Southeastern (train operating company)

SE Trains Limited,[3] trading as Southeastern, is a train operator, owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport,[4] that took over operating the South Eastern franchise in South East England from privately owned London & South Eastern Railway (which also traded as Southeastern) on 17 October 2021.

This article is about the current, government-owned company operating since 2021. For the former operator of the same name, see Southeastern (train operating company 2006–2021). For other uses, see Southeast (disambiguation) § Rail transport.

Southeastern
Overview
Franchise(s)South Eastern
Main region(s)Greater London, South East England
Fleet size
Stations called at180
Stations operated164
Parent companyDfT OLR Holdings
Reporting markSE
Dates of operation17 October 2021 (2021-10-17)–17 October 2027 (2027-10-17)[2]
PredecessorSoutheastern (Govia)
Other
Websitewww.southeasternrailway.co.uk
Route map

History

In September 2021, the Department for Transport announced it would be terminating the South Eastern franchise operated by Govia-owned Southeastern after revenue declaration discrepancies involving £25 million of public money were discovered. SE Trains Limited, as an operator of last resort, took over the franchise on 17 October 2021,[5][6][7] for a six-year period until 17 October 2027.[2]

Southeastern is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2023 United Kingdom railway strikes, which are the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades.[8] Its workers are amongst those who are participating in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.[9]

In November 2022, Southeastern began the process of procuring new trains, to be made up of between 350 and 640 new carriages. These would enter service in the mid-2020s.[10][11]

Overview

Southeastern serves the main London stations of Charing Cross, Waterloo East, Cannon Street, London Bridge, St Pancras, Victoria and Blackfriars. The network has route mileage of 540 miles (870 km),[4] with 180 stations,[4] 164 of which it manages.[12]

Routes

Southeastern initially began trading operating the same routes and services as its predecessor. However, in December 2022, a new timetable was introduced aiming to reduce congestion, improve reliability and better match demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

As of May 2023, the weekday off-peak service pattern, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), is:[14]

High Speed 1[15]
RoutetphCalling at
London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Faversham1
London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory1
London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West1
Chatham Main Line[16]
RoutetphCalling at
London Victoria to Ramsgate via Faversham1
London Victoria to Dover Priory via Faversham1
London Victoria to Gillingham1
Sittingbourne to Sheerness-on-Sea1
Maidstone Line[17]
RoutetphCalling at
London Victoria to Ashford International via Maidstone East1
London Charing Cross to Maidstone East (semi-fast)1
South Eastern Main Line[18]
RoutetphCalling at
London Charing Cross to Dover Priory1
London Charing Cross to Ramsgate via Canterbury West1
Hastings Line[19]
RoutetphCalling at
London Charing Cross to Hastings (stopping)1
London Charing Cross to Hastings (semi-fast)1
  • Waterloo East, London Bridge, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, High Brooms, Tunbridge Wells, Wadhurst, Battle, St Leonards Warrior Square
Medway Valley Line[20]
RoutetphCalling at
Strood to Paddock Wood via Maidstone West2
Metro - North Kent Line[21]
RoutetphCalling at
London Cannon Street to London Cannon Street via Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal (clockwise)2
  • Services continue to/from London Cannon Street via Bexleyheath (see below).
London Cannon Street to Gravesend via Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal2
Metro - Bexleyheath Line[22]
RoutetphCalling at
London Cannon Street to London Cannon Street via Bexleyheath (anticlockwise)2
  • Services continue to/from London Cannon Street via Woolwich Arsenal and Greenwich (see above).
London Victoria to Dartford via Bexleyheath2
London Charing Cross to Dartford via Bexleyheath1
  • Waterloo East, London Bridge, Lewisham, Blackheath, Kidbrooke, Eltham, Falconwood, Welling, Bexleyheath, Barnehurst
Metro - Sidcup Line[23]
RoutetphCalling at
London Charing Cross to Dartford via Lewisham and Sidcup2
London Charing Cross to Gravesend via Sidcup2
Metro - South Eastern Main Line[24]
RoutetphCalling at
London Cannon Street to Orpington via Grove Park2
London Charing Cross to Sevenoaks via Grove Park2
Grove Park to Bromley North (branch line)2Sundridge Park
Metro - Hayes Line[25]
RoutetphCalling at
London Charing Cross to Hayes4
Metro - Chatham Main Line[26]
RoutetphCalling at
London Victoria to Orpington via Beckenham Junction2

Rolling stock

Southeastern operates the same electric multiple units as its predecessor. The remainder of the 30 Class 707s will enter service as they are released by South Western Railway.[27]

Current fleet
Family Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes operated Built
mph km/h
Bombardier Electrostar 375 EMU 100 160 10 3 Main line routes 1999–2005
102 4
376 75 120 36 5 Metro routes 2004–2005
377 100 160 23 4 Main line routes 2008–2009
Hitachi AT300 395 Javelin 140 225 29 6 High Speed 1 services 2007–2009
Networker 465 75 120 129 4 Main line and metro routes 1991–1994
466 36 2 Main line and metro routes 1993–1994
Siemens Desiro 707 City Beam 100 160 18[1] 5 Metro routes 2015–2018

Past fleet

In May 2022, two Class 377/1 units were transferred from Southeastern back to Southern.[28]

Family Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes operated Year withdrawn
mph km/h
Bombardier Electrostar 377 EMU 100 160 2 4 Main line routes 2022

References
  1. Holden, Michael (11 January 2022). "South Western Railway extends Class 707 lease to boost capacity". RailAdvent. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  2. "Service Contract South Eastern" (PDF). Department for Transport. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. "SE Trains Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. "Company information - Facts, figures and future plans from Southeastern, the rail network linking London with Kent and parts of East Sussex". SE Trains Ltd. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  5. Southeastern stripped of franchise over undeclared funding BBC News 28 September 2021
  6. Government to take over Southeastern after serious breach of franchise The Guardian 28 September 2021
  7. British government takes over Southeastern franchise following franchise breach International Railway Journal 28 September 2021
  8. "Rail strike: RMT union votes for national action". BBC News. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  9. "The dates of the train, Tube and bus strikes this week, and how services will be affected". inews.co.uk. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  10. "And Maintenance Support for New Rolling Stock for Southeastern [Tender Notice]". bidstats.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  11. Smith, John (10 November 2022). "Southeastern could see new trains as tender for hundreds of carriages issued". Murky Depths. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  12. "Explore our network - Take some time to check out our route map and plan your next trip". SE Trains Ltd. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  13. "December 2022 Timetable Changes". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  14. "Train Timetables". Southeastern. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  15. "Timetable 8: High Speed Lines". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  16. "Timetable 2: London to the Medway Towns, Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Faversham, Ramsgate and Dover". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  17. "Timetable 3a: London to Ashford via Maidstone East". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  18. "Timetable 1: London to Dover and Ramsgate via Tonbridge and Ashford". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  19. "Timetable 4: London and Sevenoaks to Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Battle and Hastings". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  20. "Timetable 3b: Tonbridge, Paddock Wood and Maidstone West to Strood". Southeastern. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  21. "Timetable 5a: London to Dartford, Gravesend and the Medway Towns via Woolwich". Southeastern. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  22. "Timetable 5b: London to Dartford via Bexleyheath". Southeastern. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  23. "Timetable 5c: London to Dartford and Gravesend via Sidcup". Southeastern. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  24. "Timetable 6b: London to Bromley North, Orpington and Sevenoaks via Grove Park". Southeastern. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  25. "Timetable 6a: London to Catford Bridge, Elmers End and Hayes". Southeastern. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  26. "Timetable 7: London to Bromley South, Orpington and Sevenoaks via Herne Hill". Southeastern. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  27. Autumn start set for Southeastern Class 707s The Railway Magazine issue 1445 August 2021 page 95
  28. "Units numbers 377 163 and 377 164 transfer from Southeastern to Southern exact dates. - a Freedom of Information request to SE Trains Limited". WhatDoTheyKnow. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
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