Silverlink - Silverlink Rolling Stock - C

Silverlink - C

Silverlink Rolling Stock

Silverlink inherited a fleet of Class 117 and Class 121 diesel multiple units, and Class 313 and Class 321 electric multiple units, from British Rail.

To replace the elderly Class 117s and 121s, which operated the Gospel Oak - Barking and Bletchley - Bedford services, seven Class 150 Sprinters were transferred from Central Trains in summer 1999, an eighth followed in 2006. Pending the Sprinters' arrival, Silverlink hired Class 31 locomotives from Fragonset to top and tail Mark 2 carriages on Bletchley - Bedford services in 1998/99.

The Class 313s operated Metro services on the electrified routes, they were joined on the Euston - Watford Junction service in 2003 by three Class 508s transferred from Merseyrail. The Class 321s operated County services to Northampton and Birmingham, they were joined in 2005 by new Class 350s. The Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey service was operated for many years by Class 313s, but later was usually operated by Class 321s with Silverlink Metro drivers and Silverlink County guards.

On 16 July 2004, Virgin Trains announced that it was withdrawing most of its stops at Milton Keynes Central, which were used by up to 6,000 passengers a day. Commuters became unhappy at the prospect of switching to older Silverlink trains, and a longer journey. Silverlink countered this with the temporary usage of ex-Virgin stock, still in Virgin colours.

The Strategic Rail Authority decided to divert thirty four-carriage Siemens Desiro trains from an order placed by South West Trains to provide stock with faster acceleration for the West Coast Main Line operators. These trains, the Class 350s, were not allocated to a specific operator, but were instead used jointly by Silverlink and Central Trains, both owned by National Express.

Pending the arrival of these trains, from September 2004 Silverlink introduced two sets of Mark 3 carriages, formerly of Virgin Trains, hauled by Virgin Class 87 and EWS Class 90 electric locomotives on peak-hour Northampton services. Additionally, five Class 321s were hired from One, another National Express-owned operator.

Silverlink Fleet

121 Bubble Car DMU

Gospel Oak to Barking Line

Marston Vale Line

1960 1997–2001

Replaced by Class 150s.

150/1 Sprinter

1984–1987 1999–2007

313/1 EMU

Silverlink Metro:

North London Line

West London Line

Watford DC Line

1976–1977 1997–2007

Refurbished between 1997 and 2001.

321/4

Silverlink County:

Northampton Line

St Albans Abbey Line

1989–1990 1997–2007

350/1 Desiro

Silverlink County:

Northampton Line

2004–2005 2004–2007

Shared use by Central Trains and Silverlink on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line.

508/3

Silverlink Metro:

Watford DC Line

1979–1980 2003–2007

Refurbished 2003.

Silverlink Overview

Silverlink Franchise(s): North London Railways

2 March 1997 – 10 November 2007

Silverlink Main Region(s): Greater London

Silverlink Other Region(s): Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,

Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire

Silverlink Fleet Size: 67

Silverlink Stations Called At: 88

Silverlink Parent Company: National Express

Silverlink Reporting Mark: SS

Silverlink Successors:

London Overground

London Midland

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