Thameslink
Encyclopedia
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system
running 225 km (139.8 mi) north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton
, serving both London Gatwick Airport
and London Luton Airport
. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than 28,000 passengers in the morning peak. The Thameslink Programme
is a major £5.5 billion scheme to extend the service to a further 100 stations and to greatly increase capacity on the central London section to accommodate more frequent and longer trains. Some parts of this scheme, now well under way, will be in place by the 2012 Summer Olympics
. Thameslink services will be complemented by Crossrail
, which will offer east-to-west mainline services across London.
and the southern part of the Midland Main Line
. There is also a suburban loop through Sutton and Wimbledon.
The route through central London is St Pancras International for connections to Eurostar
and the East Midlands; Farringdon
, which links into the London Underground
's Circle, Metropolitan
and Hammersmith & City
lines; City Thameslink, which replaced the demolished Holborn Viaduct but also has a southern entrance serving Ludgate Circus; Blackfriars
, which links to a number of other rail services and the District
and Circle lines on the Underground; and London Bridge
, which also links to a number of other lines. King's Cross Thameslink
on Pentonville Road closed on 8 December 2007.
Trains operating the "main line" service (Bedford to Brighton) usually include first-class accommodation. Those serving the "suburban loop" are standard-class-only. The previous franchisee designated these services as "Thameslink CityFlier" and "Thameslink CityMetro" respectively, but the present operator has dropped this branding.
. Suburban stopping trains start at either Wimbledon
or Sutton and call at all stations to . They do not serve London Bridge but mostly call at all stations via to Blackfriars and on via St Pancras
then all stations to Luton. There are also now stopping trains from calling at all stations via and the Catford Loop Line
and terminating at . In addition there are peak-only Southeastern services to and from Rochester, Ashford International or with a northern terminus at Bedford.
Brighton to Bedford (fast from St Pancras International to St Albans) 4tph
These trains run non-stop between and London Bridge.
Orpington or Beckenham Junction to Bedford (fast) (peak-time, weekdays only)
Wimbledon or Sutton to St Albans or Luton (stopping) 4tph
Sevenoaks to Kentish Town (stopping) 2tph (weekdays only)
Rochester to Bedford (semi-fast) (peak-time, weekdays only)
Ashford International to Bedford (semi-fast) (peak-time, weekdays only)
from mid-Victorian times until World War I
, from when services terminated at Moorgate from the Midland line to the north, and at Holborn Viaduct for SE&C trains from the south, at a time when most inner cross-London traffic had been lost to buses and trams. There were separate lower-level platforms under the main part of Holborn Viaduct station known as the Snow Hill platforms, and these can still be seen today when leaving City Thameslink station travelling northwards.
The route remained operational for cross-London freight trains until 1970, just lasting into the diesel era, when the short section between Farringdon and Holborn Viaduct was closed.
Overhead electrification, which was completed in 1982, allowed the northern section to run as the Midland City Line service from Bedford via the Midland Main Line
to London St Pancras
, and via the City Widened Lines
to Moorgate
. From the south, services terminated at Holborn Viaduct
.
The Snow Hill tunnel
was re-opened to passenger trains after 72 years, allowing mainline passenger services to begin on the full Thameslink network in May 1988.
On 29 January 1990 the section between Blackfriars and Farringdon was temporarily closed to permit the construction of a new alignment. The old route carrying the line through the site of the long-closed Ludgate Hill station and over the Ludgate Hill road was abandoned and immediatey demolished. The route carrying the railway under Ludgate Hill was opened on 29 May 1990 concurrently with the opening of station, which was initially called St. Paul's Thameslink but was renamed in 1991 to avoid confusion with St. Paul's station on the London Underground (Central Line), about 500 m (546.8 yd) away.
King's Cross Thameslink
on Pentonville Road closed on 8 December 2007 when the new Thameslink platforms at nearby St Pancras railway station
opened.
In the south the services divide. Main line trains run through London Bridge
to East Croydon
, then to Brighton
. The diverging route has a more convoluted history. To begin with, trains went via Bromley to Orpington and Sevenoaks also via Herne Hill & East Croydon to Purley (off peak only). Some time after that, the non-Brighton trains ran via Elephant & Castle
and Streatham
to West Croydon
. Although this route, still used by other train services, comes close to the "main line", it never relinks with it. After West Croydon the line ran through Carshalton Beeches
to Sutton then to Epsom
, Leatherhead
, and Effingham Junction
, finally terminating at Guildford
.
Upon the privatisation of British Rail
the operation of Thameslink services was franchised to a subsidiary of Govia
, the train operating company Thameslink
.
Around 1994 the second branch was cut back to West Croydon as this route crossed the commuter networks of what were to become several different rail companies and the onset of rail privatisation
made the route increasingly difficult to maintain.
Then around 1995 a major overhaul occurred when the route was changed completely. Thameslink no longer served the West Croydon route and instead a new route to Sutton was opened up over existing track through Mitcham Junction
with the line then continuing on a loop up to Wimbledon
and then rejoining itself south of Streatham. It should be noted, however, that morning peak trains only run in a clockwise direction around this loop, which is a major source of inconvenience for commuters in this area.
By late 1998, more than 28,000 passengers were carried at morning peak times.
From 1 April 2006 the franchise was taken over by First Capital Connect
along with other services previously operated by WAGN. The branding of most trains, stations, and signs has been changed to match the name of the new company, but City Thameslink and West Hampstead Thameslink
stations keep the word Thameslink in their names as it refers to the route itself. After criticism of the loss of the apt name for this group of routes, First Capital Connect's publicity now calls this set of services its "Thameslink route" to distinguish it from the former WAGN services which the company also operates.
The Moorgate branch closed permanently in March 2009 when major work on the Thameslink programme
started along with various other changes. This was in order to lengthen platforms at (which would have cut across the Moorgate junction) and also to improve service. The tracks are still extant, but disconnected and deelectrified, with barriers at the end of each station, and the Thameslink-only platforms at Moorgate and closed.
The London and South East Route Utilisation Strategy released in July 2011 lays out a provisional 24tph timetable. South of London it would provide four trains to Brighton (one semi-fast, one stopping) and two trains per hour each to Three Bridges, Horsham, East Grinstead, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford International, Maidstone East, Sevenoaks and Bellingham. North of London there would be eight semi-fast trains to Bedford, four stopping trains to St. Albans, two stopping and two semi-fast trains to Luton, 2 semi-fast trains to Peterborough, 2 semi fast trains to Cambridge and four stopping trains to Welwyn Garden City. See Thameslink Programme article for table and details.
trains built by BREL
between 1987 and 1990. These are electrically powered
dual-voltage four-car units rated to carry 289, 308 or 319 passengers. They use 25 kV AC
overhead power north of Farringdon and 750 V DC third rail
to the south. Four Class 319 trains had been transferred from Southern
in December 2008 and the last four followed in March 2009, from which point all 86 Class 319 trains were available for use on Thameslink.
First Capital Connect acquired 23 new-build four-coach Class 377
trains during 2009, on sublease from Southern
, to be used on the Thameslink route for additional capacity and also to allow some of the Class 319 trains to be released for use on the Catford Loop
service to Sevenoaks which is now jointly operated with Southeastern
under Key Output 0 of the Thameslink Programme.
Class 317
units built in the early 1980s were still in use when services into Moorgate (25 kV AC
) ceased in March 2009 under the Thameslink Programme. The last timetabled service using a Class 317 unit ran from Farringdon to Bedford on 9 October 2009.
New energy-efficient trains will provide an additional 14,500 seats on the Thameslink route and will be delivered from 2015 to 2018. Siemens Mobility was named preferred bidder to supply the trains on 16 June 2011, with the Desiro City train family.
Depots for the new rolling stock will be built at Hornsey
and Three Bridges
.
Rail transport in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and previously consisted of Great Britain and the whole of Ireland. Rail transport systems developed independently on the two islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and most of the railway construction in the Republic of Ireland was...
running 225 km (139.8 mi) north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
, serving both London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
and London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than 28,000 passengers in the morning peak. The Thameslink Programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
is a major £5.5 billion scheme to extend the service to a further 100 stations and to greatly increase capacity on the central London section to accommodate more frequent and longer trains. Some parts of this scheme, now well under way, will be in place by the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. Thameslink services will be complemented by Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
, which will offer east-to-west mainline services across London.
Route
Most of the route is over the Brighton Main LineBrighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
and the southern part of the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
. There is also a suburban loop through Sutton and Wimbledon.
The route through central London is St Pancras International for connections to Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
and the East Midlands; Farringdon
Farringdon station
Farringdon station is a London Underground and National Rail station in Clerkenwell, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington...
, which links into the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
's Circle, Metropolitan
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
and Hammersmith & City
Hammersmith & City Line
The Hammersmith & City line is a subsurface London Underground line. It connects Hammersmith in the west with Barking in the east, running through the northern part of central London. It is coloured salmon pink on the Tube map...
lines; City Thameslink, which replaced the demolished Holborn Viaduct but also has a southern entrance serving Ludgate Circus; Blackfriars
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
, which links to a number of other rail services and the District
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
and Circle lines on the Underground; and London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
, which also links to a number of other lines. King's Cross Thameslink
King's Cross Thameslink railway station
King's Cross Thameslink station is a closed railway station in central London, which served the Thameslink route. It was replaced by new Thameslink platforms at St Pancras in December 2007. The last operator of the station was First Capital Connect...
on Pentonville Road closed on 8 December 2007.
Trains operating the "main line" service (Bedford to Brighton) usually include first-class accommodation. Those serving the "suburban loop" are standard-class-only. The previous franchisee designated these services as "Thameslink CityFlier" and "Thameslink CityMetro" respectively, but the present operator has dropped this branding.
Services
The majority of fast trains run between Brighton and Bedford via London BridgeLondon Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
. Suburban stopping trains start at either Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
or Sutton and call at all stations to . They do not serve London Bridge but mostly call at all stations via to Blackfriars and on via St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
then all stations to Luton. There are also now stopping trains from calling at all stations via and the Catford Loop Line
Catford Loop Line
The Catford Loop Line is a railway line in southeast London. It carries a suburban stopping service from central London to Sevenoaks, and is also a relief route for the Chatham Main Line which conveys passenger trains from London Victoria to the Kent coast...
and terminating at . In addition there are peak-only Southeastern services to and from Rochester, Ashford International or with a northern terminus at Bedford.
Brighton to Bedford (fast from St Pancras International to St Albans) 4tph
These trains run non-stop between and London Bridge.
Orpington or Beckenham Junction to Bedford (fast) (peak-time, weekdays only)
Wimbledon or Sutton to St Albans or Luton (stopping) 4tph
Sevenoaks to Kentish Town (stopping) 2tph (weekdays only)
Rochester to Bedford (semi-fast) (peak-time, weekdays only)
Ashford International to Bedford (semi-fast) (peak-time, weekdays only)
History
Passenger services operated across London through the Snow Hill TunnelSnow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the northern edge of the City of London between City Thameslink and Farringdon stations. The tunnel runs beneath the Smithfield meat market and was constructed using the cut and cover method immediately prior to the building of the market...
from mid-Victorian times until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, from when services terminated at Moorgate from the Midland line to the north, and at Holborn Viaduct for SE&C trains from the south, at a time when most inner cross-London traffic had been lost to buses and trams. There were separate lower-level platforms under the main part of Holborn Viaduct station known as the Snow Hill platforms, and these can still be seen today when leaving City Thameslink station travelling northwards.
The route remained operational for cross-London freight trains until 1970, just lasting into the diesel era, when the short section between Farringdon and Holborn Viaduct was closed.
Overhead electrification, which was completed in 1982, allowed the northern section to run as the Midland City Line service from Bedford via the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
to London St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
, and via the City Widened Lines
Widened Lines
The Widened Lines is the name of a group of railway routes that currently form part of the Thameslink network leading from King's Cross/St...
to Moorgate
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
. From the south, services terminated at Holborn Viaduct
Holborn Viaduct railway station
Holborn Viaduct was a railway terminus in central London.-History:During the 1860s and 1870s, had begun to struggle with increasing numbers of trains. At the time, the LCDR was suffering financial problems, and so was unable to raise capital to expand the station...
.
The Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill tunnel
Snow Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the northern edge of the City of London between City Thameslink and Farringdon stations. The tunnel runs beneath the Smithfield meat market and was constructed using the cut and cover method immediately prior to the building of the market...
was re-opened to passenger trains after 72 years, allowing mainline passenger services to begin on the full Thameslink network in May 1988.
On 29 January 1990 the section between Blackfriars and Farringdon was temporarily closed to permit the construction of a new alignment. The old route carrying the line through the site of the long-closed Ludgate Hill station and over the Ludgate Hill road was abandoned and immediatey demolished. The route carrying the railway under Ludgate Hill was opened on 29 May 1990 concurrently with the opening of station, which was initially called St. Paul's Thameslink but was renamed in 1991 to avoid confusion with St. Paul's station on the London Underground (Central Line), about 500 m (546.8 yd) away.
King's Cross Thameslink
King's Cross Thameslink railway station
King's Cross Thameslink station is a closed railway station in central London, which served the Thameslink route. It was replaced by new Thameslink platforms at St Pancras in December 2007. The last operator of the station was First Capital Connect...
on Pentonville Road closed on 8 December 2007 when the new Thameslink platforms at nearby St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
opened.
In the south the services divide. Main line trains run through London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
to East Croydon
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
, then to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
. The diverging route has a more convoluted history. To begin with, trains went via Bromley to Orpington and Sevenoaks also via Herne Hill & East Croydon to Purley (off peak only). Some time after that, the non-Brighton trains ran via Elephant & Castle
Elephant & Castle railway station
Elephant & Castle railway station serves the area of Elephant & Castle in London, England. The station is managed by First Capital Connect, with services operated by both First Capital Connect and Southeastern...
and Streatham
Streatham railway station
Streatham railway station is a station in central Streatham in south London. It is off Streatham High Road, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.Services are provided by First Capital Connect and Southern. First Capital Connect services go north to Luton and Bedford via Blackfriars, the City and St Pancras,...
to West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
. Although this route, still used by other train services, comes close to the "main line", it never relinks with it. After West Croydon the line ran through Carshalton Beeches
Carshalton Beeches railway station
Carshalton Beeches railway station is in south Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton in south London. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southern, and is in Travelcard Zone 5.- Services :...
to Sutton then to Epsom
Epsom railway station
Epsom railway station is the main railway station for Epsom in the county of Surrey. It is located off Waterloo Road, near to the High Street....
, Leatherhead
Leatherhead railway station
Leatherhead railway station is a railway station serving the town of Leatherhead in Surrey, England. The station is managed by Southern, who provide train services along with South West Trains....
, and Effingham Junction
Effingham Junction railway station
Effingham Junction railway station is situated near the villages of Effingham and East Horsley in Surrey, England. Although the station takes its name from the former town, and the immediate vicinity has itself become known as Effingham Junction, it is actually located in the latter...
, finally terminating at Guildford
Guildford (Surrey) railway station
Guildford railway station is an important railway junction on the Portsmouth Direct Line serving the town of Guildford in Surrey, England. It is 30.3 miles from London Waterloo....
.
Upon the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
the operation of Thameslink services was franchised to a subsidiary of Govia
Govia
Govia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
, the train operating company Thameslink
Thameslink (train operating company)
Thameslink was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, run by Govia . It operated the London commuter railway line known by the same name...
.
Around 1994 the second branch was cut back to West Croydon as this route crossed the commuter networks of what were to become several different rail companies and the onset of rail privatisation
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
made the route increasingly difficult to maintain.
Then around 1995 a major overhaul occurred when the route was changed completely. Thameslink no longer served the West Croydon route and instead a new route to Sutton was opened up over existing track through Mitcham Junction
Mitcham Junction station
Mitcham Junction is a National Rail station served by First Capital Connect and Southern trains, and a Tramlink stop. It is in the London Borough of Merton and is in Travelcard Zone 4.The station opened on 1 October 1868...
with the line then continuing on a loop up to Wimbledon
Wimbledon station
Wimbledon station is a National Rail, London Underground, and Tramlink station located in Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton, and is the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, Underground, and Tramlink services...
and then rejoining itself south of Streatham. It should be noted, however, that morning peak trains only run in a clockwise direction around this loop, which is a major source of inconvenience for commuters in this area.
By late 1998, more than 28,000 passengers were carried at morning peak times.
From 1 April 2006 the franchise was taken over by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
along with other services previously operated by WAGN. The branding of most trains, stations, and signs has been changed to match the name of the new company, but City Thameslink and West Hampstead Thameslink
West Hampstead Thameslink railway station
West Hampstead Thameslink is a National Rail station on the Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service between Kentish Town and Cricklewood. The station is in Travelcard Zone 2. East Midlands Trains InterCity services from Leeds, Sheffield...
stations keep the word Thameslink in their names as it refers to the route itself. After criticism of the loss of the apt name for this group of routes, First Capital Connect's publicity now calls this set of services its "Thameslink route" to distinguish it from the former WAGN services which the company also operates.
The Moorgate branch closed permanently in March 2009 when major work on the Thameslink programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
started along with various other changes. This was in order to lengthen platforms at (which would have cut across the Moorgate junction) and also to improve service. The tracks are still extant, but disconnected and deelectrified, with barriers at the end of each station, and the Thameslink-only platforms at Moorgate and closed.
Thameslink Programme (Thameslink 2000)
Following the success of the original scheme, plans were drawn up by successive railway authorities to upgrade the Thameslink network to cope with increasing passenger numbers which in recent years have led to severe peak-time overcrowding. Network Rail obtained planning permission and legal powers in 2006, funding was secured in July 2007 and construction began in October 2007. Much of the work is due for completion by the end of 2011 with further work programmed for the period from 2012 to 2018.The London and South East Route Utilisation Strategy released in July 2011 lays out a provisional 24tph timetable. South of London it would provide four trains to Brighton (one semi-fast, one stopping) and two trains per hour each to Three Bridges, Horsham, East Grinstead, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford International, Maidstone East, Sevenoaks and Bellingham. North of London there would be eight semi-fast trains to Bedford, four stopping trains to St. Albans, two stopping and two semi-fast trains to Luton, 2 semi-fast trains to Peterborough, 2 semi fast trains to Cambridge and four stopping trains to Welwyn Garden City. See Thameslink Programme article for table and details.
Rolling stock
The Thameslink rolling stock is mainly the entire fleet of 86 Class 319British Rail Class 319
The British Rail Class 319 dual-voltage electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990. The trains were introduced for new north-south cross-London services from Bedford to Brighton, and since privatisation these services have been operated by Thameslink and...
trains built by BREL
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
between 1987 and 1990. These are electrically powered
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
dual-voltage four-car units rated to carry 289, 308 or 319 passengers. They use 25 kV AC
25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
overhead power north of Farringdon and 750 V DC third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
to the south. Four Class 319 trains had been transferred from Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
in December 2008 and the last four followed in March 2009, from which point all 86 Class 319 trains were available for use on Thameslink.
First Capital Connect acquired 23 new-build four-coach Class 377
British Rail Class 377
The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...
trains during 2009, on sublease from Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
, to be used on the Thameslink route for additional capacity and also to allow some of the Class 319 trains to be released for use on the Catford Loop
Catford Loop Line
The Catford Loop Line is a railway line in southeast London. It carries a suburban stopping service from central London to Sevenoaks, and is also a relief route for the Chatham Main Line which conveys passenger trains from London Victoria to the Kent coast...
service to Sevenoaks which is now jointly operated with Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
under Key Output 0 of the Thameslink Programme.
Class 317
British Rail Class 317
The British Rail Class 317 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches, from 1981-82 and 1985-87. They were the first of several classes of British Rail EMU to be based on the all-steel Mark 3 bodyshell, departing from the "PEP"-aluminium design which had...
units built in the early 1980s were still in use when services into Moorgate (25 kV AC
25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
) ceased in March 2009 under the Thameslink Programme. The last timetabled service using a Class 317 unit ran from Farringdon to Bedford on 9 October 2009.
New energy-efficient trains will provide an additional 14,500 seats on the Thameslink route and will be delivered from 2015 to 2018. Siemens Mobility was named preferred bidder to supply the trains on 16 June 2011, with the Desiro City train family.
Depots for the new rolling stock will be built at Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
and Three Bridges
Three Bridges
Three Bridges is a neighbourhood within the town of Crawley, in the county of West Sussex in England.-History:Three Bridges was a tiny hamlet, which first began to grow with the coming of the London and Brighton Railway in 1841...
.
See also
- CrossrailCrossrailCrossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
: a similar east–west national rail style line through central London, currently under construction
External links
- Official Thameslink Programme website
- Thameslink Programme - Network RailNetwork RailNetwork Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
- Thameslink 2000 Public Inquiry 2005 - official website for the second public inquiry
- Strategic Rail AuthorityStrategic Rail AuthorityIn existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
Strategic Plan, 30 January 2003, page 101 and route descriptions page 27. - alwaystouchout.com - information and news on the Thameslink ProgrammeThameslink ProgrammeThe Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
- Brent Cross Thameslink station - Planning application for new Thameslink station at Brent Cross.