- Silverlink
Infobox Rail companies
bgcolor=012385
logo_filename=Silverlink_logo.gif
image_filename=313101 at Kilburn High Road.jpg
widthpx=300px
abbr=SS
franchise=2nd March 1997 - 10th November 2007
nameforarea=Region
regions=North London
secregions=Bedfordshire ,Buckinghamshire ,Hertfordshire ,Northamptonshire
fleet=67
stations=88
abbr=SL
parent_company=National Express Group Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a
train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes inNorth London and fromLondon toNorthampton (and until 2004, to Birmingham via Coventry). It was owned byNational Express Group plc.History
The franchise was awarded to National Express on 7th 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 was privatised on 1st April 1994. [citeweb|url=http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com/nx/mc/mc_rfi/mc_afa/mc_1997/1997-02-07|title=NX Awarded North London Railways Franchise|date=February 7 1997 |publisher=National Express Group ] The franchise began on 3 March 1997 and was due to end on 15 October 2006, but on 11 August 2006 theDfT extended the franchise to finish on 11 November 2007 [citeweb|url=http://www.riagb.org.uk/news/DfT%20Silverlink.pdf|title=Silverlink franchise extended to November 2007|dateAugust 11 2006 ] .The company's name was changed to Silverlink in September 1997 [citeweb|url= http://www.ukbusinesspark.co.uk/nas66623.htm|title=UK Activity Report - National Express|date=
September 30 1997 ] . The name is taken from the first of the LNER A4 steam locomotivesFact|date=January 2008 (a member of which holds the world speed record for steam traction) which was called "Silver Link". Ironically, Silverlink trains operated on the route to the north of the old LMS, the LNER's greatest rival.ub-brands
Silverlink trains had two sub-brands:
*Silverlink County-operating services between London Euston and Northampton, Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey, and Bletchley and Bedford; and
*Silverlink Metro -operating services between Stratford and Richmond, Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction, London Euston to Watford Junction via Queen's Park and Willesden Junction, and Gospel Oak and Barking.
ilverlink Metro
North London Line † = also served by the
Bakerloo Line .Gospel Oak to Barking Line Marston Vale Line 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 citeweb|url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/330-rev2.pdf|title=National Rail Trends 2006-2007 Q4] . 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%.
ilverlink Metro service levels
Despite published performance figures [cite web|url=http://www.atoc-comms.org/dynamic/toc-press-story/999831/Silverlink-rises-to-second-position-in-the-national-performance-league|title=Silverlink rises to second position in the national performance league|date=2006-09-18|accessdate=2007-10-26 Association of Train Operating Companies [http://www.atoc-comms.org/index.php] Press Releases ] the Silverlink Metro franchise on the North London Line was regarded by frequent travellers as offering a poor service, [cite news|url=http://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1782035.0.tfl_to_take_on_rail_network.php|title= TfL to take on rail network|publisher=Ealing Times|first=Rachel|last=Sharp|date=
2007-10-24 |accessdate=2007-10-26] with extremely congested trains and an unreliable service [cite news|url=http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/content/hackney/gazette/news/story.aspx?brand=HKYGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshkyg&itemid=WeED25%20Oct%202007%2011%3A49%3A35%3A157|title= Braced for rail strikes|publisher=Hackney Gazette|date=2007-10-26 |accessdate=2007-10-26] with some trains cancelled shortly before they are due to arrive. A recentLondon Assembly report described the service as "shabby, unreliable, unsafe and overcrowded". The recent transfer of the service toTransport for London (TfL) has the potential to improve the quality of the service [http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release_a.jsp?releaseid=7565 London Assembly] - Light at end of the tunnel for London's forgotten railway] due to upgrade plans [ [http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/43 Always Touch Out] - London Overground & Orbirail] which coincide with the extension of theEast London line .A report on the future of the line can be found on the London Assembly website [ [http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/transport/n-london-line.pdf London Assembly] - London's forgotten railway (PDF)] .
Rolling Stock
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 Sprinterdiesel multiple unit s are used on the non-electrified Gospel Oak-Barking route. They replaced elderly class 121 units in 2000.County services to Northampton were operated by class 321/4
electrical multiple unit s introduced in 1989. They were joined by new class 350/1Desiro units built bySiemens AG in summer 2005, which operate as a shared fleet withCentral 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.
Fleet
#Built for Central Trains and Silverlink regional express services and
Central Trains CityLink services on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line.ilverlink in the News
* On Tuesday
24 January 2006 ,London MayorKen Livingstone called for all Silverlink stations to be staffed after the murder of City lawyer Thomas Rhys Pryce nearKensal Green station . [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4644556.stm |title=Night staff for unmanned stations |publisher=BBC |date=2006-01-24 |accessdate=2007-01-26 |quote=We will not consider any bid for a franchise that does not include that complete commitment that staff will be at every station throughout its entire opening hours]
* On Friday16 July 2004 ,Virgin Trains announced that it was withdrawing most of its stops at Milton Keynes Central, which were used by up to 6000 passengers a day. Commuters became unhappy at the prospect of switching to older Silverlink trains, a longer journey. Silverlink countered this with the temporary usage of ex-Virgin stock, still in Virgin colours. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/3901883.stm |title=Commuters angry over train switch |publisher=BBC |date=2004-07-16 |accessdate=2007-01-25]
* On Monday7 June 2004 , a Silverlink train carrying about 50 passengers derailed as it entered Northampton. No-one was injured. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/3785349.stm |publisher=BBC |title=Train with 50 passengers derails |date=2004-06-07 |accessdate=2007-01-25]Reorganisation of former Silverlink Services
The Silverlink franchise ended in November 2007. [cite press release |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-centre/press-releases/press-releases-content.asp?prID=690 |title=Mayor welcomes Tfl control of first London passenger rail services |date=2006-02-14 |accessdate=2007-01-25 |publisher=Transport for London |quote=From Autumn 2007, the London rail services to be managed by TfL] Henceforward, Silverlink's operations were split between
Transport for London and the new West Midlands franchise. Therefore, Silverlink County and Silverlink Metro have become (sub-brands).London Overground
Silverlink Metro services (the
North London Line , theWest London Line , theWatford DC Line and theGospel Oak to Barking line ) have come under the control ofTransport for London under the banner of the London Overground.Four prospective operators were initially pre-selected for the London Overground concession:
*Govia
*MTR Laing (a joint venture betweenMTR Corporation andLaing Rail )
*National Express Group
*NedrailIn December 2006, Govia and MTR Laing were selected to submit "best and final offers" for the concession. MTR Laing was selected on 19th June 2007 [citeweb|url=http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=12398|title=Milestone reached in transformation of London's overland rail network as operator is announced|date=
June 19 2006 ] and began operations from11 November 2007 .West Midlands Franchise
Silverlink County services were merged with part of
Central Trains to form the new West Midlands franchise. TheDepartment for Transport announced on19 September 2006 that three parties had pre-qualified for the new franchise. [cite press release |url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_612526.hcsp |title=Department for Transport announces pre-qualified bidders for 3 new franchises |publisher=Department for Transport |date=2006-09-12 |accessdate=2007-01-26] .* London & Birmingham Railway Limited (
Govia )
* MTR Corporation (UK) Limited (MTR Corporation ofHong Kong )
* Serco NedRailways West Midlands Limited (a Joint Venture betweenSerco and NedRailways)Subsequently, MTR withdrew. In June
2007 , the Government announced that Govia had been awarded the franchise, to be operated under the nameLondon Midland . [cite web|url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/wmfranchise|title=Department for Transport announces winner of new West Midlands franchise|publisher=Department for Transport]Willesden depot
Alstom had proposed to withdraw from the Willesden train maintenance depot. Closure would have left the Class 313 trains homeless. OnMay 12 2007 , Silverlink took over direct running of the depot and its staff for the final six months of its franchise. [ [http://www.silverlink-trains.com/templates/NewsArticle.aspx?id=1377 Silverlink takes over Willesden TMD] Silverlink, 11/05/07; Retrieved 14/05/07] . Alstom will continue to operate four depots on theWest Coast Main Line , atWembley ,Oxley ,Longsight , andPolmadie .References
External links
* [http://www.silverlink-trains.com Silverlink Trains website] (now redirects to
London Midland )
* [http://www.nationalexpressgroup.com National Express Group website]
* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl Transport for London website]
* [http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/sectionhomepage/dft_railways_page.hcsp/ Department For Transport Railways page]
s-ttl|rows=2|title=Operator of North London Railways franchise
years=1997 — 2007
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