Southeastern (train operating company)

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This article is about the company that began operations in April 2006. For the previous operator, see South Eastern Trains.

Image:NewCross-375913-01crop.jpg
Franchise(s):	Integrated Kent Franchise 1st April 2006 – 31st March 2014
Main region(s):	Greater London
Other region(s):	Kent, East Sussex
Fleet size:	approx. 400
Stations:	178
Parent company:	Govia (Go-Ahead Group/Keolis)
Web site:	www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/

Southeastern is a train operating company that began operations in south-east England on 1 April 2006, replacing the former publicly-owned operator South Eastern Trains. They serve Kent, parts of East Sussex, and operate south-east London commuter routes. The London termini of their services are Charing Cross, Blackfriars, Cannon Street, and Victoria. Southeastern operate on 773 miles (1237 km) of track, with 178 stations. 82% of their train services run into London.

The company’s formal name, under which they mounted their bid for the franchise, is London and South Eastern Railway. They used the logo of the preceding company up until late 2006, and then began to introduce a new logo from this date onwards.^{[citation needed]}

Southeastern is owned by Govia, who also operate the South Central franchise (which overlaps with Southeastern in some areas) under the name Southern.

[edit] Franchise

Since the privatisation of British Rail, the franchise to run trains in this area has changed hands three times. The first company to win the franchise on 14th October 1996 was Connex, who operated it under the name Connex South Eastern. The company gained bad publicty, and their franchise was cut short on 9th November 2003. Train services were then taken over by South Eastern Trains, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority, until an alternative bidder could be found.

[edit] Train routes

[edit] Main lines

From London termini (Victoria, London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charing Cross, Blackfriars, and Cannon Street) unless otherwise stated;

• North Kent Line: services via Dartford to Gillingham
• Chatham Main Line: services via Bromley South and Chatham, dividing at Faversham to Ramsgate and Dover
• Ashford via Maidstone East Line
• Ashford via Sevenoaks (see London to Ashford to Dover Line)
  • Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
  • Kent Coast Line: Ashford to Ramsgate (via Folkestone and Dover)
• Ashford via Croydon East and Redhill — uses part of the Brighton Main Line
• Hastings Line (Hastings via Tunbridge Wells)
• London Bridge to Tunbridge Wells (via Redhill and East Croydon) — uses part of the Brighton Main Line
• Horsham to Tunbridge Wells (via Gatwick and Redhill) — uses part of the Brighton Main Line

[edit] Suburban lines

The suburban services run to:

• Sevenoaks: two services — one via Grove Park, and one via Bromley South
• Hayes line
• Mid-Kent Line
• Orpington via Lewisham and via Bromley South
• Dartford via: North Kent Line, the Bexleyheath Line, and the Dartford Loop Line
• Bromley North Line

[edit] Rural lines

• Medway Valley Line, some services extend to Tonbridge, and occasionally to Gatwick Airport
• Sheerness Line

[edit] Rolling stock

Southeastern operate a fleet of about four hundred trains, all of which are electrical multiple units.

Class	Image	Top speed		Number	Cars per set	Seat layout	Number of seats	Routes operated	Built
		mph	km/h
Class 375/3 Express Electrostar		100	160	10	3	2+2	176 seats (164 std + 12 first)	Outer suburban and Express routes.	2001-2002
Class 375/6 Express Electrostar		100	160	30	4	2+2	242 seats (218 std + 24 first)	Outer suburban and Express routes.	1999-2001
Class 375/7 Express Electrostar		100	160	15	4	2+2	242 seats (218 std + 24 first)	Outer suburban and Express routes.	2001-2002
Class 375/8 Express Electrostar		100	160	30	4	2+2	242 seats (218 std + 24 first)	Outer suburban and Express routes.	2004-2005
Class 375/9 Outer Suburban Electrostar	Image:NewCross-375913-01crop.jpg	100	160	27	4	2+3	277 seats (253 std + 24 first)	Outer suburban and Express routes.	2003-2004
Class 376 Suburban Electrostar		75	120	36	5	2+2	344 seats (216 std + 12 tip-up + 116 perch)	Metro routes	2004-2005
Class 465 Networker	Image:Southeastern-465164-01.jpg	75	120	147	4	3+2 (except 465014, which is 2+2)	?	465/0, 465/1 and 465/2 Metro routes only. 465/9 Outer suburban routes only.	1991-1994
Class 466 Networker		75	120	43	2	3+2 (except 466017, which is 2+2)	?	With 465/0, 465/1, 465/2 and 466 Metro routes only. With 465/9, Outer suburban routes only.	1993-1994
Class 508		75	120	12	3	?	?	Medway Valley Line and extension on to Tonbridge, and Gatwick Airport / Horsham, Sheerness Line	?

[edit] Future expansion

Southeastern will operate the high-speed domestic services (including the Olympic Javelin service that is to run during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London) that will run from London St Pancras to the coast on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link following the line’s completion. The new company have made a point of advertising part-owner SNCF’s experience operating and integrated high-speed train services on the French TGV network.

A fleet of twenty-eight six-carriage Shinkansen-derived high-speed ‘A-trains’ have already been ordered from Hitachi for this route.<ref> £250 Million Contract Signed for New High Speed Train Fleet for Kent SRA, 1/6/05</ref> This is Hitachi’s first train sale in Britain. They will be known as Class 395 when in service.

High-speed services are expected to begin in December 2008, but the first four trains are to be delivered in 2007 for testing and driver training.<ref>The Channel Tunnel Rail Link Countdown to 2009 Govia, 2005.</ref>

The first train will be named after Dame Kelly Holmes, a British gold-medal athlete, with further trains to be named after British personalities associated with speed.

The company plans to operate up to ten trains per hour at peak times, with four trains per hour off-peak<ref>Southeastern Newsletter Summer 2006</ref>:

[edit] Routes

[edit] References

<references/>

[edit] See also

• Olympic Javelin
• South Eastern Trains
• Connex South Eastern
• Network SouthEast
• Southern Region of British Railways
• Southern Railway
• South Eastern and Chatham Railway
• South Eastern Railway
• London, Chatham and Dover Railway

[edit] External links

• Southeastern official web site
• alwaystouchout.com on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (includes information about the planned domestic services)

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Post-privatisation British railway companies | Transport in Kent | Go-Ahead Group companies