Silverlink
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Silverlink[1] was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express Group that operated the North London Railways franchise from March 1997 until November 2007. At the end of 2007 Silverlink Metro services were taken over by London Overground and Silverlink County services were taken over by London Midland.
History
The North London Railways franchise was awarded to National Express on 7 February 1997.[2] National Express commenced operating the franchise on 3 March 1997.
After initially trading as North London Railways, in September 1997 the franchise was rebranded as Silverlink.[3]
The franchise was due to finish on 15 October 2006, but on 11 August 2006 the Department for Transport granted an extension until 10 November 2007.[4]
Branding
Silverlink had two sub-brands:
- Silverlink Metro for Stratford - Richmond, Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction, London Euston - Watford Junction via Willesden Junction, and Gospel Oak - Barking services.
- Silverlink County for London Euston - Birmingham New Street, Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey and Bletchley - Bedford services.
Silverlink Metro
Silverlink Metro operated these services.
Note: Changes during the franchise period are noted but changes to the lines before and after the franchise are not.
North London Line
| Richmond (interchange for District line) | |
| Kew Gardens (interchange for District line) | |
| Gunnersbury (interchange for District line) | |
| South Acton | |
| Acton Central | |
| Willesden Junction (interchange for Bakerloo line, West London Line and Watford DC Line) | |
| Kensal Rise | |
| Brondesbury Park | |
| Brondesbury | |
| West Hampstead (interchange for Jubilee line and First Capital Connect) | |
| Finchley Road & Frognal | |
| Hampstead Heath | |
| Gospel Oak (interchange for Gospel Oak - Barking Line) | |
| Kentish Town West | |
| Camden Road | |
| Caledonian Road & Barnsbury | |
| Highbury & Islington (interchange for Victoria line) | |
| Canonbury | |
| Dalston Kingsland | |
| Hackney Central | |
| Homerton | |
| Hackney Wick | |
| Stratford (interchange for Central line, Jubilee line, Docklands Light Railway, c2c (limited services - early morning, late night and during engineering works only) and National Express East Anglia) | |
| West Ham † | |
| Canning Town † | |
| Custom House † | |
| Silvertown † | |
| North Woolwich † |
† At the end of service on Saturday 9 December 2006 the line between Stratford and North Woolwich closed, as much of the route was duplicated by the Docklands Light Railway and the Jubilee line, leaving Stratford as the eastern terminus of the North London Line.[5]
West London Line
| Willesden Junction (interchange for North London Line, Watford DC Line and Bakerloo line) | |
| Kensington (Olympia) (interchange for District line and Southern) | |
| West Brompton (interchange for District line and Southern) | |
| Clapham Junction (interchange for South West Trains and Southern) |
Shepherd's Bush on the West London Line was due to open under the franchise (with signage in Silverlink colours installed), but platform widening work meant that it finally opened in September 2008 under London Overground management, the signage being replaced with the London Overground roundels by that time.
Watford DC Line
| London Euston (interchange for Northern line, Victoria line, London Midland and Virgin) | |
| South Hampstead | |
| Kilburn High Road | |
| Queen's Park † | |
| Kensal Green † | |
| Willesden Junction † (interchange for North London Line and West London Line) | |
| Harlesden † | |
| Stonebridge Park † | |
| Wembley Central † (interchange for Southern during the peaks) | |
| North Wembley † | |
| South Kenton † | |
| Kenton † | |
| Harrow & Wealdstone † (interchange for Northampton Line and Southern) | |
| Headstone Lane | |
| Hatch End | |
| Carpenders Park | |
| Bushey | |
| Watford High Street | |
| Watford Junction (interchange for Northampton Line, St Albans Abbey Line, Virgin (West Coast Main Line), Southern) |
† = also served by the Bakerloo line.
Gospel Oak to Barking Line
| Gospel Oak (interchange for North London Line) | |
| Upper Holloway | |
| Crouch Hill | |
| Harringay Green Lanes | |
| South Tottenham | |
| Blackhorse Road (interchange for Victoria line) | |
| Walthamstow Queens Road | |
| Leyton Midland Road | |
| Leytonstone High Road | |
| Wanstead Park | |
| Woodgrange Park | |
| Barking (interchange for District line, Hammersmith & City line and c2c) |
Silverlink County
Northampton Line
Northampton Line services ran on the slow lines of the West Coast Main Line.
| London Euston (interchange for Watford DC Line and Virgin) | |
| Harrow and Wealdstone (interchange for Watford DC Line and Southern (via West London Line) ) | |
| Bushey | |
| Watford Junction (interchange for Watford DC Line, St Albans Abbey Line, Virgin and Southern) | |
| Kings Langley | |
| Apsley | |
| Hemel Hempstead | |
| Berkhamsted | |
| Tring | |
| Cheddington | |
| Leighton Buzzard | |
| Bletchley (interchange for Marston Vale Line) | |
| Milton Keynes Central (interchange/terminus for Southern) | |
| Wolverton | |
| Northampton (interchange for Central Trains) |
† Services north of Northampton were taken over by Central Trains from 2005. The route shared rolling stock and parent company with Silverlink, and some through services remained.
St Albans Abbey Line
| Watford Junction (interchange for Northampton Line, Virgin, Watford DC Line and Southern) | |
| Watford North | |
| Garston | |
| Bricket Wood | |
| How Wood | |
| Park Street | |
| St Albans Abbey |
Marston Vale Line
| Bletchley (interchange for Northampton Line) | |
| Fenny Stratford | |
| Bow Brickhill | |
| Woburn Sands | |
| Aspley Guise | |
| Ridgmont | |
| Lidlington | |
| Millbrook | |
| Stewartby | |
| Kempston Hardwick | |
| Bedford St Johns | |
| Bedford (interchange for First Capital Connect and East Midlands Trains) |
Performance
Silverlink was categorised as a London and South East operator by the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR) and was one of the best performing TOCs in this sector with a PPM (Public Performance Measure) of 90.8% for the last quarter of the financial year 2006/7.[6] This figure is for the whole of the day, as opposed to just peak services for which their performance is lower. The figures are slightly down from the previous year, but remain above the sector level of 89.0%.
Silverlink Metro service levels
Despite published performance figures[7] the Silverlink Metro franchise on the North London Line was regarded by frequent travellers as offering a poor service,[8] with extremely congested trains and an unreliable service[9] with some trains cancelled shortly before they are due to arrive. A London Assembly report described the service as "shabby, unreliable, unsafe and overcrowded". The recent transfer of the service to Transport for London (TfL) has the potential to improve the quality of the service[10] due to upgrade plans[11] which coincide with the extension of the East London line.
A report on the future of the line can be found on the London Assembly website.[12]
Rolling stock
Silverlink inherited a fleet of Class 117, Class 121, Class 313 and Class 321s from British Rail.
To replace the Class 117 and 121s, seven Class 150s were transferred from Central Trains in summer 1999, with an eighth following in 2006.[13] Pending their arrival Silverlink hired Class 31s from Fragonset to top and tail Mark 2 carriages on Bletchley - Bedford services in 1998/99.
In 2003 three Class 508s were transferred from Merseyrail for use on the Watford DC Line.
The Strategic Rail Authority decided to divert thirty four-carriage Siemens Desiro carriages from an order made by South West Trains to provide stock with faster acceleration for the West Coast Main Line operators. They were not allocated to a specific operator but a shared fleet used by both Silverlink and Central Trains, both being National Express train operating companies.
On 16 July 2004, Virgin Trains announced that it was withdrawing most of its stops at Milton Keynes Central, which were used by up to 6,000 passengers a day. Commuters became unhappy at the prospect of switching to older Silverlink trains, and a longer journey. Silverlink countered this with the temporary usage of ex-Virgin stock, still in Virgin colours.[14]
While awaiting these to arrive, from September 2004 Silverlink introduced two former Virgin Trains Mark 3 sets hauled by Virgin Trains Class 87s and EWS Class 90s on peak hour Northampton services as well as hiring five Class 321s from National Express sister fleet One.[15]
Metro services were operated by Class 313s on the electrified routes, with the Class 508s used exclusively on the Euston - Watford Junction service from 2003.
County services to Northampton and Birmingham were operated by Class 321s joined in 2005 by Class 350s.
The St Albans Abbey line was operated for many years by Class 313s, but later were usually operated by Class 321s with Silverlink Metro drivers and Silverlink County guards.
The non-electrified Bletchley - Bedford and Gospel Oak - Barking services initially used Class 117 and Class 121s before Class 150s took over in 1999.
Fleet
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Train Numbers | Routes operated | Built | Period used | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||||||
| Class 121 Bubble Car |  |
DMU | 70 | 112 | 4 | 55023/27/29/31 | Gospel Oak - Barking Line Marston Vale Line |
1960 | 1997-2001 | Replaced by Class 150 |
| Class 150 Sprinter |  |
75 | 120 | 8 | 150120-150121, 150123, 150127-150131 | Silverlink Metro: Gospel Oak - Barking Line Silverlink County: |
1984–1987 | 1999–2007 | ||
| Class 313 |  |
EMU | 75 | 120 | 21 | 313101-117,
313119-313123, 313134 |
Silverlink Metro: North London Line West London Line Watford DC Line |
1976-1977 1997 - 2001 (Refurbished) |
1983–2007 | |
| Class 321 |  |
100 | 160 | 37 | 321401-321437 | Silverlink County: Northampton Line St Albans Abbey Line |
1989–1990 | 1989–2007 | ||
| Class 350 Desiro |  |
100 | 160 | 30 | 350101-350130 | Silverlink County: Northampton Line |
2004–2005 | 2004–2007 | Built for Central Trains and Silverlink regional express services and Central Trains CityLink services on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line | |
| Class 508 |  |
75 | 120 | 3 | 508301-508303 | Silverlink Metro: Watford DC Line |
1979 - 1980 2003 (Refurbished) |
2003–2007 | ||
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Depots
Silverlink's fleet was maintained at Bletchley Depot. Following Virgin Trains ceasing to operate electric locomotives, Silverlink's Metro fleet moved to Willesden Depot.
In 2006 Alstom proposed closing Willesden. Closure would have left the Class 508s homeless and the Class 313s having to return to Bletchley Depot which was due to close. On 12 May 2007 Silverlink took over direct running of the depot and its staff for the final six months of its franchise.
Demise
As part of a wider redrawing of the rail franchise map by the Department of Transport, the Silverlink network was to be broken up when it was renewed in November 2007.
The Silverlink Metro services were moved to the control of Transport for London under the banner of the London Overground. On 19 June 2007 Transport for London announced it had awarded the London Overground concession to a Laing Rail/MTR joint venture.[16]
The Silverlink County services were merged with the Central Trains services around Birmingham to create a new West Midlands franchise. On 22 June 2007 the Department for Transport announced it had awarded the West Midlands franchise to Govia.[17]
Silverlink's services transferred to London Overground Rail Operations and London Midland on 11 November 2007.
References
- ↑ Companies House extract company no 3007935 Silverlink Train Services Limited
- ↑ "NX Awarded North London Railways Franchise". National Express Group. 7 February 1997.
- ↑ "UK Activity Report - National Express". 30 September 1997.
- ↑ "Silverlink franchise extended to November 2007" (PDF). 11 August 2006.
- ↑ "Stratford-North Woolwich service to be withdrawn". Silverlink. 8 December 2006.
- ↑ "National Rail Trends 2006-2007 Q4" (PDF).
- ↑ "Silverlink rises to second position in the national performance league". 18 September 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2007. Association of Train Operating Companies Press Releases
- ↑ Sharp, Rachel (24 October 2007). "TfL to take on rail network". Ealing Times. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- ↑ "Braced for rail strikes". Hackney Gazette. 26 October 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2007.
- ↑ London Assembly - Light at end of the tunnel for London's forgotten railway
- ↑ Always Touch Out - London Overground & Orbirail
- ↑ London Assembly - London's forgotten railway (PDF)
- ↑ Today's Railways UK Issue 63 March 2007 Page 37
- ↑ "Commuters angry over train switch". BBC. 16 July 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2007.
- ↑ Sevens on the "Cobblers" 2004/2005 87015aewn
- ↑ MTRLaing appointed to run London Overground TheRailwayCentre.Com 19 June 2007
- ↑ Govia wins franchise for West Midlands rail The Telegraph 22 June 2007
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Silverlink. |
| Preceded by Network SouthEast As part of British Rail |
Operator of North London Railways franchise 1997 — 2007 |
Succeeded by London Midland West Midlands franchise |
| Succeeded by London Overground London Overground concession |
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 London Transport portal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||