NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Southern Region of British Railways

The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound-up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. The region was largely based upon the former Southern Railway area. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (881x272, 133 KB) British Railways Southern Region station totem for Hither Green. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (881x272, 133 KB) British Railways Southern Region station totem for Hither Green. ... Hither Green railway station is in the London Borough of Lewisham in south east London. ... This article is about the defunct entity British Railways, which later traded as British Rail. The History of rail transport in Great Britain is covered in its own article. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A London and South Western Railway weight restriction sign on a bridge across the Tarka Trail (formerly the Barnstaple to Great Torrington railway) at Instow, North Devon. ...

History

The Southern Railway was still comparatively profit-making despite World War II, thanks to its extensive third rail DC electrification and the intensive service patterns this allowed for. However, large-scale investment was required in the infrastructure of all of the "Big 4" companies, including the Southern. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... // Railway electrification in Great Britain describes the various electrification systems that are used, or have been used, for supplying traction current to the railways and tramways of Great Britain. ... The Railways Act of 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the countrys 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of...

The Transport Act 1947 provided for the nationalisation of all heavy rail systems in the UK to allow for this investment and, in theory, to improve the rights of railway workers. The railway companies were amalgamated into British Railways, part of the British Transport Commission, and six geographic and administrative regions were created out of the previous four companies. The Southern Railway, being relatively self-contained and operated largely by electric traction, was incorporated almost intact into the new Southern Region. The Transport Act, 1947 was part of the nationalisation agenda of Clement Attlees Labour government. ... The British Transport Commission (BTC) was created by Clement Attlees post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain (Northern Ireland had the separate Ulster Transport Authority). ...

The region

The Southern Region served southern London, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, eastern Dorset, southern Wiltshire and eastern Berkshire, and, unelectrified, a service to parts of Devon and north eastern Cornwall, deep in Western Region territory, known colloquially by staff as "The Withered Arm". This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with Surry. ... Hampshire, sometimes historically Southamptonshire or Hamptonshire, (abbr. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire, between the Solent and the English Channel. ... Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ... Dorset (pronounced DOR-sit or [dÉ”.sÉ™t], and sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the south-west of England, on the English Channel coast. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... â€œDevonshireâ€ redirects here. ... Cornwall (pronounced ; Cornish: ) is a county in south-west England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar and Devon. ...

Central London

The Region's chief stations in Central London were: Central London is a much-used but unofficial and vaguely defined term for the most inner part of London, the capital of England. ...

Victoria station in London is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of Westminster. ... The interior of Covent Garden Market in the West End The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the citys major tourist attractions, businesses, and administrative headquarters. ... Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station is a central London railway terminus. ... Categories: City of London | Districts of London | London geography stubs ... , Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is a commuter town next to the river Thames, populated with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, spacious and grand late-19th century town houses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates. ... Cannon Street is a road in the south of the City of London. ... Holborn Viaduct station was a railway station in central London, opened in 1874 to serve as an additional terminus for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway and closed in 1990. ... Thameslink is a fifty-station line in the British railway system running 225 km (140 miles) north to south across London from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel. ... London Bridge station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Southwark, which occupies a large area on two levels, immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1. ... Clapham Junction is a railway station located in Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. ... For the former name of a MTR station in Hong Kong, see Yau Ma Tei (MTR) London Waterloo is a major railway station and transport interchange complex in London, England. ...

Outside London

Southern Region and Western Region had an important interchanges at Reading in Berkshire and at Exeter in Devon. Richmond station is a station in Richmond upon Thames, in South West London England, and is a south-western terminus of London Undergrounds District Line, and the western terminus of the North London Line (now run by Silverlink and called the Silverlink Metro). ... Categories: UK geography stubs | Tramlink stops | London railway stations | British railway stations | Croydon ... Balham is: Balham, a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London, England. ... Lewisham is a district in south-east London, England and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Lewisham. ... New Cross Gate is an area within Lewisham mainly bounded by the SE14 postcode area. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Brighton is located on the south coast of England, and together with its immediate neighbour Hove forms the city of Brighton and Hove. ... Statistics Population: 22,800 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ335245 Administration District: Mid Sussex Shire county: West Sussex Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Sussex Historic county: Sussex Services Police force: {{{Police}}} Ambulance service: South East Coast Post office and... Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... Gillingham (Kent) railway station is on the Chatham Main Line in Medway, north Kent, between Chatham and Rainham. ... , The town of Ashford lies on the River Great Stour, M20 motorway, South Eastern Main Line and Channel Tunnel Rail Link railways, in the borough of Ashford, located just south of the North Downs, in Kent, England. ... , Arms of Dover Borough Council This article is about the English port/town. ... Southampton is the largest city[1] on the south coast of England. ... Basingstoke railway station, as seen from AlenÃ§on Link. ... Not to be confused with Guilford. ... Woking railway station is a railway station in England, serving the town of Woking, Surrey. ... Effingham Junction railway station is situated near the villages of Effingham and East Horsley in Surrey, England. ... Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. ... Salisbury (IPA: , or â€” moving from RP to local dialect) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... A Sunday reading in the rural school. ... Windsor and Eton Riverside station is one of two stations in Windsor, Berkshire - the other being Windsor and Eton Central railway station. ... Reading station from the station car park at the north (rear) side of the station Reading (formerly Reading General) is a railway station in the large town of Reading in south central England. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The city of Exeter is the county town of Devon, in the southwest of England, also known as the West Country. ... â€œDevonshireâ€ redirects here. ...

Line and station closures

The formerly busy Blackfriars goods yard and wharf had closed between 1935 and 1947. Freshwater on the Isle of Wight closed between 1947 and 1955. Its lines in Devon and Cornwall were also transferred to Western Region between 1955 and 1970. Many "under-used" stations like Walworth Road goods in southern London, Wilton in Wiltshire, Sheffield Park in Sussex and Kemptown in Brighton, Sussex closed. Sheffield Park became part of the Bluebell Railway preserved line. Chicago and North Western Railways Proviso Yard in Chicago, Illinois, December 1942. ... Freshwater is a village and parish at the western end of the Isle of Wight. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire, between the Solent and the English Channel. ... â€œDevonshireâ€ redirects here. ... Cornwall (pronounced ; Cornish: ) is a county in south-west England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar and Devon. ... Church of St Mary and St Nicholas, Wilton Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ... Sheffield Park Gardens See also Sheffield Park (constituency) for the district of Sheffield. ... Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ... A railway station, no longer extant, in the city of Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK. The station was named after the area it was located in, Kemptown, which in turn took its name from Kemp Town, a 19th century housing development in the area, approximately 2 miles to the east... Sheffield Park Station Exterior The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East Sussex and West Sussex, England. ...

The Beeching Axe severely cut the route mileage of most regions. However, the Southern Region escaped major losses due to maintaining passenger numbers on the high intensity services. The Axe did close the goods yards at Deptford Wharf, Falcon Lane and Walworth Road, amongst others. Many railway lines were closed as a result of the Beeching Axe The Beeching Axe is an informal name for the British Governments attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running the British railway system. ... Walworth Road is a road in the London Borough of Southwark, running from Elephant and Castle to Camberwell Road (which it becomes at Burgess Park). ...

The line to Farringdon via West Street was also closed, but was replaced by City Thameslink station in the 1990s along with the junction. This station is obsolete under Thameslink 2000 plans and will be replaced another, bigger, station. City Thameslink station is an underground mainline railway station in the City of London, at the point where Fleet Street becomes Ludgate Hill. ... Thameslink is a fifty-station line in the British railway system running 225 km (140 miles) north to south across London from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel. ...

Holborn Viaduct in central London closed in 1990, partially because the value of the land it stood upon was greater than the profits of the station and its services. Holborn Viaduct station was a railway station in central London, opened in 1874 to serve as an additional terminus for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway and closed in 1990. ...

As a contrast, Waterloo station has been extensively refurbished and expanded to allow for the development of the Eurostar terminal. These platforms will be abandoned or turned over to new uses when international services move to St Pancras railway station in 2007. For the former name of a MTR station in Hong Kong, see Yau Ma Tei (MTR) London Waterloo is a major railway station and transport interchange complex in London, England. ... A Eurostar on the CTRL going through the Medway Towns Eurostar is a train service connecting the UK with Paris (Gare du Nord), Lille and Brussels (Brussels South). ... It has been suggested that St Pancras International be merged into this article or section. ...

Channel Tunnel planning

The 1973 plan to build a tunnel under the English Channel also included plans to upgrade the infrastructure of the Southern Region between London and the Kent coast. Map of the Channel Tunnel. ... The Kent coat of arms For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ...

The plan assumed that the main railhead for "The Chunnel" would be at Ashford Kent station. To that end, rolling stock on the London to Dover via Ashford services were refurbished and heavier rails were laid to allow for longer trains and increased freight.

The 1973 tunnel plan was cancelled in 1975. The 1986 tunnel plan, which was approved and eventually built, used the same assumptions as the 1973 plan and Ashford Kent became Ashford International. By this time, the Southern Region, and indeed British Rail itself, had been abolished. Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent. ...

Competition with London Underground

The Southern Railway and its predecessor companies has had little competition from London Underground south of the Thames, where the subsoil was largely unsuitable for tunneling and the mainline railways had extensive networks in place before the underground railways were developed. The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ...

Nevertheless, the Southern Region dealt with a different environment, marked by British Rail (BR) and London Underground (LUL) both being state-owned and both being under the direction of London Transport in the Greater London area. The transport of London has, since 1933, been under a single control with various names. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ...

London Underground's services were advanced over Southern Region (and other) metals, either by the services dual-running or by cedeing BR metals to LUL. For instance, the LUL service to Wimbledon slowly replaced the former Southern Region service. The Croydon Tramlink took over the Wimbledon to Croydon West via Mitcham line in 1999. Wimbledon (pronounced ) is a suburb of London, part of the London Borough of Merton and located seven miles (11. ... a Tramlink Tram Tramlink (until recently known as Croydon Tramlink) is a public transport system in south London, operated by FirstGroup on behalf of Transport for London. ... Mitcham is a place in the London Borough of Merton. ...

The Waterloo & City Line (nicknamed 'The Drain' by LUL staff), British Rail's only "Tube" service, was given over to London Underground upon privatisation BR in 1996. The Waterloo & City Line is a short underground metro line in London, formally opened on 11 July 1898. ...

Privatisation

The Southern Region was abolished in the 1980s when British Rail was compelled to move from regions to business sectors. The Region was divided between Network SouthEast and Regional Railways. When British Rail was privatised between 1995 and 1997, the lines of the former region were divided between South West Trains, Thameslink, Island Line (on the Isle of Wight), Gatwick Express, and the South Central and South Eastern franchises, both initially awarded to Connex. This article is about the defunct entity British Railways, which later traded as British Rail. The History of rail transport in Great Britain is covered in its own article. ... A train in NSE livery Network SouthEast (NSE) was a sector of British Rail that principally operated commuter trains in the London area, and was formed in 1986 when BR was sectorised. ... Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1981 that existed until 1996 a year before Privatisation. ... South West Trains (SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire (the area largely covered before 1923 by the London and South Western... Thameslink is a fifty-station line in the British railway system running 225 km (140 miles) north to south across London from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel. ... Island Line is the smallest of the Train Operating Companies that make up Britainâ€™s National Rail network. ... Gatwick Express is the brand name of a National Express Group-operated railway service offering a frequent shuttle service between Victoria station in London and Gatwick Airport in South East England. ... Connex may refer to: a brand name used by Veolia Transport a ficticious energy company in the film Syriana an earlier name of Vodafone Romania a private operator of the suburban railway system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Connex Melbourne Category: ...

More recently, with the collapse of Railtrack and the revoking of the Connex franchises, the service patterns and regional boundaries of the former Southern Region have been redrawn. The South Eastern franchise became state-owned for a period. However, the Labour government have since privatised the South Eastern operations again. For the generic term, see rail tracks. ... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ...

Trains and rollingstock

The region regularly used early 1960s Mark-I third rail slam-door electric rolling stock, with the occasional appearance of late 1950s prototype units, British Rail having been forbidden from replacing most commuter stock due to the costs involved. Upon privatisation, Government funding was made available and these units were gradually scrapped. Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 716 KB)BR Class 411, no. ... Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 716 KB)BR Class 411, no. ...

Some newer trains with air-operated sliding doors were introduced in the 1970s for commuter routes running from London through Surrey and Kent. They were later supplemented by others of their kind during the 1980s, with the arrival of Network South East. Some Mark-I units have been preserved by South West Trains after their final removal in 2005. Diesel trains ran on the Exeter route and a small fleet of Diesel-electric multiple units, known colloquially as "thumpers", ran on the Oxted line in Kent. A train in NSE livery Network SouthEast (NSE) was a sector of British Rail that principally operated commuter trains in the London area. ... South West Trains (SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire (the area largely covered before 1923 by the London and South Western... Southern Class 205 unit no. ...

The Isle of Wight lines had several sections that were unable to accept heavy rail services. The Southern Railway and later the Southern Region used cascaded London Underground stock on these lines.

Major accidents

On 4 December 1957, 90 passengers died and 173 were injured in collisions in thick fog near Lewisham in south London, which also led to the collapse of a rail bridge onto wreckage below. The death toll was the third highest ever experienced on Britain's railways. See Lewisham rail crash for more information. December 4th redirects here. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... The Lewisham Rail Crash occurred on 4 December 1957 in Lewisham, South London. ...

On 5 November 1967, an express train from Hastings to Charing Cross derailed outside Hither Green station, killing 49 passengers and injuring 78. Among the survivors was Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. See Hither Green rail crash for more information. is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Hastings (disambiguation). ... Robin Hugh Gibb CBE (born December 22, 1949) is a singer and songwriter. ... The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers â€” Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb â€” that became one of the most successful musical acts of all time. ... The Hither Green rail crash occurred on 5 November 1967. ...

On 12 December 1988, three trains collided at Clapham Junction due to a miswired signal. Thirty-five people died and more than 100 were injured. See Clapham Junction rail crash for more information. is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... The Clapham Junction rail crash was a serious railway accident involving two collisions between three commuter trains at 08:10 on the morning of 12 December 1988. ...

On 4 March 1989, two trains collided at Purley railway station when one passed a red signal. Six died and 94 were injured. See Purley Station rail crash for more information. is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Purley Station viewed from Whitecliffe Road South Purley railway station serves Purley in the London Borough of Croydon, on the main London to Brighton line, in Travelcard Zone 6. ... Two-aspect signal at danger In railway terminology, a Signal Passed At Danger or SPAD describes an event where a train has run beyond its allocated signal block without authority, as indicated by a lineside signal showing danger. ... A train accident occurred just to the north of Purley railway station in the London Borough of Croydon on 4 March 1989, leaving six dead and 94 injured. ...

References

Category: British Rail regions This article is about the defunct entity British Railways, which later traded as British Rail. The History of rail transport in Great Britain is covered in its own article. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 233 pixelsFull resolution (1159 Ã— 338 pixel, file size: 46 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 234 pixelsFull resolution (1159 Ã— 339 pixel, file size: 47 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 234 pixelsFull resolution (1159 Ã— 339 pixel, file size: 42 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 233 pixelsFull resolution (1159 Ã— 338 pixel, file size: 49 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 233 pixelsFull resolution (1159 Ã— 338 pixel, file size: 47 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 233 pixelsFull resolution (1159 Ã— 338 pixel, file size: 47 KB, MIME type: image/png) I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... British Railways Eastern Region timetable for Summer 1963. ... Ex-LMS Jubilee Class 45641 Sandwich at Chinley in 1954 The London Midland Region (LMR) was one of the six regions created on British Railways (BR) and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) lines in England and Wales. ... The North Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... British Railways Western Region totem station sign for Chippenham. ...

Contents

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