THE NETWORK SOUTHEAST ACHIEVEMENT
A CHRONOLOGY OF 12 YEARS FORWARD PROGRESS AND DELIVERY, 1982 - 1994
compiled by John P McCrickard.
January - December 1992
6 January 1992 - John Nelson takes over from Chris Green as NSE Managing Director; John was previously General Manager, Eastern Region and Director, InterCity East Coast; Chris becomes Managing Director, InterCity.
12 January 1992 - Southampton Docks last NSE boat train; InterCity takes over these services.
20 January 1992 - Chiltern Line Networker Turbo full service introduced on High Wycombe line - delayed from 30 September thence 28 October 1991 due to late deliveries of Class 165s; improvements include doubling of London Marylebone - Banbury off peak frequency to hourly with significant journey time savings.
20 January 1992 - South Central penalty fares scheme introduced, the second on NSE following the success of the London Tilbury & Southend pilot, which generated £4m increased ticket sales in the first year of operation; fraudulent travel was costing NSE £35m annually.
27 January 1992 - London Tilbury & Southend satellite data broadcasting six-month trial inaugurated at London Fenchurch Street; the system provides faster transmission to station customer information screens along the route.
30 January 1992 - Victoria Place development - built over the Central Division platforms at London Victoria - completion officially marked by visit of Lord Mayor of Westminster.
4 March 1992 - BR ‘Passenger’s Charter’ unveiled, providing for the first time automatic compensation for train delays. Meeting the Government’s ‘Citizen’s Charter’ initiative to improve levels of public service - launched by Prime Minister John Major on 22 July 1991 - BR’s charter proves an important spur to improving performance on many NSE routes in the succeeding years.
16 March 1992 - Kent Coast penalty fares scheme introduced.
16 March 1992 - Westbourne Park closed to enable London Paddington remodelling/resignalling and due to low patronage not justifying a replacement station; the adjacent LT Hammersmith & City Line platforms remain open.
19 March 1992 - Tottenham Hale £1.8m revamp formally completed, providing improved interchange for passengers with Stansted Express services.
31 March 1992 - Class 465/1 Networker 47 4-car EMUs authorised (465151-97); 10 April 1992 announced that contract awarded to BREL York.
1 April 1992 - Slade Green depot first Networker 465202 delivered.
4 April-11 May 1992 - Ely area major remodelling/resignalling in advance of electrification; now controlled from Cambridge PSB with manual boxes at Chettisham, Ely Dock Junction, Ely North Junction, Ely Station North and Soham closed; extensive line blockades required together with temporary station at Chettisham as railhead for replacement road coach services.
6 April 1992 - ‘Network SouthEast 2000’ (aka ‘Network 2000’) reorganisation under BR Organising for Quality (OfQ) completed with abolition of the London Midland Region the previous day - last of the regions dating from creation of BR upon nationalisation on 1 January 1948 - superseded by new NSE North and Thameslink Divisions (profit centres) (see 29 June 1990 and 1 April 1991).
9 April 1992 - General Election re-elects Conservative Government with 21 seat majority, John Major continues as Prime Minister.
11 April 1992 - John MacGregor is appointed as the new Secretary of State for Transport replacing Malcolm Rifkind; MacGregor stays in post until 20 July 1994, succeeded then by Brian Mawhinney.
13 April 1992 - Thames Line Networker Turbos enter service - 165029/31 performing the honours.
25 April 1992 - Aylesbury £1m station modernisation and refurbishment formally completed in a ceremony which also marks conclusion of the Chiltern Lines Total Route Modernisation, now substantially finished; these achievements are celebrated by a rail gala day with various events around the station, including locomotive and rolling stock exhibition plus tours around the new Aylesbury train depot.
27 April-5 May 1992 - Crossrail Class 341 Networker-based EMU mock-up displayed at London Liverpool Street station.
6 May 1992 - BR privatisation bill announced in Queen’s Speech at the State opening of Parliament.
11 May 1992 - new timetable includes redeployment of Class 442 ‘Wessex Electrics’ on some London Waterloo - Portsmouth services.
11 May 1992 - ‘Track Record’ train performance displays introduced at stations; updated monthly, they fulfil a commitment of the BR Passenger’s Charter.
20 May 1992 - Leighton Buzzard new station buildings ceremonially opened by the Marchioness of Tavistock.
24 May 1992 - Class 50s end regular passenger services, 50007 and D400 (50050) working the 1655 London Waterloo - Exeter forward from Salisbury.
24-25 May 1992 - Southend air show sponsored by NSE for a further year.
30 May-7 June 1992 - ‘Ashford 150’ celebrations of 150 years of railways serving the town culminate with an open weekend at Chart Leacon depot (6/7th).
1 June-3 August 1992 - Networker 465209 Driving Motor vehicles (65708/58) displayed in the National Railway Museum, York as part of the ‘Today and Tomorrow’ exhibition.
28 June 1992 - Thameslink and Midland Main Line InterCity services thrown into chaos by a fire at West Hampstead PSB - Kentish Town relay room which disables the key junction here together with all signalling through to London King’s Cross Thameslink. The blaze is due to suspected arson, causing over £1m damage. Through the valiant efforts of staff, it is possible to quickly institute temporary signalling arrangements, allowing restoration of most services within weeks, although full normal working is not finally restored until 5 September 1993 when replacement equipment is commissioned.
-- June 1992 - Grove Park new Networker stabling sidings - Bramdean (Down side) and St Mildreds (Up side) - officially opened by John Nelson.
3 July 1992 - Thames Line last loco-hauled service, the 1747 London Paddington - Westbury, specially double-headed by 47701/423 to mark the occasion; ousted by new Class 165 Networker Turbos.
7 July 1992 - South Western Division reduces many peak workings from eight to four cars following an 8% drop in traffic due to the recession; London Waterloo - Exeter formations are cut from nine to eight coaches.
9-12 July 1992 - NSE sponsors third International Flower Show at Hampton Court Palace following the success of the 1990/1 events - with similar augmented train services provided for visitors.
14 July 1992 - Government publishes White Paper on plans to privatise BR.
20 July 1992 - Watlington Up platform relocated from south to north side of level crossing.
28 July 1992 - Her Majesty the Queen Mother visits the renovated King’s Lynn station and names 317361 King’s Lynn Festival marking imminent inauguration of electric services (from 22 August).
28 July 1992 - Union Railways company established to build the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
29 July 1992 - Chiltern Line use of Modernisation Plan Class 115 DMUs ends after 32 years hard work on services out of London Marylebone; the 1911 to Aylesbury and 2045 return both carry commemorative headboards as the final ‘115 services.
31 July 1992 - 159002 (still numbered 158874 and yet to be converted to full Class 159 configuration) operates a special to London Waterloo conveying MD John Nelson after a morning inspection of progress on the new Salisbury train depot.
3 August 1992 - Salisbury new Class 159 depot first track section ceremonially laid (see 12 October 1992).
8 August-6 September 1992 - Waterloo & City line temporarily closed for signalling and power supply work as part of Total Route Modernisation; this had been intended as the completion with introduction of new signalling and Class 482 EMUs but various delays including late delivery of the new trains put this back to 1993.
11 August 1992 - Networker EMU first passenger working - 465004/1 operate a press run from London Cannon Street to Sevenoaks.
19 August 1992 - East Croydon new steel/glass ticket hall officially opened, showpiece culmination of a major £9m upgrade of this key South London hub.
22 August 1992 - Cambridge - King’s Lynn electrified services inaugurated; 24 August - through trains to London King’s Cross begin, an improved timetable cutting 40 minutes off the previous fastest schedule from King’s Lynn, now 100 minutes.
7 September 1992 - Farnham £150,000 refurbishment formally completed.
8 September 1992 - Imberhorne viaduct at East Grinstead donated by NSE to the Bluebell Railway to assist its bid to restore the link into the town from the present northern terminus at Kingscote.
11 September 1992 - ‘West Country’ class locomotive 34027 Taw Valley operates the first steam train out of London Waterloo for over 25 years when it hauls a special to Bournemouth to mark the 25th anniversary of the route’s electrification in 1967.
12-13 September 1992 - Class 71 No E5001 (71001) works its first passenger trains in preservation, London Waterloo - Bournemouth specials in connection with an open weekend at the latter depot.
16 September 1992 - London Waterloo East nominated Capital’s worst station by London Regional Passengers’ Committee, with no waiting areas or toilets; NSE takes instant action with cleaning and restoration of facilities underway the next day!
27 September 1992 - BRML Eastleigh open day.
28 September 1992 - new timetable highlights:
-Woking - London Heathrow RailAir link re-launched with faster enhanced frequency services using air conditioned coaches;
-London Liverpool Street - Watford Junction last remaining peak services withdrawn and Primrose Hill station closed, last trains 25 September*; Graham Road curve also closed - only opened 30 June 1986 for this service, in partial replacement of London Broad Street station closed at the same time;
*due to flooding of the Primrose Hill DC line tunnels, the last trains had actually called at Primrose Hill on 18th (southbound) and 22nd (northbound), diverted subsequently via Hampstead Heath until the final services on the 25th.
-Handborough renamed Hanborough;
-Lower Edmonton renamed Edmonton Green.
4 October 1992 - Stratford-upon-Avon sees its first Networker Turbo passenger working, 165038/22/28 on a charter from London Paddington.
12 October 1992 - Salisbury new train depot for Class 159 South Western Turbo DMUs first stage into use (see 11 June 1993).
13 October 1992 - Kent Link Networker EMUs quietly enter public service, over 6 months late after various delays following trials and testing - 465214/5 performing the honours.
19 October 1992 - Great Eastern and West Anglia penalty fares schemes introduced.
22 October 1992 - Slough New IECC opened with first stage covering London Paddington as part of ongoing resignalling/remodelling there.
12 November 1992 - £150m new grant for train leasing announced in Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement; ultimately used to procure new Class 465/3 (later 365) ‘Networker Express’ EMUs (see 13 October 1993).
16 November 1992 - Chichester - Warblington resignalling, controlled from Chichester signal box with Black Boy Lane, Bosham, Brook Lane, Clay Lane, Drift Lane, Fishbourne Crossing and Southbourne signal/gate boxes closed and level crossings modernised to barrier operation.
30 November 1992 - Tilbury Riverside closed due to declining usage.
-- November 1992 - London Victoria new £7m Victoria Island retail development opened.
1 December 1992 - Kent Link Networker services officially launched at London Cannon Street by Transport Sectretary John MacGregor.
9 December 1992 - 165137 - last of 76 Networker Turbo 2/3-car DMUs for Thames & Chiltern - handed over to NSE in ceremony at ABB York.
14 December 1992 - Slade Green new Networker maintenance depot fully commissioned and signalling control room opened.
14 December 1992 - Thameslink penalty fares scheme introduced on routes north of the Thames from London Bridge and Tulse Hill.
12 January 1992 - Southampton Docks last NSE boat train; InterCity takes over these services.
20 January 1992 - Chiltern Line Networker Turbo full service introduced on High Wycombe line - delayed from 30 September thence 28 October 1991 due to late deliveries of Class 165s; improvements include doubling of London Marylebone - Banbury off peak frequency to hourly with significant journey time savings.
20 January 1992 - South Central penalty fares scheme introduced, the second on NSE following the success of the London Tilbury & Southend pilot, which generated £4m increased ticket sales in the first year of operation; fraudulent travel was costing NSE £35m annually.
27 January 1992 - London Tilbury & Southend satellite data broadcasting six-month trial inaugurated at London Fenchurch Street; the system provides faster transmission to station customer information screens along the route.
30 January 1992 - Victoria Place development - built over the Central Division platforms at London Victoria - completion officially marked by visit of Lord Mayor of Westminster.
4 March 1992 - BR ‘Passenger’s Charter’ unveiled, providing for the first time automatic compensation for train delays. Meeting the Government’s ‘Citizen’s Charter’ initiative to improve levels of public service - launched by Prime Minister John Major on 22 July 1991 - BR’s charter proves an important spur to improving performance on many NSE routes in the succeeding years.
16 March 1992 - Kent Coast penalty fares scheme introduced.
16 March 1992 - Westbourne Park closed to enable London Paddington remodelling/resignalling and due to low patronage not justifying a replacement station; the adjacent LT Hammersmith & City Line platforms remain open.
19 March 1992 - Tottenham Hale £1.8m revamp formally completed, providing improved interchange for passengers with Stansted Express services.
31 March 1992 - Class 465/1 Networker 47 4-car EMUs authorised (465151-97); 10 April 1992 announced that contract awarded to BREL York.
1 April 1992 - Slade Green depot first Networker 465202 delivered.
4 April-11 May 1992 - Ely area major remodelling/resignalling in advance of electrification; now controlled from Cambridge PSB with manual boxes at Chettisham, Ely Dock Junction, Ely North Junction, Ely Station North and Soham closed; extensive line blockades required together with temporary station at Chettisham as railhead for replacement road coach services.
6 April 1992 - ‘Network SouthEast 2000’ (aka ‘Network 2000’) reorganisation under BR Organising for Quality (OfQ) completed with abolition of the London Midland Region the previous day - last of the regions dating from creation of BR upon nationalisation on 1 January 1948 - superseded by new NSE North and Thameslink Divisions (profit centres) (see 29 June 1990 and 1 April 1991).
9 April 1992 - General Election re-elects Conservative Government with 21 seat majority, John Major continues as Prime Minister.
11 April 1992 - John MacGregor is appointed as the new Secretary of State for Transport replacing Malcolm Rifkind; MacGregor stays in post until 20 July 1994, succeeded then by Brian Mawhinney.
13 April 1992 - Thames Line Networker Turbos enter service - 165029/31 performing the honours.
25 April 1992 - Aylesbury £1m station modernisation and refurbishment formally completed in a ceremony which also marks conclusion of the Chiltern Lines Total Route Modernisation, now substantially finished; these achievements are celebrated by a rail gala day with various events around the station, including locomotive and rolling stock exhibition plus tours around the new Aylesbury train depot.
27 April-5 May 1992 - Crossrail Class 341 Networker-based EMU mock-up displayed at London Liverpool Street station.
6 May 1992 - BR privatisation bill announced in Queen’s Speech at the State opening of Parliament.
11 May 1992 - new timetable includes redeployment of Class 442 ‘Wessex Electrics’ on some London Waterloo - Portsmouth services.
11 May 1992 - ‘Track Record’ train performance displays introduced at stations; updated monthly, they fulfil a commitment of the BR Passenger’s Charter.
20 May 1992 - Leighton Buzzard new station buildings ceremonially opened by the Marchioness of Tavistock.
24 May 1992 - Class 50s end regular passenger services, 50007 and D400 (50050) working the 1655 London Waterloo - Exeter forward from Salisbury.
24-25 May 1992 - Southend air show sponsored by NSE for a further year.
30 May-7 June 1992 - ‘Ashford 150’ celebrations of 150 years of railways serving the town culminate with an open weekend at Chart Leacon depot (6/7th).
1 June-3 August 1992 - Networker 465209 Driving Motor vehicles (65708/58) displayed in the National Railway Museum, York as part of the ‘Today and Tomorrow’ exhibition.
28 June 1992 - Thameslink and Midland Main Line InterCity services thrown into chaos by a fire at West Hampstead PSB - Kentish Town relay room which disables the key junction here together with all signalling through to London King’s Cross Thameslink. The blaze is due to suspected arson, causing over £1m damage. Through the valiant efforts of staff, it is possible to quickly institute temporary signalling arrangements, allowing restoration of most services within weeks, although full normal working is not finally restored until 5 September 1993 when replacement equipment is commissioned.
-- June 1992 - Grove Park new Networker stabling sidings - Bramdean (Down side) and St Mildreds (Up side) - officially opened by John Nelson.
3 July 1992 - Thames Line last loco-hauled service, the 1747 London Paddington - Westbury, specially double-headed by 47701/423 to mark the occasion; ousted by new Class 165 Networker Turbos.
7 July 1992 - South Western Division reduces many peak workings from eight to four cars following an 8% drop in traffic due to the recession; London Waterloo - Exeter formations are cut from nine to eight coaches.
9-12 July 1992 - NSE sponsors third International Flower Show at Hampton Court Palace following the success of the 1990/1 events - with similar augmented train services provided for visitors.
14 July 1992 - Government publishes White Paper on plans to privatise BR.
20 July 1992 - Watlington Up platform relocated from south to north side of level crossing.
28 July 1992 - Her Majesty the Queen Mother visits the renovated King’s Lynn station and names 317361 King’s Lynn Festival marking imminent inauguration of electric services (from 22 August).
28 July 1992 - Union Railways company established to build the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
29 July 1992 - Chiltern Line use of Modernisation Plan Class 115 DMUs ends after 32 years hard work on services out of London Marylebone; the 1911 to Aylesbury and 2045 return both carry commemorative headboards as the final ‘115 services.
31 July 1992 - 159002 (still numbered 158874 and yet to be converted to full Class 159 configuration) operates a special to London Waterloo conveying MD John Nelson after a morning inspection of progress on the new Salisbury train depot.
3 August 1992 - Salisbury new Class 159 depot first track section ceremonially laid (see 12 October 1992).
8 August-6 September 1992 - Waterloo & City line temporarily closed for signalling and power supply work as part of Total Route Modernisation; this had been intended as the completion with introduction of new signalling and Class 482 EMUs but various delays including late delivery of the new trains put this back to 1993.
11 August 1992 - Networker EMU first passenger working - 465004/1 operate a press run from London Cannon Street to Sevenoaks.
19 August 1992 - East Croydon new steel/glass ticket hall officially opened, showpiece culmination of a major £9m upgrade of this key South London hub.
22 August 1992 - Cambridge - King’s Lynn electrified services inaugurated; 24 August - through trains to London King’s Cross begin, an improved timetable cutting 40 minutes off the previous fastest schedule from King’s Lynn, now 100 minutes.
7 September 1992 - Farnham £150,000 refurbishment formally completed.
8 September 1992 - Imberhorne viaduct at East Grinstead donated by NSE to the Bluebell Railway to assist its bid to restore the link into the town from the present northern terminus at Kingscote.
11 September 1992 - ‘West Country’ class locomotive 34027 Taw Valley operates the first steam train out of London Waterloo for over 25 years when it hauls a special to Bournemouth to mark the 25th anniversary of the route’s electrification in 1967.
12-13 September 1992 - Class 71 No E5001 (71001) works its first passenger trains in preservation, London Waterloo - Bournemouth specials in connection with an open weekend at the latter depot.
16 September 1992 - London Waterloo East nominated Capital’s worst station by London Regional Passengers’ Committee, with no waiting areas or toilets; NSE takes instant action with cleaning and restoration of facilities underway the next day!
27 September 1992 - BRML Eastleigh open day.
28 September 1992 - new timetable highlights:
-Woking - London Heathrow RailAir link re-launched with faster enhanced frequency services using air conditioned coaches;
-London Liverpool Street - Watford Junction last remaining peak services withdrawn and Primrose Hill station closed, last trains 25 September*; Graham Road curve also closed - only opened 30 June 1986 for this service, in partial replacement of London Broad Street station closed at the same time;
*due to flooding of the Primrose Hill DC line tunnels, the last trains had actually called at Primrose Hill on 18th (southbound) and 22nd (northbound), diverted subsequently via Hampstead Heath until the final services on the 25th.
-Handborough renamed Hanborough;
-Lower Edmonton renamed Edmonton Green.
4 October 1992 - Stratford-upon-Avon sees its first Networker Turbo passenger working, 165038/22/28 on a charter from London Paddington.
12 October 1992 - Salisbury new train depot for Class 159 South Western Turbo DMUs first stage into use (see 11 June 1993).
13 October 1992 - Kent Link Networker EMUs quietly enter public service, over 6 months late after various delays following trials and testing - 465214/5 performing the honours.
19 October 1992 - Great Eastern and West Anglia penalty fares schemes introduced.
22 October 1992 - Slough New IECC opened with first stage covering London Paddington as part of ongoing resignalling/remodelling there.
12 November 1992 - £150m new grant for train leasing announced in Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement; ultimately used to procure new Class 465/3 (later 365) ‘Networker Express’ EMUs (see 13 October 1993).
16 November 1992 - Chichester - Warblington resignalling, controlled from Chichester signal box with Black Boy Lane, Bosham, Brook Lane, Clay Lane, Drift Lane, Fishbourne Crossing and Southbourne signal/gate boxes closed and level crossings modernised to barrier operation.
30 November 1992 - Tilbury Riverside closed due to declining usage.
-- November 1992 - London Victoria new £7m Victoria Island retail development opened.
1 December 1992 - Kent Link Networker services officially launched at London Cannon Street by Transport Sectretary John MacGregor.
9 December 1992 - 165137 - last of 76 Networker Turbo 2/3-car DMUs for Thames & Chiltern - handed over to NSE in ceremony at ABB York.
14 December 1992 - Slade Green new Networker maintenance depot fully commissioned and signalling control room opened.
14 December 1992 - Thameslink penalty fares scheme introduced on routes north of the Thames from London Bridge and Tulse Hill.