Connex South Central

Former English train operator

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Connex South Central" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Connex South Central

A Class 455 at East Croydon in 1997

Overview
Franchise(s)| South Central
26 May 1996 – 25 August 2001
Main region(s)| South
Other region(s)| London, South East
Parent company| Connex
Reporting mark| CX
Predecessor| Network SouthCentral
Successor| Southern

Connex South Central[1] was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Central franchise from 26 May 1996 until 25 August 2001.

## History

[edit]

On 26 May 1996, Connex commenced operating the Network SouthCentral franchise.[2][3] Later on 13 October 1996 Connex rebranded the franchise Connex South Central and introduced a white, yellow and blue livery.[4]

The operator was criticised for poor customer service (on average one in five Connex trains was delayed)[5] and for using old slam-door trains, rather than spend any money on buying modern sliding-door rolling stock built to higher safety standards (though Connex ordered new trains for Connex South Eastern). This widespread disgust at filthy trains and widespread delays caused criticism of Connex, but it was poor financial management that ultimately caused Connex to lose the franchise.[5]

In March 2000 the Strategic Rail Authority announced its intention to relet the franchise, with Connex and Govia the shortlisted bidders.[6][7]

On 24 October 2000 the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority announced that Govia had been awarded the franchise and would operate it from 2003.[5] Govia negotiated a deal with Connex to buy out the remainder of its franchise with the transaction completed in August 2001.[8][9][10][11]

## Services

[edit]

Connex South Central ran passenger services from London Charing Cross, London Bridge and London Victoria to Beckenham Junction, Epsom Downs, East Grinstead, Uckfield, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Horsham, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Brighton, Eastbourne and Ore.

It also ran services between Hastings and Ashford, Brighton and Hastings, Brighton, Newhaven Marine and Seaford and Brighton and Southampton as well as South London suburban services serving Crystal Palace, Sutton and West Croydon.

Services between West Croydon and Wimbledon, which were operated by Connex South Central following privatisation, ceased in 1997. The line was subsequently converted for Tramlink operation.[12]

On 2 June 1997 Connex South Central introduced a new service from Gatwick Airport to Rugby via the West London and West Coast lines using Class 319s.[13] In December 2000 it was curtailed to Watford Junction but extended southwards to Brighton.[14]

## Rolling stock

[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Connex South Central inherited a wide fleet of  'slam' and sliding door diesel electric  and electric multiple units. The slam-door units were not replaced under Connex, but were all later withdrawn after South Central (later rebranded Southern) took over.

Connex South Central's fleet was maintained at Brighton Lovers Walk and Selhurst depots.

Class | Image | Type | Number | Carriages | Built

|
|
|
|
|

205 |  | DEMU | 10 | 2 or 3 | 1957–1962
207 |  | DEMU | 4 | 3 | 1962
319 |  | EMU | 20 | 4 | 1987–1988
411 |  | EMU | 3 | 4 | 1956–1963
421 |  | EMU | 107 | 4 | 1964–1972
423 |  | EMU | 59 | 4 | 1967–1974
455 |  | EMU | 46 | 4 | 1982–1985
456 |  | EMU | 24 | 2 | 1990–1991

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Companies House extract company # 3010919 Archived 13 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine New Southern Railway Limited formerly Connex South Central Limited formerly Network SouthCentral Limited
2. ^ "GCEA confirmed as NSC winner" Rail Privatisation News issue 27 4 April 1996 page 4
3. ^ "Network SouthCentral sold to French Group". The Railway Magazine. No. 1142\. June 1996. p. 6.
4. ^ "A new brand and livery for Connex's Network SouthCentral fleet". Rail Magazine. No. 289\. 9 October 1996. p. 11.
5. ^ a b c "Connex loses rail franchise" Archived 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine BBC News 24 October 2000
6. ^ South Central Franchise Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Shadow Strategic Rail Authority 10 October 2000
7. ^ Six Companies Shortlisted for First Franchise Replacement Round Archived 16 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Shadow Strategic Rail Authority 14 March 2000
8. ^ Acquisition of Connex South Central Limited by Govia Limited Go-Ahead Group 30 May 2001
9. ^ Completion of Acquisition of South Central Franchise Go-Ahead Group 28 August 2001
10. ^ "Govia Southern Central goes into business". The Railway Magazine. No. 1206\. October 2001. p. 12.
11. ^ South Central Limited Annual Accounts 29 June 2002
12. ^ "Croydon Tramlink". TheTrams.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
13. ^ "Connex Makes a Rugby Connection". Rail Express. No. 15 August 1997. p. 7.
14. ^ Class 319 Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Kent Rail

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Connex South Central at Wikimedia Commons
* Connex website

Preceded by

Network SouthCentral
As part of British Rail

|  Operator of South Central franchise
1996–2001  | Succeeded by

South Central

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Train operating companies in the United Kingdom

* Rail transport in Great Britain
* Rail transport in Northern Ireland
* Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain

Current

| National|

* Arriva Rail London
* Avanti West Coast
* c2c
* Caledonian Sleeper4
* Chiltern Railways
* CrossCountry
* East Midlands Railway
* Govia Thameslink Railway
* Grand Central2
* Greater Anglia
* Great Western Railway
* Heathrow Express
* Hull Trains2
* London North Eastern Railway1
* Lumo2
* Merseyrail
* MTR Crossrail
* NI Railways3
* Northern1
* ScotRail4
* Southeastern1
* South Western Railway
* TransPennine Express1
* Transport for Wales1
* West Midlands Trains

|

International|

* Enterprise3
* Eurostar

Sub-brands|

* Gatwick Express
* Great Northern
* Island Line
* London Northwestern Railway
* Night Riviera
* Southern
* Stansted Express
* Thameslink
* West Midlands Railway

Operators not subject to franchising or concession:

* 1 Government-owned
* 2 Open-access operator
* 3 Operates on the Irish railway network and state-owned
* 4 Owned by the Scottish Government

Defunct (since 1994)

* Abellio ScotRail
* Anglia Railways
* Arriva Rail North
* Arriva Trains Merseyside
* Arriva Trains Northern
* Arriva Trains Wales
* Central Trains
* Connex South Central
* Connex South Eastern
* East Coast
* East Midlands Trains
* First Capital Connect
* First Great Eastern
* First Great Western Link
* First North Western
* First ScotRail
* First TransPennine Express
* Gatwick Express1
* Great North Eastern Railway
* Heathrow Connect
* Island Line2
* KeolisAmey Wales
* London Midland
* London Overground Rail Operations
* Midland Mainline
* National Express East Anglia
* National Express East Coast
* Northern Rail
* ScotRail (National Express)
* Silverlink
* South Eastern Trains
* Southeastern
* South West Trains
* TfL Rail
* Thameslink3
* Thames Trains
* TransPennine Express
* Valley Lines
* Virgin CrossCountry
* Virgin Trains East Coast
* Virgin Trains West Coast
* Wales & Borders
* Wales & West
* Wessex Trains
* West Anglia Great Northern
* Wrexham & Shropshire

* 1 Separate franchise until 2008; now a sub-brand of Govia Thameslink Railway
* 2 Separate franchise until 2007, now a sub-brand of South Western Railway
* 3 Separate franchise until 2006; later reintroduced as a sub-brand of Govia Thameslink Railway

Future

| Future operators|

* c2c
* Greater Anglia
* GTS Rail Operations
* South Western Railway

|

Prospective operators|

* Go-op
* Virgin Trains
* Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway

* Category
* Commons
* Maps

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template