| Franchise(s): | 2 March 1997 - 10 November 2007 |
|---|---|
| Main Region(s): | North London |
| Other Region(s): | Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire |
| Fleet size: | 67 |
| Stations called at: | 88 |
| National Rail abbreviation: | SL |
| Parent company: | National Express Group |
Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes in North London and from London to Northampton (and until 2004, to Birmingham via Coventry). It was owned by National Express Group plc.
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The franchise was awarded to National Express on 7 February 1997, when it was agreed they would take over North London Railways Ltd, a shadow franchise created when the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail began to be prepared for privatisation on 1 April 1994.[1] The franchise began on 3 March 1997 and was due to end on 15 October 2006, but on 11 August 2006 the DfT extended the franchise to finish on 11 November 2007.[2]
The company's name was changed to Silverlink in September 1997.[3] The name is taken from the first of the LNER A4 steam locomotives (a member of which holds the world speed record for steam traction) which was called Silver Link.[4] Ironically, Silverlink trains operated on the route to the north of the old LMS, the LNER's greatest rival.
Silverlink trains had two sub-brands:
Silverlink Metro operated the following services.
Note: Changes during the franchise period are noted but changes to the lines before and after the franchise are not.
| Richmond (change for District Line) | |
| Kew Gardens (change for District Line) | |
| Gunnersbury (change for District Line) | |
| South Acton | |
| Acton Central | |
| Willesden Junction (change for Bakerloo Line, West London Line and Watford DC Line) | |
| Kensal Rise | |
| Brondesbury Park | |
| Brondesbury | |
| West Hampstead (change for Jubilee Line and First Capital Connect) | |
| Finchley Road & Frognal | |
| Hampstead Heath | |
| Gospel Oak (change for Gospel Oak - Barking Line) | |
| Kentish Town West | |
| Camden Road | |
| Caledonian Road & Barnsbury | |
| Highbury & Islington (change for Victoria Line) | |
| Canonbury | |
| Dalston Kingsland | |
| Hackney Central | |
| Homerton | |
| Hackney Wick | |
| Stratford (change 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 is duplicated by the Docklands Light Railway and the Jubilee Line, leaving Stratford as the eastern terminus of the North London Line.[5]
| Willesden Junction (change for North London Line, Watford DC Line and Bakerloo Line) | |
| Kensington (Olympia) (change for District Line and Southern) | |
| West Brompton (change for District Line and Southern) | |
| Clapham Junction (change for South West Trains and Southern) |
Shepherd's Bush station 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.
| London Euston (change for Northern Line, Victoria Line, London Midland and Virgin) | |
| South Hampstead | |
| Kilburn High Road | |
| Queen's Park † | |
| Kensal Green † | |
| Willesden Junction † (change for North London Line and West London Line) | |
| Harlesden † | |
| Stonebridge Park † | |
| Wembley Central † (change for Southern during the peaks) | |
| North Wembley † | |
| South Kenton † | |
| Kenton † | |
| Harrow & Wealdstone † (change for Northampton Line and Southern) | |
| Headstone Lane | |
| Hatch End | |
| Carpenders Park | |
| Bushey | |
| Watford High Street | |
| Watford Junction (change for Northampton Line, St Albans Abbey Line, Virgin and Southern) |
† = also served by the Bakerloo Line.
Northampton Line services ran on the slow lines of the West Coast Main Line.
| London Euston (change for Watford DC Line and Virgin) | |
| Harrow and Wealdstone (change for Watford DC Line and Southern) | |
| Bushey | |
| Watford Junction (change for Watford DC Line, St Albans Abbey Line, Virgin and Southern) | |
| Kings Langley | |
| Apsley | |
| Hemel Hempstead | |
| Berkhamsted | |
| Tring | |
| Cheddington | |
| Leighton Buzzard | |
| Bletchley (change for Marston Vale Line) | |
| Milton Keynes Central | |
| Wolverton | |
| Northampton (change for Central Trains) | |
| Long Buckby † | |
| Rugby † | |
| Coventry † | |
| Birmingham International † | |
| Birmingham New Street † |
† 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.
| Watford Junction (change for Northampton Line, Virgin, Watford DC Line and Southern) | |
| Watford North | |
| Garston | |
| Bricket Wood | |
| How Wood | |
| Park Street | |
| St Albans Abbey |
| Bletchley (change for Northampton Line) | |
| Fenny Stratford | |
| Bow Brickhill | |
| Woburn Sands | |
| Aspley Guise | |
| Ridgmont | |
| Lidlington | |
| Millbrook | |
| Stewartby | |
| Kempston Hardwick | |
| Bedford St Johns | |
| Bedford (change for First Capital Connect and East Midlands Trains) |
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 last year, but remain above the sector level of 89.0%.
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 recent 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]
Metro services were operated by Class 313 25kV AC/750 V DC electric multiple units on the electrified routes, with three Class 508/3 750 V DC electric multiple units used exclusively on the Euston-Watford Junction service. Class 150 Sprinter diesel multiple units were used on the non-electrified Gospel Oak-Barking route. They replaced elderly Class 121 and Class 117 units in 2000.
County services to Northampton were operated by Class 321/4 electrical multiple units introduced in 1988. They were joined by new Class 350/1 Desiro units built by Siemens AG in summer 2005, which operate as a shared fleet with Central Trains.
The St Albans Abbey line was operated for many years by Class 313 electric multiple units, but were usually operated by Class 321 units with Silverlink Metro drivers and Silverlink County guards.
The non-electrified County Marston Vale Line used Class 150 diesel units. Prior to the year 2000 this rout was also worked by Class 121 and 117 units.
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Routes operated | Built | Period used | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||||
| Class 121 Bubble Car | diesel multiple unit | 70 | 112 | 4 | Gospel Oak - Barking Line Marston Vale Line |
1960 | ?-2001 | Replaced by Class 150 | |
| Class 150/1 Sprinter | diesel multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 8 | Silverlink Metro: Gospel Oak - Barking Line Silverlink County: |
1984–1987 | 2000–2007 | ||
| Class 313 | electric multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 21 | Silverlink Metro: North London Line West London Line Watford DC Line |
1976-1977 1997 - 2001 (Refurbished) |
1983-2007 | ||
| Class 321/4 | electric multiple unit | 100 | 160 | 37 | Silverlink County: Northampton Line St Albans Abbey Line |
1989-1990 | 1989-2007 | ||
| Class 350/1 Desiro | electric multiple unit | 100 | 160 | 30 | 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 508/3 | electric multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 3 | Silverlink Metro: Watford DC Line |
1979 - 1980 2003 (Refurbished) |
2003–2007 | Replaced by Class 313 | |
The Silverlink franchise ended in November 2007.[16] Henceforward, Silverlink's operations were split between Transport for London and the new West Midlands franchise. Therefore, Silverlink County and Silverlink Metro have become Defunct UK Train Operating companies (sub-brands).
Silverlink Metro services (the North London Line, the West London Line, the Watford DC Line and the Gospel Oak to Barking line) have come under the control of Transport for London under the banner of the London Overground.
Four prospective operators were initially pre-selected for the London Overground concession:
In December 2006, Govia and MTR Laing were selected to submit "best and final offers" for the concession. MTR Laing was selected on 19 June 2007[17] and began operations from 11 November 2007.
Silverlink County services were merged with part of Central Trains to form the new West Midlands franchise. The Department for Transport announced on 19 September 2006 that three parties had pre-qualified for the new franchise.[18]
Subsequently, MTR withdrew (it was suggested in the press at the time that this was part of a gentleman's agreement with Govia to divide this with the Overground franchise). In June 2007, the Government announced that Govia had been awarded the franchise, to be operated under the name London Midland.[19]
Alstom had proposed to withdraw from the Willesden train maintenance depot. Closure would have left the Class 313 trains homeless. On 12 May 2007, Silverlink took over direct running of the depot and its staff for the final six months of its franchise.[20] Alstom will continue to operate four depots on the West Coast Main Line, at Wembley, Oxley, Longsight, and Polmadie.
| 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 |
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