Great Northern route
Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern 14 Sep 2014 – 1 April 2028[1] | |||
Main region(s) | |||
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Fleet size | |||
Stations called at | 54 | ||
Parent company | DC third rail | ||
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Website | www | ||
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The Great Northern route, formerly known as Great Northern Electrics, is the name given to suburban rail services run on the southern end of Britain's
The route forms a major commuter route into London from Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and eastern Bedfordshire: ridership has grown rapidly over recent years. In 2009, rolling stock was transferred from other lines to allow additional services and longer trains to be run. In early 2018, the line was connected to the Thameslink route via a junction just south of the High Speed 1 bridge, north of King's Cross, allowing through services to the south of London.
Since September 2014, the services have been operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). The Thameslink and Great Northern service brands were maintained and separated from each other.[2]
Route
The network consists of all local and semi-fast services on these lines:
- East Coast Main Line south of Peterborough
- Northern City Line
- Hertford Loop Line
- Cambridge Line
Additionally, the main service on the
At privatisation the services became part of
History
The term Great Northern is related to the Great Northern Railway, the original builders of the line.
The July 1922
- London King's Cross to Cambridge - Six stopping and two (three on Saturday) semi-fast services from Monday to Saturday, one northbound and two southbound stopping services on Sunday. The fastest service took about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- London King's Cross to Royston - Two (three on Wednesday) additional services from Monday to Saturday, one additional service on Sunday.
- London King's Cross to Baldock - Seven additional services from Monday to Saturday.
- London King's Cross to Letchworth- Three additional services from Monday to Saturday. The last service on Wednesday ran past midnight into Thursday morning.
Since the 1960s, Great Northern has been used to describe the suburban part of the
The Inner Suburban Lines to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North were electrified in 1976 with Class 313 EMUs. In 1978 the electrification was complete to Royston with Class 312 EMUs providing the service. The route was then promoted as the Great Northern Electrics.[5] The route between Hertford and Langley Junction, south of Stevenage, was also electrified but not regularly used by electric trains until 1979, when one Moorgate - Hertford service per hour was extended to Letchworth Garden City; prior to this DMUs provided an infrequent service over this route, running between Hertford and Huntingdon / Peterborough. From 1979 until 1987 DMUs provided the service between Hitchin and Huntingdon/Peterborough. DMUs also provided a shuttle service between Royston and Cambridge between 1978 and 1988, connecting with the electric trains and replacing the former through Cambridge buffet expresses between Kings Cross and the university city.
In 1982 Watton-at-Stone station was reopened between Hertford and Stevenage. A new station also opened at Welham Green in 1986.
With the further electrification of the East Coast Main Line between 1986 and 1988, electric services could be extended to Peterborough and the outer suburban service was changed from Class 312 to Class 317, some of which were cascaded from the newly created Thameslink route, with the remainder newly built.
In 1984
Rapid growth on the route, especially on the
Hitchin Flyover
Together with the two-track Digswell Viaduct (Welwyn Viaduct) some ten miles to the south, the flat junction just north of Hitchin was a major bottleneck,[8] as northbound trains diverging from the East Coast Main Line towards Letchworth and thence to Cambridge had to cross one northbound (fast) line and two southbound (fast and slow) lines to access the Cambridge Line. Proposals as part of the original electrification work envisaged a new underpass here and land was set aside for its construction. However, budgetary constraints forced this part of the programme to be abandoned. The land stood empty for many years, but has since been used to provide new housing.
A new plan
Thameslink programme
As part of the Thameslink Programme,
On 6 November 2017 the first Thameslink Programme units entered service on the Great Northern route.[13] 700128 worked the 0656 Peterborough - London King's Cross and 1812 return, while 700125 worked the 0733 Peterborough - London King's Cross and 1742 return.[13]
Services
The Great Northern off-peak service pattern, as of May 2023, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), consists of the following:[14][15]
Route | tph | Calling at |
---|---|---|
London King's Cross to Ely | 1 | |
London King's Cross to King's Lynn | 1 |
|
London King's Cross to Letchworth Garden City | 1 | Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin |
London King's Cross to Cambridge | 1 | Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton |
Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City | 2 |
|
Moorgate to Stevenage via Hertford North | 2 |
|
In addition, Great Northern also runs 3 peak hour extras in each direction between Peterborough and King's Cross every day.
Rolling stock
As of 2021, the Great Northern fleet consists of Class 387s and Class 717s, the former operating services from London King's Cross and the latter from Moorgate. Class 700s also operate on the route on Thameslink services.
Prior to the introduction of Class 387s and Class 717s in 2016 and 2019 respectively, Class 313s, Class 317s, Class 321s, and Class 365s were used. Of these, Class 365s lasted until 15 May 2021,[16] at which point they were replaced by Gatwick Express Class 387/2 units which were being used by Southern while the service was suspended.
Current fleet
Family | Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Carriages | Routes operated | Built | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mph | km/h | ||||||||
Bombardier Electrostar | 387 | EMU | 110 | 177 | 39 | 4[17] | Great Northern express services between London King's Cross & Ely / King's Lynn / Peterborough and Great Northern semi-fast services between London King's Cross & Letchworth Garden City / Cambridge | 2014–2017 | |
Siemens Desiro | 717 Desiro City[18] | 85 | 137 | 25 | 6 | Northern City Line services between Moorgate & Welwyn Garden City / Stevenage via Hertford North | 2018 | ||
Future fleet
Govia Thameslink Railway issued a tender in April 2023 for between 21 and 30 four-coach 100 mph (160 km/h) trains, with an estimated value of £48.6 million.[19]
On 12 March 2024 it was announced that Great northern would acquire 30 Class 379 units.[20]
Past fleet
Trains formerly used on the Great Northern Route include, but are not limited to, the following:
Family | Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Cars | Number | Routes operated | Built | Withdrawn | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mph | km/h | ||||||||||
BREL 1972 | 313 | EMU | 75 | 120 | 3 | 44 | 1976–1977 | 2019 | Replaced by Class 717 | ||
BR Second Generation (Mark 3) | 317 | 100 | 160 | 4 | 12 | Semi-Fast and Express services between London King's Cross and Peterborough / Cambridge | 1981–1982 | 2017 | Replaced by Class 387 | ||
321 | 100 | 160 | 4 | 13 | Semi-Fast and Express services between London King's Cross and Peterborough / Cambridge | 1989–1990 | 2016 | Replaced by Class 387 | |||
Networker | 365 Networker Express | 100 | 160 | 4 | 40 | Semi-fast services between London King's Cross and Ely / Peterborough | 1994–1995 | 2021 | Replaced by Class 387 | ||
Bombardier Electrostar | 387/2 | 110 | 177 | 4 | 8 | Semi-fast services between London King's Cross & Ely / Peterborough | 2016–2017 | 2022 | Replaced by Class 387/3 | ||
Future developments
East-West (Varsity) line
The Varsity Line connected Cambridge with Oxford via Sandy and Bedford ("Varsity" being slang for "University", those termini being major university towns). It was closed in 1968 but there are now plans to restore this route.
References
- ^ "National Rail Contract Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern" (PDF). Department for Transport. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ "GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) Presentation" (PDF). Govia. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
- ^ Department for Transport. "New rail franchising deal set to transform passenger services across London and south east". Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- ^ Bradshaw's July 1922 Railway Guide. Manchester: Henry Blacklock & Company. 1922.
- ^ a b British Railways Board. "Your New Electric Railway: The Great Northern Suburban Electrification" (PDF). Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ^ "Major rail closures ruled out". Home News. The Times. No. 61815. London. 26 April 1984. p. 4.
- ^ "Cambridge Capacity Study". First Capital Connect. Archived from the original on 2 April 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
- Office of Rail Regulation. 13 February 2006. p. 2. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ Network Rail. "Hitchin Flyover". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ Network Rail. "The Network Rail Hitchin (Cambridge Junction) Order" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ^ First Capital Connect. "2016 (Thameslink & Great Northern routes)". Archived from the original on 2 April 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
- ^ Network Rail (December 2006). London North Eastern Sectional Appendix. Vol. Module LNE. p. 12 LOR LN101 Seq002. NR30018/02.
- ^ Rail Magazine. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ Table 24 National Rail timetable, May 2020
- ^ Table 25 National Rail timetable, May 2020
- ^ "👋 Today we bid farewell to our Class 365s". Great Northern. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ "Units". Rail Express. No. 318. November 2022. p. 27.
- ^ Clinnick, Richard. "New Govia Thameslink Railway trains to be Class 717s". Rail. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ "Govia Thameslink Rail (GTR): Provision of a fleet of up to 30 x 4-car EMUs". Delta Sourcing. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/007878-2024
Further reading
- Perren, Brian (30 November – 13 December 1989). "Great Northern reliability". OCLC 49953699.