiled at Clacton; formed October 1989 at Derby RTC from three vehicles previously in Class 457 Networker DC test unit No 457001 with addition of pantograph-equipped TSO No 71246 (ex 313034), 316999 contains the three-phase AC drive to be used on the new Class 465 Networkers and is intended as test prototype for Class 331 Networkers planned for London Tilbury & Southend services; 316999 has been resident at Clacton depot since November 1989 and thence employed on test runs over the line to Colchester.
15 April 1990 - Wimbledon new signalling centre opened controlling the immediate Wimbledon area - first stage of the major Waterloo Area Resignalling (WARS).
23 April 1990 - London Marylebone IECC opened controlling first stage of Chiltern Line resignalling covering Great Missenden area; one of the elements of the Total Route Modernisation underway for 1991 completion.
30 April 1990 - Kent Link Networker Total Route Modernisation - Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson gives authority in principle to BR Chairman Sir Bob Reid for platform lengthening at 63 stations to accommodate 12-car Class 465s and for 276 further vehicles for Kent Link (see 31 August 1989).
3 May 1990 - Rainham £672,000 reconstruction officially completed.
4 May 1990 - Roger Freeman replaces Michael Portillo as Minister of State for Public Transport, assuming full responsibilities from the 14th.
6 May 1990 - Hedge End new station opened - on Solent gala day; officially by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson on 9th in conjunction with Solent Link electrification ceremonial opening; full service from new timetable on 14th.
7 May 1990 - Henley-on-Thames branch reopened following closure since 17 April to enable major renewal and repair to Shiplake Thames viaduct.
9 May 1990 - Portsmouth - Southampton and Eastleigh Solent Link electrification ceremonially opened by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson and new BR Chairman Bob Reid, both conveyed by Class 442 No 2402 on the inaugural special from London Waterloo - although their arrival is delayed by a fault on the EMU - replacement No 2409 is provided for the return journey; the line had been energised on 12 March, Solent gala day electric special trains operated on 6 May and timetabled services commenced 14 May.
11 May 1990 - Northampton Line last Up ‘Cobbler’ loco-hauled 0737 Northampton - London Euston fittingly worked by NSE-liveried 86401 ‘Northampton Town’ - Class 321s now booked for all services.
13 May 1990 - NSE Network AwayBreak ticket validity reduced from one month to five days; most NSE First and Standard single and return tickets now valid for one day only.
14 May 1990 - new timetable highlights:
-Chiltern Line: London Marylebone - Aylesbury off peak services doubled to half-hourly frequency plus additional services on the High Wycombe route;
-Great Eastern: Class 321/3s now work Southend Victoria and Southminster services;
-North London Lines: London Liverpool Street - Watford Junction services reduced to single daily peak return - southbound in morning, northbound in evening, due to reduced patronage;
-North London Lines: Harringay Stadium renamed Harringay East;
-Northampton Line: squadron deployment of new Class 321/4 EMUs with peak services also enhanced;
-Solent and Wessex: improved services upon completion of the Portsmouth - Southampton and Eastleigh electrification (see above);
-South London Lines: London Bridge and Victoria off-peak services enhanced up to four per hour;
-Sussex Coast: Southampton - Gatwick Airport and East Croydon new weekday hourly services;
-Thameslink (from 29 May): Luton - Guildford and Orpington/Sevenoaks enhanced services - former replaces those to Purley; six trains per hour now serve Luton in the off-peak;
-West Anglia: London Liverpool Street - King’s Lynn through trains withdrawn - latter now served by DMUs from Cambridge whilst route is electrified - after which King’s Lynn will be served by Great Northern services from London King’s Cross (see 22 August 1992); 47581 worked the last London Liverpool Street - King’s Lynn loco-hauled service on 12 May;
-West Anglia: Stratford - Broxbourne new weekday service introduced;
-other miscellaneous service improvements introduced on the various routes.
18 May 1990 - Channel Tunnel rail infrastructure works authorised by DoT - Waterloo International station (£98.5m), North Pole Eurostar depot (£75.7m), Tonbridge - Redhill electrification plus 20 new Class 92 locomotives (£80m).
24 May 1990 - 321366 is formally handed over to NSE at BREL York - the last of 114 Class 321 EMUs built since 1988 - 72 for Anglia Electrics (321301-72) and 42 for Northampton Line (321401-42).
24 May 1990 - Chiltern Line new £4m Aylesbury depot construction inaugurated - base for the fleet of Class 165 Networker Turbo DMUs being delivered from 1991 under the Total Route Modernisation.
24 May 1990 - Great Missenden, Stoke Mandeville and Wendover refurbishments officially completed at £1m overall total cost.
25 May 1990 - 203001 - the final Hastings DEMU in service - is withdrawn after performing last duties on the Ashford - Hastings Marsh Link.
27-28 May 1990 - Southend air show is again sponsored by NSE - the free event takes place along the sea front and includes the RAF Red Arrows, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Vulcan amongst many other popular display aircraft.
29 May 1990 - Thameslink Blackfriars - Farringdon deviation opened including new - albeit partially finished - St Paul’s Thameslink station, which replaces nearby London Holborn Viaduct (closed 29 January); the existing route was closed from 12 May to enable completion of the new deviation - and also allowing the railway bridge over Ludgate Circus to be removed on the 13th, restoring the unimpeded views of St Paul’s Cathedral from a century earlier!
-- May 1990 - ‘Solent and Wessex’ (three yachts) new route identity/logo introduced.
4 June 1990 - Kettering - Corby passenger services withdrawn and the latter station closed again after just over three years experimental reopening; follows withdrawal of subsidy from Corby District Council after poor patronage of trains, the last of which ran on 2 June.
Note: Services were again revived by East Midlands Trains on 23 February 2009 when Corby reopened for a second time; through trains to London St Pancras catered for - and fostered - much greater demand.
11 June 1990 - NSE celebrates its 4th birthday at London Cannon Street, where the £700,000 refurbished concourse is officially opened - completing the first phase of redevelopment which also includes the new £90m Cannon Bridge office complex being built above the station. With new Transport Minister Roger Freeman in attendance, Chris Green revealed that in the last four years NSE has doubled annual investment - running at the rate of £1m daily - with 700 new coaches delivered, and a similar number to follow in the next three years including the new Class 465 Networkers for Kent Link; 90 stations have been rebuilt and another 250 modernised - with all 942 cleaned, painted and NSE branding applied; daily commuters are up from 421,000 in 1986 to a record 473,000.
The same day at Selhurst depot Chris completes repaint of the final blue/grey Class 455/7 EMUs No 5734/9 into NSE livery - the last in the fleet of 2,288 sliding-door coaches to receive the new colours.
14 June 1990 - Government rejects BR/Eurorail proposals for a £2.6bn Channel Tunnel high-speed rail link as too big a risk for the taxpayer; revised proposals are requested which BR could finance itself.
29 June 1990 - BR announces the five regions are to be abolished over the next two years with each business sector assuming direct responsibility for the costs of the track on which they are ‘prime user’ together with associated ownership of assets and manpower to operate train services - the major restructuring is named ‘Organising for Quality’ (OfQ); NSE sub-sectors to be reformed into nine Divisions (profit centres): Great Eastern, London Tilbury & Southend, North, South Central, South East, South West, Thames & Chiltern, Thameslink and West Anglia (see 1 April 1991).
30 June 1990 - Class 307 EMUs bow out of service after 34 years when 307108/29 operate a Southend Victoria - London Liverpool Street farewell special; 32 units had originally been built, equipped for 1500v DC but converted for AC use in 1960-1, and were latterly seen off by new Class 321s; some 307s are however despatched to West Yorkshire for several years more service.
2 July 1990 - London Waterloo new Platforms 12 and 13 into use, on the site of the former cab road, enabling Nos 16-18 to be closed with existing Platforms 12-15 renumbered 14-17; all in connection with remodelling required for the new London Waterloo International terminal.
2 July 1990 - London Liverpool Street - Southend Victoria Class 315 EMU DOO introduced.
11-15 July 1990 - NSE sponsors first International Flower Show held at Hampton Court Palace; the nearby station is refurbished accordingly with floral themes and benefits from enhanced services from London Waterloo - including some premium specials ‘The Tudor Rose’ formed of refurbished 4-CIG EMUs with gardening personality aboard plus drinks and canapés served! NSE has its own ‘railway garden’ at the show, featuring a live steam/electric Gauge 1 line. The show proves an outstanding success; brilliant sunshine throughout brings in 100,000 visitors over the five days of which no less than 70% travel by train - well above the 50% forecast.
12 July 1990 - Thames Line last booked Class 50 working, ousted by Class 47s - the former locomotives now concentrated at Plymouth Laira depot for West of England services out of London Waterloo - although continuing availability problems often necessitate Class 47s substituting on latter Class 50 duties.
16 July 1990 - Hornsey depot collision between 317330 and 317344 severely damages Driving Trailer Nos 77077 and 77043 from each EMU respectively and also injures one of the Drivers.
18-28 July 1990 - King’s Lynn 40th Festival of Music and the Arts sponsored by NSE.
20 July 1990 - 322481 first of five Class 322 EMUs for Stansted Express delivered from BREL York in a ceremonial high-speed run to London King’s Cross, achieved in 123.5min net with a 112mph maximum; this and the other ‘322s are put into service during 1990 on existing London Liverpool Street - Cambridge services awaiting opening of the Stansted Airport branch (see 19 March 1991).
21-22 and 28-29 July 1990 - LT Harrow-on-the-Hill - Amersham ‘Steam on the Met’ specials employ NSE London Tilbury & Southend EMU No 305513 as hauled stock.
31 July 1990 - Newbury £664,000 refurbishment ceremonially completed.
1 August 1990 - Reading platform 4A collision between arriving 0701 ex-Tonbridge DMU (Class 119 set L576 - vehicle 51062 leading) and waiting 0923 departure (4-VEP 3508+4 CIG 1304) to London Waterloo traps Driver of the former train; 40 injured or suffered shock; cause - signal passed at danger.
29 August 1990 - Ash Vale Junction derailment of 4-CIG 1221 working the 1855 Guildford - Ascot.
18 September 1990 - London Liverpool Street roof restoration completed in final ‘golden-bolt’ ceremony performed by Chris Green; the magnificently restored lofty iron and glass 1875 trainshed - with new extension to identical design - forms a key part of the station restoration and redevelopment currently underway.
18 September 1990 - Twyford £520,000 refurbishment officially completed.
22 September-8 October 1990 - London Marylebone temporary closure for remodelling/resignalling from the new IECC located at the terminus, as part of the Chiltern Line Total Route Modernisation.
26 September 1990 - Bacons Yard rail bridge - located between London Bridge and South Bermondsey - £400,000 modernisation commences.
29 September 1990 - Stansted renamed Stansted Mountfitchet in recognition of - and to avoid any possible confusion with - new Stansted Airport station due imminent opening (see 19 March 1991).
29 September 1990 - Cambridge second annual gala day with maintenance depot open to visitors plus displays at King’s Lynn; specials are operated over the normally freight only Fen Drayton (former St Ives) branch and loco-hauled trains Stratford - Enfield Town via Seven Sisters.
30 September 1990 - London Waterloo signal box (opened by the SR in 1936, but with new panel from 5 February 1984) closed and replaced by temporary signal box in connection with resignalling/remodelling stageworks to accommodate the new London Waterloo International terminal (see 2 April 1991).
1 October 1990 - BR Chairman Sir Bob Reid takes over post full time after being part-time Non-Executive Chairman since 1 April; he was Knighted in the Birthday Honours List, announced on 15 June.
1 October 1990 - London Travelcard new Zone 6 introduced by sub-division of existing Zone 5.
1 October 1990 - West Anglia Classes 315/321/322 EMU DOO introduced.
1 October 1990 - South Western Lines - BR instructs independent inquiry to investigate introduction of DOO on all sliding-door trains following delays in implementation - planned for this summer - due to Trades Union non-cooperation over safety fears.
Note: DOO is in the event never introduced, South Western Trains services remaining Driver and Guard operated to date (2011).
3 October 1990 - Oxford £3.5m reconstructed station official completion ceremony; the new buildings have been in use since 8 April; a new footbridge has replaced the subway.
4 October 1990 - BR Public Service Obligation subsidy increase of 20% announced - the first for eight years - the April 1990-March 1991 grant to be £600m compared to £504m the year previously, to cover new safety equipments on NSE and Provincial.
8 October 1990 - Weybridge £300,000 rebuilt road level buildings officially opened (see 5 January 1987).
9 October 1990 - Crossrail £1.5bn London Liverpool Street - Paddington main line tunnel link approval announced by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson in a speech to the Conservative Party annual conference in Bournemouth.
12 October 1990 - Thameslink Class 319/1 first new EMU 319161 delivered from BREL York to Selhurst depot; the unit was unveiled to the media on the 23rd and entered service the following day; delivery of all 26 completed in March 1991.
18 October 1990 - Island Line - five vehicles of withdrawn Class 485/486 EMU ex-LT stock returned to their original owners for preservation, travelling from Fratton depot up the Portsmouth Direct line to Wimbledon depot, subsequently to LUL Ruislip depot.
21 October 1990 - Streatham Hill depot Rail Gala Day displays rolling stock old and new; a shuttle service to the nearby station from London Victoria employs celebrity 4-SUB No 4732 and also, very unusually, LT Battery locos topping and tailing a 4-VEP EMU.
25 October 1990 - London Waterloo exhibition celebrates 75 years of 3rd rail electrification south of the Thames.
29 October 1990 - London Tilbury & Southend crackdown on fare evasion begins, travelling ticket inspectors carrying out random checks with the power to issue £10 minimum Penalty Fares on-the-spot; announced on 1 October, the scheme is seen necessary to quell £5m lost annually on the route from fraudulent travel. The scheme will prove to be an overwhelming success - ticketless travel dropping a staggering 90% by Spring 1991 - and is the spur to introduction of similar Penalty Fares regimes on other NSE routes.
1 November 1990 - DoT ‘Transport Statistics for London’ review reports commuting down 15,000 in 1989 compared to 1988 - although still 21% up on 1982 for NSE.
3, 10 and 17 November 1990 - Aylesbury - Milton Keynes Central Saturday Christmas ‘Shoppers Specials’ run for the fourth year, calling at Quainton Road and Winslow on the freight-only route via Clayton to Bletchley.
15 November 1990 - Templecombe re-gains a footbridge; following the enterprise of the local station group, the redundant LBSCR footbridge from Buxted on the Uckfield line is recovered and transported to the Somerset station where it is restored and re-erected, easing considerably access to the platform; the £30,000 scheme is jointly funded by NSE with contributions from various organisations.
19 November 1990 - Class 159 order for 23 3-car DMUs authorised for London Waterloo - Exeter St Davids services from 1992; these will utilise the last 66 Class 158 vehicles originally ordered for Provincial sector plus three new; seen as a more cost-effective solution than the originally-proposed new Class 171 DMU - an air-conditioned version of the Class 165 Networker Turbo - 78 vehicles of which were envisaged; the Class 159s will include various changes over the 158s, including First Class accommodation, and be based at a new purpose-built depot at Salisbury; 158732/7 operated a London Waterloo return special on 15 October for the media and local dignitaries to demonstrate the intended future trains for the route.
21 November 1990 - London Marylebone refurbished station and new IECC both ceremonially opened by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson.
22 November 1990 - Margaret Thatcher resigns after 11½ years as Prime Minister - succeeded on 28 November by John Major, previously Chancellor of the Exchequer.
26 November 1990 - Cecil Parkinson resigns as Secretary of State for Transport - succeeded on 28 November by Malcolm Rifkind.
3 December 1990 - Provincial sector renamed Regional Railways.
10 December 1990 - Bicester North £500,000 refurbishment officially completed.
11 December 1990 - Horsham £320,000 booking hall refurbishment officially completed, the 1938 SR ‘art deco’ building carefully restored.
11 December 1990 - London Waterloo International construction work ceremonially inaugurated by Transport Minister Roger Freeman.
20 December 1990 - Colchester derailment of 312714 rear Driving Trailer whilst working 0556 Clacton - London Liverpool Street.
1 January 1990 - 86401 - the sole-allocated and liveried NSE representative - returned to InterCity sector.
8 January 1990 - Hurst Green - Uckfield resignalled and controlled from Oxted signal box; line singled between Hever - Blackham, Ashurst - Crowborough and Greenhurst - Uckfield; manual boxes at Crowborough, Eridge and Hever closed with Uckfield temporarily reduced to a gate box pending resiting of station (see 13 May 1991).
22 January 1990 - Beckenham Junction buffer stop collision by arriving 4-EPB No 5408 with the 0745 ex-London Bridge - the leading bogie is derailed.
29 January 1990 - London Holborn Viaduct closed after 116 years - last trains on Friday, 26th of the latterly weekday peak-hours-only service - another lost London terminus - to enable deviation of Thameslink route underground through the City with replacement new St Paul’s Thameslink station - both opened 29 May; Holborn Viaduct station site is sold-off for the new Ludgate commercial redevelopment of this prime location - which also enables a multi-£m archaeological dig by the Museum of London to search for ancient artefacts, finds including the underground Fleet River, remains of a former prison and an 11th century 3-person lavatory seat!
31 January 1990 - Great Northern Line wins the Minister of State for Transport’s Cup award for NSE’s highest standards of service punctuality, cleanliness and reliability.
31 January 1990 - London King’s Cross £500,000 concourse refurbishment officially completed.
4 February 1990 - BR annual fares rise averages 9.9% for NSE - again well above inflation - reflecting both the continuing heavy investment programme and Government requirement to reduce taxpayer subsidy to BR.
4 February 1990 - NSE ticket validity changes:
-Singles wholly within NSE now valid for one day only;
-Returns for shorter journeys (up to about 30 miles) continue to be valid for one day only but for longer distances outward journey validity is one day with the return journey to be made within one month.
8 February 1990 - BR announces its intention to introduce Penalty Fares - £10 on-the-spot fines for ticket-less passengers - in an effort to reduce the estimated £50m lost annually due to fraudulent travel through fare-dodging.
12 February 1990 - London Paddington ‘Heathrow Express’ high-speed rail link exhibition at House of Commons formally opened; the £235m cost will be funded by NSE (20%) and British Airports Authority (80%); the Bill for the link is under House of Lords consideration.
14 February 1990 - Chelsea Bridge is damaged by a river vessel forcing introduction of temporary single line working between Clapham Junction - Kensington Olympia.
14 February 1990 - East Ham Class 305/308 empty stock EMU derailment causes track and overhead line damage disrupting London Tilbury & Southend services.
16 February 1990 - BR awards Automatic Train Protection (ATP) pilot scheme development contracts to GEC-GS covering SELCAB for Chiltern Line and ACEC Transport for TBL system on London Paddington - Bristol route.
17-18 February 1990 - Southampton Airport (Eastleigh) ‘Operation Crabstick’ clearance of unearthed wartime bombs requires temporary closure Eastleigh - Southampton with diversions via Salisbury Laverstock loop and special Class 205/207 DEMU shuttles via Fareham/Romsey.
23 February 1990 - Clacton £300,000 refurbishment formally completed.
28 February 1990 - Gipsy Hill derailment by fallen tree of Class 455/8 No 5820 on the 2019 West Croydon - London Victoria - which then hits sister unit No 5802 working the 2006 London Victoria - West Croydon.
15 March 1990 - ‘Three Counties’ route identity/logo introduced for Bletchley - Bedford - Kettering - Corby services; ceremonially unveiled on DMU at Bedford Midland, these trains serve Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, whose county crests form the route logo (see 30 September 1991).
31 March 1990 - BR annual report 1989/90: another year of spectacular growth sees London commuters at a new record 473,000 - NSE now has the leading market share (42%) across the various travel modes; NSE investment is now at around £1m a day.
-- March 1990 - Great Northern Class 317/2 EMUs redeployed on some West Anglia duties.
1 April 1990 - BR Chairman Sir Robert Reid retires after 43 years in the rail industry and his successor Bob Reid is appointed part-time Non-Executive Chairman, becoming full-time Chairman on 1 October 1990.
3 April 1990 - Knebworth £270,000 upgrading officially completed.
5 April 1990 - Class 316 Networker development 4-car overhead test EMU No 316999 officially unveiled at Clacton; formed October 1989 at Derby RTC from three vehicles previously in Class 457 Networker DC test unit No 457001 with addition of pantograph-equipped TSO No 71246 (ex 313034), 316999 contains the three-phase AC drive to be used on the new Class 465 Networkers and is intended as test prototype for Class 331 Networkers planned for London Tilbury & Southend services; 316999 has been resident at Clacton depot since November 1989 and thence employed on test runs over the line to Colchester.
15 April 1990 - Wimbledon new signalling centre opened controlling the immediate Wimbledon area - first stage of the major Waterloo Area Resignalling (WARS).
23 April 1990 - London Marylebone IECC opened controlling first stage of Chiltern Line resignalling covering Great Missenden area; one of the elements of the Total Route Modernisation underway for 1991 completion.
30 April 1990 - Kent Link Networker Total Route Modernisation - Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson gives authority in principle to BR Chairman Sir Bob Reid for platform lengthening at 63 stations to accommodate 12-car Class 465s and for 276 further vehicles for Kent Link (see 31 August 1989).
3 May 1990 - Rainham £672,000 reconstruction officially completed.
4 May 1990 - Roger Freeman replaces Michael Portillo as Minister of State for Public Transport, assuming full responsibilities from the 14th.
6 May 1990 - Hedge End new station opened - on Solent gala day; officially by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson on 9th in conjunction with Solent Link electrification ceremonial opening; full service from new timetable on 14th.
7 May 1990 - Henley-on-Thames branch reopened following closure since 17 April to enable major renewal and repair to Shiplake Thames viaduct.
9 May 1990 - Portsmouth - Southampton and Eastleigh Solent Link electrification ceremonially opened by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson and new BR Chairman Bob Reid, both conveyed by Class 442 No 2402 on the inaugural special from London Waterloo - although their arrival is delayed by a fault on the EMU - replacement No 2409 is provided for the return journey; the line had been energised on 12 March, Solent gala day electric special trains operated on 6 May and timetabled services commenced 14 May.
11 May 1990 - Northampton Line last Up ‘Cobbler’ loco-hauled 0737 Northampton - London Euston fittingly worked by NSE-liveried 86401 ‘Northampton Town’ - Class 321s now booked for all services.
13 May 1990 - NSE Network AwayBreak ticket validity reduced from one month to five days; most NSE First and Standard single and return tickets now valid for one day only.
14 May 1990 - new timetable highlights:
-Chiltern Line: London Marylebone - Aylesbury off peak services doubled to half-hourly frequency plus additional services on the High Wycombe route;
-Great Eastern: Class 321/3s now work Southend Victoria and Southminster services;
-North London Lines: London Liverpool Street - Watford Junction services reduced to single daily peak return - southbound in morning, northbound in evening, due to reduced patronage;
-North London Lines: Harringay Stadium renamed Harringay East;
-Northampton Line: squadron deployment of new Class 321/4 EMUs with peak services also enhanced;
-Solent and Wessex: improved services upon completion of the Portsmouth - Southampton and Eastleigh electrification (see above);
-South London Lines: London Bridge and Victoria off-peak services enhanced up to four per hour;
-Sussex Coast: Southampton - Gatwick Airport and East Croydon new weekday hourly services;
-Thameslink (from 29 May): Luton - Guildford and Orpington/Sevenoaks enhanced services - former replaces those to Purley; six trains per hour now serve Luton in the off-peak;
-West Anglia: London Liverpool Street - King’s Lynn through trains withdrawn - latter now served by DMUs from Cambridge whilst route is electrified - after which King’s Lynn will be served by Great Northern services from London King’s Cross (see 22 August 1992); 47581 worked the last London Liverpool Street - King’s Lynn loco-hauled service on 12 May;
-West Anglia: Stratford - Broxbourne new weekday service introduced;
-other miscellaneous service improvements introduced on the various routes.
18 May 1990 - Channel Tunnel rail infrastructure works authorised by DoT - Waterloo International station (£98.5m), North Pole Eurostar depot (£75.7m), Tonbridge - Redhill electrification plus 20 new Class 92 locomotives (£80m).
24 May 1990 - 321366 is formally handed over to NSE at BREL York - the last of 114 Class 321 EMUs built since 1988 - 72 for Anglia Electrics (321301-72) and 42 for Northampton Line (321401-42).
24 May 1990 - Chiltern Line new £4m Aylesbury depot construction inaugurated - base for the fleet of Class 165 Networker Turbo DMUs being delivered from 1991 under the Total Route Modernisation.
24 May 1990 - Great Missenden, Stoke Mandeville and Wendover refurbishments officially completed at £1m overall total cost.
25 May 1990 - 203001 - the final Hastings DEMU in service - is withdrawn after performing last duties on the Ashford - Hastings Marsh Link.
27-28 May 1990 - Southend air show is again sponsored by NSE - the free event takes place along the sea front and includes the RAF Red Arrows, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Vulcan amongst many other popular display aircraft.
29 May 1990 - Thameslink Blackfriars - Farringdon deviation opened including new - albeit partially finished - St Paul’s Thameslink station, which replaces nearby London Holborn Viaduct (closed 29 January); the existing route was closed from 12 May to enable completion of the new deviation - and also allowing the railway bridge over Ludgate Circus to be removed on the 13th, restoring the unimpeded views of St Paul’s Cathedral from a century earlier!
-- May 1990 - ‘Solent and Wessex’ (three yachts) new route identity/logo introduced.
4 June 1990 - Kettering - Corby passenger services withdrawn and the latter station closed again after just over three years experimental reopening; follows withdrawal of subsidy from Corby District Council after poor patronage of trains, the last of which ran on 2 June.
Note: Services were again revived by East Midlands Trains on 23 February 2009 when Corby reopened for a second time; through trains to London St Pancras catered for - and fostered - much greater demand.
11 June 1990 - NSE celebrates its 4th birthday at London Cannon Street, where the £700,000 refurbished concourse is officially opened - completing the first phase of redevelopment which also includes the new £90m Cannon Bridge office complex being built above the station. With new Transport Minister Roger Freeman in attendance, Chris Green revealed that in the last four years NSE has doubled annual investment - running at the rate of £1m daily - with 700 new coaches delivered, and a similar number to follow in the next three years including the new Class 465 Networkers for Kent Link; 90 stations have been rebuilt and another 250 modernised - with all 942 cleaned, painted and NSE branding applied; daily commuters are up from 421,000 in 1986 to a record 473,000.
The same day at Selhurst depot Chris completes repaint of the final blue/grey Class 455/7 EMUs No 5734/9 into NSE livery - the last in the fleet of 2,288 sliding-door coaches to receive the new colours.
14 June 1990 - Government rejects BR/Eurorail proposals for a £2.6bn Channel Tunnel high-speed rail link as too big a risk for the taxpayer; revised proposals are requested which BR could finance itself.
29 June 1990 - BR announces the five regions are to be abolished over the next two years with each business sector assuming direct responsibility for the costs of the track on which they are ‘prime user’ together with associated ownership of assets and manpower to operate train services - the major restructuring is named ‘Organising for Quality’ (OfQ); NSE sub-sectors to be reformed into nine Divisions (profit centres): Great Eastern, London Tilbury & Southend, North, South Central, South East, South West, Thames & Chiltern, Thameslink and West Anglia (see 1 April 1991).
30 June 1990 - Class 307 EMUs bow out of service after 34 years when 307108/29 operate a Southend Victoria - London Liverpool Street farewell special; 32 units had originally been built, equipped for 1500v DC but converted for AC use in 1960-1, and were latterly seen off by new Class 321s; some 307s are however despatched to West Yorkshire for several years more service.
2 July 1990 - London Waterloo new Platforms 12 and 13 into use, on the site of the former cab road, enabling Nos 16-18 to be closed with existing Platforms 12-15 renumbered 14-17; all in connection with remodelling required for the new London Waterloo International terminal.
2 July 1990 - London Liverpool Street - Southend Victoria Class 315 EMU DOO introduced.
11-15 July 1990 - NSE sponsors first International Flower Show held at Hampton Court Palace; the nearby station is refurbished accordingly with floral themes and benefits from enhanced services from London Waterloo - including some premium specials ‘The Tudor Rose’ formed of refurbished 4-CIG EMUs with gardening personality aboard plus drinks and canapés served! NSE has its own ‘railway garden’ at the show, featuring a live steam/electric Gauge 1 line. The show proves an outstanding success; brilliant sunshine throughout brings in 100,000 visitors over the five days of which no less than 70% travel by train - well above the 50% forecast.
12 July 1990 - Thames Line last booked Class 50 working, ousted by Class 47s - the former locomotives now concentrated at Plymouth Laira depot for West of England services out of London Waterloo - although continuing availability problems often necessitate Class 47s substituting on latter Class 50 duties.
16 July 1990 - Hornsey depot collision between 317330 and 317344 severely damages Driving Trailer Nos 77077 and 77043 from each EMU respectively and also injures one of the Drivers.
18-28 July 1990 - King’s Lynn 40th Festival of Music and the Arts sponsored by NSE.
20 July 1990 - 322481 first of five Class 322 EMUs for Stansted Express delivered from BREL York in a ceremonial high-speed run to London King’s Cross, achieved in 123.5min net with a 112mph maximum; this and the other ‘322s are put into service during 1990 on existing London Liverpool Street - Cambridge services awaiting opening of the Stansted Airport branch (see 19 March 1991).
21-22 and 28-29 July 1990 - LT Harrow-on-the-Hill - Amersham ‘Steam on the Met’ specials employ NSE London Tilbury & Southend EMU No 305513 as hauled stock.
31 July 1990 - Newbury £664,000 refurbishment ceremonially completed.
1 August 1990 - Reading platform 4A collision between arriving 0701 ex-Tonbridge DMU (Class 119 set L576 - vehicle 51062 leading) and waiting 0923 departure (4-VEP 3508+4 CIG 1304) to London Waterloo traps Driver of the former train; 40 injured or suffered shock; cause - signal passed at danger.
29 August 1990 - Ash Vale Junction derailment of 4-CIG 1221 working the 1855 Guildford - Ascot.
18 September 1990 - London Liverpool Street roof restoration completed in final ‘golden-bolt’ ceremony performed by Chris Green; the magnificently restored lofty iron and glass 1875 trainshed - with new extension to identical design - forms a key part of the station restoration and redevelopment currently underway.
18 September 1990 - Twyford £520,000 refurbishment officially completed.
22 September-8 October 1990 - London Marylebone temporary closure for remodelling/resignalling from the new IECC located at the terminus, as part of the Chiltern Line Total Route Modernisation.
26 September 1990 - Bacons Yard rail bridge - located between London Bridge and South Bermondsey - £400,000 modernisation commences.
29 September 1990 - Stansted renamed Stansted Mountfitchet in recognition of - and to avoid any possible confusion with - new Stansted Airport station due imminent opening (see 19 March 1991).
29 September 1990 - Cambridge second annual gala day with maintenance depot open to visitors plus displays at King’s Lynn; specials are operated over the normally freight only Fen Drayton (former St Ives) branch and loco-hauled trains Stratford - Enfield Town via Seven Sisters.
30 September 1990 - London Waterloo signal box (opened by the SR in 1936, but with new panel from 5 February 1984) closed and replaced by temporary signal box in connection with resignalling/remodelling stageworks to accommodate the new London Waterloo International terminal (see 2 April 1991).
1 October 1990 - BR Chairman Sir Bob Reid takes over post full time after being part-time Non-Executive Chairman since 1 April; he was Knighted in the Birthday Honours List, announced on 15 June.
1 October 1990 - London Travelcard new Zone 6 introduced by sub-division of existing Zone 5.
1 October 1990 - West Anglia Classes 315/321/322 EMU DOO introduced.
1 October 1990 - South Western Lines - BR instructs independent inquiry to investigate introduction of DOO on all sliding-door trains following delays in implementation - planned for this summer - due to Trades Union non-cooperation over safety fears.
Note: DOO is in the event never introduced, South Western Trains services remaining Driver and Guard operated to date (2011).
3 October 1990 - Oxford £3.5m reconstructed station official completion ceremony; the new buildings have been in use since 8 April; a new footbridge has replaced the subway.
4 October 1990 - BR Public Service Obligation subsidy increase of 20% announced - the first for eight years - the April 1990-March 1991 grant to be £600m compared to £504m the year previously, to cover new safety equipments on NSE and Provincial.
8 October 1990 - Weybridge £300,000 rebuilt road level buildings officially opened (see 5 January 1987).
9 October 1990 - Crossrail £1.5bn London Liverpool Street - Paddington main line tunnel link approval announced by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson in a speech to the Conservative Party annual conference in Bournemouth.
12 October 1990 - Thameslink Class 319/1 first new EMU 319161 delivered from BREL York to Selhurst depot; the unit was unveiled to the media on the 23rd and entered service the following day; delivery of all 26 completed in March 1991.
18 October 1990 - Island Line - five vehicles of withdrawn Class 485/486 EMU ex-LT stock returned to their original owners for preservation, travelling from Fratton depot up the Portsmouth Direct line to Wimbledon depot, subsequently to LUL Ruislip depot.
21 October 1990 - Streatham Hill depot Rail Gala Day displays rolling stock old and new; a shuttle service to the nearby station from London Victoria employs celebrity 4-SUB No 4732 and also, very unusually, LT Battery locos topping and tailing a 4-VEP EMU.
25 October 1990 - London Waterloo exhibition celebrates 75 years of 3rd rail electrification south of the Thames.
29 October 1990 - London Tilbury & Southend crackdown on fare evasion begins, travelling ticket inspectors carrying out random checks with the power to issue £10 minimum Penalty Fares on-the-spot; announced on 1 October, the scheme is seen necessary to quell £5m lost annually on the route from fraudulent travel. The scheme will prove to be an overwhelming success - ticketless travel dropping a staggering 90% by Spring 1991 - and is the spur to introduction of similar Penalty Fares regimes on other NSE routes.
1 November 1990 - DoT ‘Transport Statistics for London’ review reports commuting down 15,000 in 1989 compared to 1988 - although still 21% up on 1982 for NSE.
3, 10 and 17 November 1990 - Aylesbury - Milton Keynes Central Saturday Christmas ‘Shoppers Specials’ run for the fourth year, calling at Quainton Road and Winslow on the freight-only route via Clayton to Bletchley.
15 November 1990 - Templecombe re-gains a footbridge; following the enterprise of the local station group, the redundant LBSCR footbridge from Buxted on the Uckfield line is recovered and transported to the Somerset station where it is restored and re-erected, easing considerably access to the platform; the £30,000 scheme is jointly funded by NSE with contributions from various organisations.
19 November 1990 - Class 159 order for 23 3-car DMUs authorised for London Waterloo - Exeter St Davids services from 1992; these will utilise the last 66 Class 158 vehicles originally ordered for Provincial sector plus three new; seen as a more cost-effective solution than the originally-proposed new Class 171 DMU - an air-conditioned version of the Class 165 Networker Turbo - 78 vehicles of which were envisaged; the Class 159s will include various changes over the 158s, including First Class accommodation, and be based at a new purpose-built depot at Salisbury; 158732/7 operated a London Waterloo return special on 15 October for the media and local dignitaries to demonstrate the intended future trains for the route.
21 November 1990 - London Marylebone refurbished station and new IECC both ceremonially opened by Transport Secretary Cecil Parkinson.
22 November 1990 - Margaret Thatcher resigns after 11½ years as Prime Minister - succeeded on 28 November by John Major, previously Chancellor of the Exchequer.
26 November 1990 - Cecil Parkinson resigns as Secretary of State for Transport - succeeded on 28 November by Malcolm Rifkind.
3 December 1990 - Provincial sector renamed Regional Railways.
10 December 1990 - Bicester North £500,000 refurbishment officially completed.
11 December 1990 - Horsham £320,000 booking hall refurbishment officially completed, the 1938 SR ‘art deco’ building carefully restored.
11 December 1990 - London Waterloo International construction work ceremonially inaugurated by Transport Minister Roger Freeman.
20 December 1990 - Colchester derailment of 312714 rear Driving Trailer whilst working 0556 Clacton - London Liverpool Street.