Wessex Trains
Overview | |
---|---|
Franchise(s): | Wessex 14 October 2001 - 31 March 2006 |
Main region(s): | South West England |
Other region(s): | South East England, South Wales |
Fleet size: | 70 |
Stations called at: | 161 |
Stations operated: | 125 |
National Rail abbreviation: | WE |
Parent company: | National Express |
Wessex Trains[1] was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express that operated the Wessex Trains franchise from October 2001 until March 2006, when the franchise was merged with the Great Western and Thames Valley franchises to form the Greater Western franchise.
History
In October 1996, Wales & West commenced operating the South West & Wales franchise in Wales and the West Country. It also operated services to Liverpool Lime Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham International, Southampton, Brighton and London Waterloo.
In 2001 the Strategic Rail Authority decided to re-organise the Valley Lines and Wales & West franchises, both being operated by National Express. Wales & West became Wessex Trains from October 2001.
Wessex Trains retained the West Country services with the Welsh services transferred to Wales & Borders although Wessex Trains operated services to Cardiff.
Services
Wessex Trains ran the majority of local trains in the South West as seen in their route map.[2]
Services ran from Great Malvern and Cardiff to Brighton, Portsmouth, Weymouth and Penzance and on these secondary lines:
- Atlantic Coast Line (Par - Newquay)
- Avocet Line (Exeter - Exmouth)
- Golden Valley Line (Swindon - Gloucester)
- Heart of Wessex Line (Westbury - Weymouth)
- Looe Valley Line (Liskeard - Looe)
- Maritime Line (Truro - Falmouth)
- Riviera Line (Exeter - Paignton)
- Severn Beach Line (Bristol - Avonmouth - Severn Beach)
- St Ives Bay Line (St Erth - St Ives)
- Tamar Valley Line (Plymouth - Gunnislake)
- Tarka Line (Exeter - Barnstaple)
Rolling stock
Wessex Trains inherited a fleet of Class 143, Class 150, Class 153 and Class 158s from Wales & West.
Wessex Trains leased Class 31s from Fragonset to haul a set of Mark 2 carriages from 2002 on services from Cardiff and Bristol to Brighton and Weymouth.[3]
Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Built | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mph | km/h | |||||
Class 143 Pacer | Diesel multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 8 (one scrapped due to fire at Flax Bourton fleet reduced to 7) | 1985–86 | |
Class 150 Sprinter | Diesel multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 25 | 1984–87 | |
Class 153 Super Sprinter | Diesel multiple unit | 75 | 120 | 13 | 1987–88 | |
Class 158 Express Sprinter | Diesel multiple unit | 90 | 145 | 12 | 1989–92 | |
Mark 2 carriage | Passenger Carriage | 100 | 160 | 5 | 1969–75 |
Depots
Wessex Trains' fleet was maintained at Cardiff Canton and Exeter depots.
Demise
In 2002 as part of a franchise re-organisation by the Strategic Rail Authority, it was announced that the Great Western, Thames Trains and Wessex Trains franchises would be combined to form the Greater Western franchise. This was part of a Strategic Rail Authority strategy to reduce the number of train operating companies providing services from London terminal stations.[4]
Originally it was planned for Wessex Trains to take over the diesel services from Exeter St Davids to London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line operated by South West Trains.
On 13 December 2005 the Department for Transport awarded the Greater Western franchise to FirstGroup and the services operated by Wessex Trains transferred to First Great Western on 1 April 2006.[5]
References
- ↑ Companies House extract company no 3011029 Wales & West Passenger Trains Limited
- ↑ Wessex Trains route map
- ↑ Rail Magazine Issue 458 2 April 2003 Page 49
- ↑ SRA Announces New Franchise for West Strategic Rail Authority Press Release 6 November 2002
- ↑ Greater Western Franchise Department for Transport Invitation to tender 2 February 2006
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wessex Trains. |
Preceded by
Wales & West
Wales & West franchise |
Operator of Wessex franchise 2001 - 2006 |
Succeeded by Great Western Railway Greater Western franchise |
- Pages with broken file links
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- Use dmy dates from March 2012
- Rail transport in Devon
- Railway companies established in 2001
- Defunct train operating companies
- Railway companies disestablished in 2006
- Wessex
- 2001 establishments in England
- 2006 disestablishments in England