Connex South Eastern

Connex South Eastern

465020 at Waterloo East in January 2003
Overview
Franchise(s): South Eastern
13 October 1996 – 8 November 2003
Main region(s): Greater London, Kent
Other region(s): East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey
Fleet size: approximately 350
Stations called at: 178
National Rail abbreviation: CX
Parent company: Connex
Website: Connex website - Website archive

Connex South Eastern[1] was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Eastern franchise from October 1996 until November 2003.

History

On 13 October 1996 Connex commenced operating the South Eastern franchise having beaten bids from a Management/FirstBus consortium, GB Railways and Stagecoach.[2][3][4]

In December 2002, after the franchise ran into financial trouble, the Strategic Rail Authority agreed to bail it out with a £58 million injection, with the end date brought forward from 2011 until 2006.[5] However continuing poor financial management resulted in the Strategic Rail Authority deciding to strip Connex of the franchise in June 2003.[6][7][8][9] Connex South Eastern continued to operate the franchise until 8 November 2003 with the services transferring to the Strategic Rail Authority's South Eastern Trains subsidiary the following day.[10][11]

Services

Connex South Eastern ran passenger services from London Blackfriars, London Bridge, London Cannon Street, London Charing Cross and London Victoria to Hayes, Bromley North, Ramsgate, Dover Priory, Folkestone Harbour and Ore and various destinations within including Orpington, Sevenoaks, Dartford, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Canterbury West.

It also ran services between Sittingbourne & Sheerness-on-Sea, Maidstone West & Strood and Maidstone West & Three Bridges.

Rolling stock

Class 423/1 at Waterloo East on 8 February 2003

Connex South Eastern inherited a large fleet of slam door EMUs (Class 411, Class 421, Class 423), as well as Class 465 and Class 466 EMUs from Network SouthEast.

Class 365 were under construction when the franchise commenced, however teething troubles delayed their entry into service until June 1997.[12][13][14]

In 1998 Connex South Eastern leased twelve Class 508s from Angel Trains that were surplus to Merseyrail Electrics to replace some Class 411s.[15][16][17][18][19]

Connex South Eastern ordered 10 three-carriage and 102 four-carriage Class 375s, and 36 five-carriage Class 376s in a couple of batches with the first entering service in April 2001.[20][21][22]

Depots

Connex South Eastern's fleet was maintained at Ashford, Ramsgate, Slade Green and Gillingham depots.

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 3006571 Connex South Eastern Limited
  2. ↑ "Chiltern and SE bidders shortlisted" Rail Privatisation News issue 29 2 May 1996 page 4
  3. ↑ "CGEA takes second franchise" Rail Privatisation News issue 37 22 August 1996 page 1
  4. ↑ "South Eastern Trains sold to the French" The Railway Magazine issue 1146 October 1996 page 7
  5. ↑ "SRA U-turn gives £58m to Connex" Rail Magazine issue 451 25 December 2002 page 6
  6. ↑ "BBC NEWS - UK - England - Train firm loses franchise". BBC News. 27 June 2003. Retrieved 3 May 2008.
  7. ↑ Basher Bowker pulls the plug on Connex The Daily Telegraph 29 June 2003
  8. ↑ "Connex shock at SE dismissal" Rail Magazine issue 465 9 July 2003 page 6
  9. ↑ "Connex sacked from South-east franchise" The Railway Magazine issue issue 1229 September 2003 page 10
  10. ↑ SRA Confirms Transfer from Connex to South Eastern Trains Strategic Rail Authority 8 November 2003
  11. ↑ Rail authority takes on franchise BBC News 8 November 2003
  12. ↑ "Networker debut for Connex" Rail Magazine issue 295 1 January 1997 page 55
  13. ↑ "East Kent's first new commuter train in 40 years" Rail Magazine issue 308 2 July 1997 page 7
  14. ↑ "To Ramsgate in Style" Rail Express issue 15 August 1997 page 11
  15. ↑ Class 508 Kent Rail
  16. ↑ Class 508 - The Final Months Southern Electric Group
  17. ↑ "Class 508s return south after eight years away" Rail Magazine issue 311 13 August 1997 page 11
  18. ↑ "Connex 508s go to work on Isle of Sheppey line" Rail Magazine issue 338 26 August 1998 page 15
  19. ↑ "Class 508/2s launched on Connex South East" The Railway Magazine issue 1170 October 1998 page 65
  20. ↑ Class 375 Electrostar Kent Rail
  21. ↑ "Connex Rail places £90 million order for 30 new EMUs from Adtranz" Rail Magazine issue 308 2 July 1997 page 7
  22. ↑ "Connex Electrostars make passenger debut" Rail Magazine issue 407 18 April 2001 page 17

Media related to Connex South Eastern at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Network SouthEast
As part of British Rail		 Operator of South Eastern franchise
1996 – 2003 		Succeeded by
South Eastern Trains
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