Southern is the latest name of the train operating company that took over from Connex South Central on the routes to South London, Surrey, and Sussex from Victoria and London Bridge.

The company was originally known as South Central, but on 30 May 2004, the franchise was rebranded as Southern, in a deliberate recollection of pre-nationalisation Southern Railway, with a green roundel logo with "Southern" written in yellow in a green bar.

Southern also operates the cross-London Watford Junction to Gatwick Airport / Brighton route via Kensington (Olympia) and Clapham Junction (the West London Line).

The franchise is owned by Go-Ahead Group.

Routes

Details of each line are given at the External Link:

Main Routes

• Brighton Main Line (London-Gatwick-Brighton)
• Arun Valley Line (London - Littlehampton/Bognor Regis/Portsmouth/Southampton)
• East Coastway (Brighton-Eastbourne/Hastings)
• West Coastway (Brighton-Portsmouth/Southampton)

Commuter Lines

• Caterham and Tattenham Corner lines
• Marsh Link Line (Ashford-Hastings)
• London Bridge - Croydon via Sydenham
• London Victoria and London Bridge - Croydon via Norbury
• London Victoria-London Bridge via Crystal Palace
• Oxted Line (London Bridge-Oxted-East Grinstead/Uckfield)
• Redhill-Tonbridge line
• Sutton and Mole Valley lines
• West London Line (Clapham Junction-Watford Junction)

Rolling Stock

• Diesel Locomotives
  • Class 09 shunters
• Diesel Multiple Units
  • Class 171 "Turbostars"
  • Class 205 "Thumpers" - withdrawn 2004
  • Class 207 "Thumpers" - withdrawn 2004
• Electrical Multiple Units
  • Class 319
  • Class 377 "Electrostars"
  • Class 421 4Cig - to be withdrawn by mid-2005
  • Class 423 4Vep - to be withdrawn by mid-2005
  • Class 455
  • Class 456

External link

Southern route information

See also

• Rail transport in the United Kingdom