THE NETWORK SOUTHEAST ACHIEVEMENT
A CHRONOLOGY OF 12 YEARS FORWARD PROGRESS AND DELIVERY, 1982 - 1994
compiled by John P McCrickard.
January to April 1994
17 January 1994 (week commencing) - Class 465/1 Networker EMUs enter service on South Eastern Division.
22 January 1994 - Great Eastern Class 309 ‘Clacton’ EMUs bow-out of service after 31 years; the popular trains are replaced by new Class 321/3 EMUs - but some Class 309s are redeployed for further service with Regional Railways North West.
22 January 1994 - NSE last two Class 4-TCs, Nos 410/7, make their final outing; used since 1991 for Premier Charter duties, the pair had been returned to original BR blue livery, as delivered in 1966 for the Bournemouth electrification.
24 January 1994 - Channel Tunnel Rail Link route and London St Pancras international terminal confirmed in House of Commons statement; London King’s Cross International bill withdrawn accordingly; Thameslink 2000 to use existing Thameslink route, suitably upgraded (see 16 March 1993).
26 March 1994 - London Bridge - Brighton high-speed special achieves new record 37min 57sec timing with 319008/9 - named Cheriton and Coquelles, respectively, on the day to commemorate their 10 December 1993 trip through the Channel Tunnel.
31 March 1994 - NSE last day; the final two years have been marked by record punctuality levels, achieved under the stimulus of BR’s Passenger’s Charter, with the London Tilbury & Southend route the most significant improver. Outgoing NSE Managing Director John Nelson affirms, however, that improvements can only be maintained with continuing investment - and cooperation with Railtrack, the network’s new infrastructure owner from the following day.
31 March 1994 - BR annual report 1993/4: NSE achieves best ever overall performance - with an operating profit of £71m - a fine tribute to the sector in its last year!
31 March 1994 - Kent Link 4-EPB 5176 turned-out in BR blue - one of three unrefurbished remaining at Slade Green, the other two also in retro liveries - 5001 in green and 5196 in blue/grey.
1 April 1994 - Railways Act for rail privatisation takes effect: BR rail infrastructure transferred to the ownership of new company Railtrack; business sectors abolished with 25 new Train Operating Units (TOUs) established covering passenger services - all still owned by BR, but ready for franchising to the private sector as Train Operating Companies; NSE’s nine Divisions reformed into 11 TOUs - and subsequently privatised as detailed:
-Chiltern Line - Chiltern Railways (franchise commenced 21 July 1996)
-Great Eastern - First Great Eastern (5 January 1997)
-Isle of Wight - Island Line (13 October 1996)
-London Tilbury Southend Rail - c2c (26 May 1996)
-Network South Central - Connex South Central (26 May 1996)
-North London Railways - Silverlink (2 March 1997)
-South Eastern - Connex South Eastern (13 October 1996)
-South West Trains - South West Trains (4 February 1996)
-Thames Trains - Thames Trains (13 October 1996)
-Thameslink - Thameslink (2 March 1997)
-West Anglia and Great Northern - WAGN Railways (5 January 1997).
1 April 1994 - Waterloo & City Line transferred to London Underground; closed for staff training over the Easter weekend, reopening on 5 April 1994 under the new owners, managed as part of the Central Line.
JohnPMcCrickard/WED8JUN2011
22 January 1994 - Great Eastern Class 309 ‘Clacton’ EMUs bow-out of service after 31 years; the popular trains are replaced by new Class 321/3 EMUs - but some Class 309s are redeployed for further service with Regional Railways North West.
22 January 1994 - NSE last two Class 4-TCs, Nos 410/7, make their final outing; used since 1991 for Premier Charter duties, the pair had been returned to original BR blue livery, as delivered in 1966 for the Bournemouth electrification.
24 January 1994 - Channel Tunnel Rail Link route and London St Pancras international terminal confirmed in House of Commons statement; London King’s Cross International bill withdrawn accordingly; Thameslink 2000 to use existing Thameslink route, suitably upgraded (see 16 March 1993).
26 March 1994 - London Bridge - Brighton high-speed special achieves new record 37min 57sec timing with 319008/9 - named Cheriton and Coquelles, respectively, on the day to commemorate their 10 December 1993 trip through the Channel Tunnel.
31 March 1994 - NSE last day; the final two years have been marked by record punctuality levels, achieved under the stimulus of BR’s Passenger’s Charter, with the London Tilbury & Southend route the most significant improver. Outgoing NSE Managing Director John Nelson affirms, however, that improvements can only be maintained with continuing investment - and cooperation with Railtrack, the network’s new infrastructure owner from the following day.
31 March 1994 - BR annual report 1993/4: NSE achieves best ever overall performance - with an operating profit of £71m - a fine tribute to the sector in its last year!
31 March 1994 - Kent Link 4-EPB 5176 turned-out in BR blue - one of three unrefurbished remaining at Slade Green, the other two also in retro liveries - 5001 in green and 5196 in blue/grey.
1 April 1994 - Railways Act for rail privatisation takes effect: BR rail infrastructure transferred to the ownership of new company Railtrack; business sectors abolished with 25 new Train Operating Units (TOUs) established covering passenger services - all still owned by BR, but ready for franchising to the private sector as Train Operating Companies; NSE’s nine Divisions reformed into 11 TOUs - and subsequently privatised as detailed:
-Chiltern Line - Chiltern Railways (franchise commenced 21 July 1996)
-Great Eastern - First Great Eastern (5 January 1997)
-Isle of Wight - Island Line (13 October 1996)
-London Tilbury Southend Rail - c2c (26 May 1996)
-Network South Central - Connex South Central (26 May 1996)
-North London Railways - Silverlink (2 March 1997)
-South Eastern - Connex South Eastern (13 October 1996)
-South West Trains - South West Trains (4 February 1996)
-Thames Trains - Thames Trains (13 October 1996)
-Thameslink - Thameslink (2 March 1997)
-West Anglia and Great Northern - WAGN Railways (5 January 1997).
1 April 1994 - Waterloo & City Line transferred to London Underground; closed for staff training over the Easter weekend, reopening on 5 April 1994 under the new owners, managed as part of the Central Line.
JohnPMcCrickard/WED8JUN2011