(NEW) SOUTHERN (RAILWAY)
2004 -
On May 30th 2004, just over a year since signing its seven-year franchise, South Central was rebranded as the Southern, the trading name for the New Southern Railway, a move which cost the company around £250,000. The "old" Southern Railway - one of the four big railway companies before WW II - had a firmly established reputation for first class service, delivery of performance and investment - witness the SR's extensive electrification programme.
Official statements in conjunction with the rebranding harked back to the SR's reputation and underlined the New Southern Railway's intention to operate to equally high standards, promising new or refurbished trains across the network, completion of a £115m depot upgrade project, station improvements with new ticket machines, and better on-board services. The Epsom Downs branch saw words put into action virtually coinciding with the launch of the new Southern, as extended engineering work took place over the weekend of 8th and 9th May 2004, during which the branch was re-ballasted together with a complete track renewal at Banstead and on part of the line crossing the Downs en route to Belmont.
The track at Banstead in August 1992 (left) and September 2004 (right)
This infrastructure rejuvenation was a commitment in favour of the branch which it hadn't seen since Network SouthEast's decision in the late 1980's to modernise the station layout at Epsom Downs. This time, however, all stations on the line benefited as facilities for passengers were further improved and added to.
All stations had already been equipped with train information devices during Southern's operating period as South Central, but now even further passenger information was added, such as a sign indicating the direction of travel at Banstead.
Train information at Banstead
(click on loudspeakers to listen to a wav sound file)
Since the days when the stations on the branch became unstaffed, passengers had often been left with no information at all as to when the next train was going to arrive or depart - this was especially true, of course, in the event of delays. Now, Southern provided and maintained a level of service to passengers which had been absent from the line for decades. Not only had the company taken the line out of the misery of the Connex era, it had actually, within a very short time span, provided a substantial and sustained upgrade of both infrastructure and passenger facilities.
Southern was also quick to bring its corporate colours and design to the entire branch, further emphasizing the general atmosphere of a change for better. This was certainly also helped by the opening of the new CCTV control centre at Streatham Hill in March 2005 as part of a £ 3.1 million package of measures in passenger safety and security funded by Transport for London and Southern.
Making rail travel safer and easier across the capital had become a growing issue since the 1970s and reached critical levels in the 1990s when it became increasingly clear that not only were the railways faced with an image problem, but they were actually losing passengers who could opt for other means of transport. The increase of anti-social behaviour, ranging from vandalism to violence, is especially problematic on branches such as the Epsom Downs line, where stations can be remote and lonely places at certain times. Whilst Network SouthEast had at least tried to tackle the problem on this branch, Connex's policy of factual neglect actually made things worse.
CCTV information sign at Epsom DownsQuite unlike its predecessors, Southern had adressed the need to provide reassurance to passengers seriously and with top priority right from the start of its operations as South Central. The advanced measures implemented in Spring 2005 enhanced Southern’s already robust strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour and improve customer service levels for passengers. As part of this commitment, Southern agreed to pay the running costs of the new Control Centre.
Only a few months later, in July 2005, Southern provided another upgrade to customer services by installing and putting into service new ticket machines at Epsom Downs and Belmont, after Sutton had been one of the first stations to have QUICKticket machines in May 2005. Equipped with touch-screens, these self-service ticket machines are faster than the old machines and have a much wider variety of ticket types to any destination on the national network. They also provide further flexibility by accepting cash, credit or debit cards to buy daily, weekly or monthly season tickets.
The only station left out initially is Banstead, where passengers are currently left with facilities originally installed in the outgoing Network SouthEast era in the form of a machine dispensing a "proof of travel" token (indicating the station where a train was boarded) only.
Newly installed QUICKticket machine at Belmont, September 2005
In parallel, Southern continues the policy of involving the communities served and parties interested in the operations by providing information in the form of a monthly bulletin.
Southern also kicked off an extensive refurbishing programme in 2004 for its fleet of Class 455 EMU units - the main form of motive power used on the Epsom Downs branch since the late 1980s. After some two decades of stalwart service the Cl 455 units clearly were in need of a substantial overhaul also aimed at rectifying some of the interior design deficiencies associated with these trains.
Refurbished Cl 455 840 ready to leave Belmont with a London Victoria service on 27 September 2005Southern Cl 455s underwent an extensive mid-life refurbishing at Eastleigh, where the bodywork was treated to remove corrosion and new vinyl covered floors fitted. The unpopular low backed seats were replaced with high backed versions, retaining the 2+2 and 3+2 seating arrangement, and a space for wheelchairs, with all interior finishes replaced as well. For added security each car is equipped with four CCTV cameras and windows made of vandal resistant glass. A passenger information system (PIS) is also fitted. The most noticeable exterior difference is the removal of the end gangways which have been plated over with a central window. Unit numbers are now displayed in full TOPS form in two groups of three digits (e.g. 455 840), replacing the traditional four digit unit designation (e.g. 5840). Furthermore, a black box recorder and improved train performance diagnostics are fitted. The first refurbished unit, 455 828 entered service in March 2004, the programme was completed by the end of 2005.
Having refurbished the stock run on the branch, Southern continued to upgrade both track and stations in conjunction with the infrastructure owner, Network Rail.
Staff performing checks in between two weekends of civil engineering work just outside Belmont station, looking towards Sutton, on 24 July 2006. Track renewal on the branch is evident as old segments of sleepers and track are stacked for removal whilst new track is stored by the side of the track ready to be installed further along the line.With platform upgrading and installation of matrix-dot passenger information system indicating the next three trains completed, Southern has turned Banstead back into a fairly pleasing station again - something it had not been for at least two decades.
Banstead station, looking towards Epsom Downs, on 24 July 2006
Page last revised: August 10th 2006
