Main region(s): Greater London, Kent National Rail abbreviation: CX Founded 1996 | Fleet size: approximately 350 Parent company: Connex Stations called at 178 | |
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Franchise(s): South Eastern
13 October 1996 – 8 November 2003 Other region(s): East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey | ||
Television archive john fortune on connex south eastern rail company 2002
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Connex that operated the South Eastern franchise from October 1996 until November 2003.
Contents
Connex south eastern and network south east emu s
History
On 13 October 1996 Connex commenced operating the South Eastern franchise having beaten bids from a Management/FirstBus consortium, GB Railways and Stagecoach.
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. However continuing poor financial management resulted in the Strategic Rail Authority deciding to strip Connex of the franchise in June 2003. 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.
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
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.
In 1998 Connex South Eastern leased twelve Class 508s from Angel Trains that were surplus to Merseyrail Electrics to replace some Class 411s.
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.
Depots
Connex South Eastern's fleet was maintained at Ashford, Ramsgate, Slade Green and Gillingham depots.