Connex South Eastern
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Connex South Eastern was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group and operated between 14 October 1996 and 9 November 2003. The company operated passenger services in South London and Kent. The network was previously part of the Southern Region of British Railways and later Network SouthEast.
The dense South Eastern network of train services runs into Victoria, and to Charing Cross and Cannon Street via London Bridge. The company became known for promising 12-coach trains over a network with indequate electric power supplies, for gating and fencing stations to reduce freeloaders and vandalism, and for seeking to overcome capacity limitations by commissioning new trains with no on-board toilets.
Connex was generally loathed by its passengers, who faced a deteriorating service quality, extensive delays and massive overcrowding. It was frequently referred to as 'Chronic South-eastern'
The franchise was originally due to run until 2011, but in June 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority decided to cut the South Eastern franchise short at the end of 2003 due to what it called "poor financial management". Connex South Eastern lost its franchise at midnight on 8 November 2003 when train services were taken over by South Eastern Trains, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority.
[edit] See also
- The Navigators, a film by Ken Loach about this failed privatisation
[edit] External links
| Preceded by: Network SouthEast As part of British Rail |
Operator of South Eastern franchise 1996-2003 |
Succeeded by: South Eastern Trains |
| Defunct train operating companies: | |
|---|---|
| InterCity: | Anglia Railways - Great Western Trains |
| London & South East: | Connex South Central - Connex South Eastern - First Great Eastern - First Great Western Link South Eastern Trains - Thames Trains - Thameslink - wagn |
| Regional: | Arriva Trains Merseyside - Arriva Trains Northern - First North Western - MTL - North Western Trains Northern Spirit - ScotRail - Valley Lines - Wales and Borders - Wales and West - Wessex Trains |
