Southeastern has unveiled a special Networker (Class 465) train, with it painted back in its original Network SouthEast livery to mark Railway200 – a year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of passenger rail services in the UK.
Unit number 465908 was unveiled at a special event at London Charing Cross station and named Chris Green in honour of the former Director of Network SouthEast.
The event brought together the Rail Minister Lord Hendy, former Network SouthEast colleagues, current Southeastern and Network Rail colleagues, partner organisations and suppliers, supporters of the Network SouthEast Friends organisation and leading figures from the rail industry to celebrate the proud history of Network SouthEast and the Networker fleet.
Re-creating the Networker Livery
The creation of the Railway 200 Networker started in the summer of 2024 with a small team from Southeastern, Angel Trains, Wabtec and designers Creactive. Although there were technical drawings of the NSE livery, some details were missing compared to modern drawings.
More importantly, the livery design came from a period when accessibility requirements were much less developed, and it became apparent the original design did not meet today’s requirements. Balancing the historical accuracy of the design with modern accessibility requirements was a challenge but one the team was determined to overcome. As a result, the doors on the 465908 are grey (as opposed to blue) and there are other minor design touches to highlight door buttons and maintain minimum distances between other design elements.
The Legacy of Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast (NSE) was formed in June 1986 as part of the sectorisation efforts of British Rail at that time to be more market-responsive, as opposed to operating as a passenger division of British Rail.
It brought together the commuter services operating in and around the southeast of England and London and was easily recognisable by its red, white and blue ‘signal toothpaste’ colour scheme across its stations and trains, with the aim of providing a recognisable brand for customers, improve service quality and grow ridership.
The creation and delivery of Network SouthEast was led by Chris Green, who at the time was the British Rail Sector Director for London & South East. Before he joined the London and SouthEast divisions, he successfully re-branded ScotRail. Post Network SouthEast, he became the Managing Director of the Intercity Sector between 1992 and 1995, returning to the railways in 1999 to become the CEO of Virgin Rail Group.
Come forward the Networker, as well as other major rolling stock introductions
To enable this, the Class 465 ‘Networker’ fleet was introduced in 1992 – with the majority of the fleet (121 train sets) still in service today.
Other fleets of Networker family trains include the Class 365 (AC/DC Power Units four-car units, scrapped), Class 466 (DC Powered Units, two-car units, 30 in service), Class 165 (Diesel Powered two/three car units) and Class 166 (Diesel Powered three-car units).
As well as the Networkers, Network SouthEast introduced new rolling stock too. This included:
- Class 159 on the West of England Lines
- Class 315 on the West Angila Lines
- Class 317 on the West Anglia Lines
- Class 319 on the Thameslink lines
- Class 321 on the Great Eastern and Northampton Lines
- Class 322 on the West Anglia Lines
- Class 483 (ex London Underground 1938 Stock) on the Island Line (on the Isle of Wight)
- Class 442 Wessex Express on the Solent and Wessex Lines
- Class 456 on the South London Lines
- Class 482 on the Waterloo and City Line
In Quotes
Chris Green, guest of honour and former Director of Network SouthEast, said:
“I remain immensely proud of everything Network SouthEast accomplished and the foundations it built for today’s railway – particularly in and around south-east London and parts of Kent. We showed what can be achieved by working together across track and train and putting customers at the heart of our decision making.
“Today’s event was a wonderful reminder of that period of time and an opportunity to recognise the role the Networker fleet played in developing Network SouthEast, as well as the role the fleet continues to play across Southeastern today. I am grateful for today’s recognition and I look forward to more strides forward in the coming years, too.”
Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, said:
“Today’s unveiling of the Railway 200 Networker was a great opportunity for railway colleagues, both past and present, and passengers to come together to celebrate this special year for the industry.
“The exciting year-long series of events and celebrations is not just a nod to the railway’s past; it’s a reminder of how far the sector has come in providing better services for passengers and the pivotal role they continue to play in society.”
Steve White, Managing Director, Southeastern, said:
“The Southeastern Railway can trace its roots back to 1836 and throughout this year we will be holding a series of Railway 200 themed events to commemorate how the railway has helped our region live, work and grow.
“Moreover, we want to appeal to a new generation of talent in our communities to consider a career in rail and to join us in writing the next chapter in our history, with a new generation of trains, as we work to build a railway which is purposeful and delivering economic growth, decarbonisation and social mobility.”
Images – Southeastern.
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