Govia Thameslink Railway

Govia Thameslink Railway is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. They operate the Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern, and Gatwick Express brands.

Govia Thameslink Railway
A Thameslink Class 700 at Shepreth Branch Junction, south of Cambridge in 2019
Overview
Franchise(s)
Main region(s)
  • South East England
  • Greater London
  • East of England
Stations operated238
National Rail abbreviationGN, GX, SN, TL
Parent company
Websitegtrailway.com
change
change
Thameslink Monday–Friday service
Route tph Calling at
Bedford to Brighton[2][3] 2
Bedford to Three Bridges via Redhill[2][4] 2
  • In the evening, this service only runs between Luton and Three Bridges
Peterborough to Horsham via Redhill[5][6] 2
Cambridge to Brighton[5][3] 2
London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks via Catford and Otford[7] 2
Luton to Rainham via Greenwich[7][8] 2
  • In the evening, this service only runs between Kentish Town and Rainham
St Albans City to Sutton via Wimbledon (loop)[2][9] 2
  • Services then continue to/from St Albans City via Mitcham Junction (see below)
St Albans City to Sutton via Mitcham Junction (loop)[2][9] 2
  • Radlett
  • Elstree & Borehamwood
  • Mill Hill Broadway
  • Hendon
  • Brent Cross West
  • Cricklewood
  • West Hampstead Thameslink
  • Kentish Town
  • London St Pancras International
  • Farringdon
  • City Thameslink
  • London Blackfriars
  • Elephant & Castle
  • Loughborough Junction
  • Herne Hill
  • Tulse Hill
  • Streatham
  • Mitcham Eastfields
  • Mitcham Junction
  • Hackbridge
  • Carshalton
  • Services then continue to/from St Albans City via Wimbledon (see above)


Great Northern services

change

The Great Northern services as of June 2024 are:[10]

Route tph Calling at
London King's Cross to Ely 1
London King's Cross to King's Lynn 1
London King's Cross to Letchworth Garden City 1 Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin
London King's Cross to Cambridge 1 Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton
Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City 2
Moorgate to Stevenage via Hertford North 2


Southern and Gatwick Express services

change
 
Southern Class 377 at Watford Junction

As of May 2023, the Monday-Saturday services are:[11]

Route tph Calling at
London VictoriaBrighton 2 Gatwick Airport, Haywards Heath[12]

On Sundays, Gatwick Express operates a half-hourly shuttle service between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport only.[11]


Southern services

change

The services as of June 2024 are:[13]

Brighton Main Line
Route tph Calling at
London VictoriaLittlehampton 2
London Victoria – Eastbourne 1
London Victoria – Ore 1
Arun Valley line
Route tph Calling at
London Victoria – Portsmouth Harbour via Crawley 2
  • This route splits/merges at Horsham with the route to Bognor Regis (see below). Fishbourne, Bosham, Nutbourne and Warblington are served by the same train
London Victoria – Bognor Regis via Crawley 2
Seaford branch line
Route tph Calling at
BrightonSeaford 2
  • Services alternate between serving Southease and Newhaven Harbour
East Coastway and Marshlink lines
Route tph Calling at
Brighton – Eastbourne 1
Brighton – Ore 1
Eastbourne – Ashford International 1
West Coastway line
Route tph Calling at
Brighton – Southampton Central 2
Brighton – Portsmouth & Southsea 1
Brighton to Chichester via Littlehampton 1
  • Hove, Aldrington, Portslade, Fishersgate, Southwick, Shoreham-by-Sea, Lancing, East Worthing, Worthing, West Worthing, Durrington-on-Sea, Goring-by-Sea, Angmering, Littlehampton,[a] Ford, Barnham,
Barnham – Bognor Regis 2 Shuttle service
Oxted line
Route tph Calling at
London VictoriaEast Grinstead 1
London BridgeUckfield 1
Reigate and Redhill–Tonbridge line
Route tph Calling at
London VictoriaReigate 2
Redhill – Tonbridge 1
West London Route
Route tph Calling at
Watford JunctionEast Croydon 1
Mole Valley Line
Route tph Calling at
London VictoriaDorking via Carshalton 1
London Victoria – Horsham via Carshalton 1
London Victoria – Epsom Downs via Norbury 2
London Bridge – Epsom 2
  • Norwood Junction, West Croydon, Waddon, Wallington, Carshalton Beeches, Sutton, Cheam, Ewell East
Caterham and Tattenham Corner lines
Route tph Calling at
London Bridge – Caterham 2
  • This route splits/merges at Purley with the route to Tattenham Corner, see below.
London Bridge – Tattenham Corner 2
  • This route splits/merges at Purley with the route to Caterham, see above.
London via Crystal Palace and/or Tulse Hill
Route tph Calling at
London VictoriaWest Croydon via Crystal Palace 2
London Victoria – London Bridge via Crystal Palace 2
London Bridge – East Croydon via Tulse Hill 2
London Bridge – Beckenham Junction via Tulse Hill and Crystal Palace 2
  • South Bermondsey, Queens Road Peckham, Peckham Rye, East Dulwich, North Dulwich, Tulse Hill, West Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Crystal Palace, Birkbeck

Rolling stock

change

Current fleet

change
Family Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes operated Built
mph km/h
Southern
Bombardier Turbostar 171  
 
DMU 100 160 12[14][15] 3 Brighton Main Line (London Bridge to South Croydon)
Oxted line (to Uckfield only)
East Coastway line
Marshlink line
2003–04
4[15] 2
Bombardier Electrostar 377/1  
 
 
EMU 64 4 Entire Southern network apart from sections between Hurst Green and Uckfield & between Ore and Ashford International 2001–05
377/2 15
377/3 28 3
377/4 75 4
377/6 26 5
377/7 8
387/2   110 177 Varies 4[16] Units borrowed from Gatwick Express on a rotational basis according to demand.

Brighton Main Line
East Coastway line
West Coastway line (Brighton to Southampton Central)

2016–17
Gatwick Express
Bombardier Electrostar

387

  EMU 110 177 18 4 Gatwick Express services between London Victoria & Brighton 2015–2016
Great Northern
Bombardier Electrostar 387    EMU 110 177 39[16] 4 Great Northern express services between London King's Cross & Ely / King's Lynn / Peterborough and Great Northern semi-fast services between London King's Cross & Letchworth Garden City / Cambridge 2014–2017
Siemens Desiro

717 Desiro City[17]

  85 137 25 6 Northern City Line services between Moorgate & Welwyn Garden City / Stevenage via Hertford North 2018
Thameslink
Siemens Desiro 700 Desiro City  
 
EMU 100 161 60 8 All Thameslink services 2015–2018
55 12

Future fleet

change

On 12 March 2024 it was announced that Great Northern would lease the full 30-unit fleet of Class 379 units.[18]

Family Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Route(s) to be operated Built In service
mph km/h
Bombardier Electrostar 379   EMU 100 160 30 4 TBC 2010–2011 Late 2024

Past fleet

change

Former units operated by Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern include:

Class Image Type Top speed Carriages Number Built Routes Withdrawn
mph km/h
365 Networker Express   EMU 100 161 4 40 1994-95 Express services between London King's Cross and / Ely / King's Lynn / Peterborough 2018–2021
313  

 

75 121 3 64 1976–1977 Northern City Line
West Coastway line
East Coastway line
Seaford branch line
2019 (Great Northern)
2023 (Southern)[19]
319   100 161 4 86
  • 1987–1988
  • 1990
All Thameslink services 2015–2017
321   100 161 4 13 1989–1990 Express services between London King's Cross to Peterborough and Cambridge 2016
377 Electrostar   26 2008–2009 Some Thameslink services 2017
455   75 120 4 46[20] 1982–1984 Metro and commuter services from London Victoria & London Bridge 2022
171   DMU 100 161 4 3[21] 2003-2004 Oxted line
Marshlink line
2022
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Trains reverse here

References

change
  1. "National Rail Contract Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern" (PDF). Department for Transport. 24 March 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "C: Bedford, Luton and St Albans to London, Sutton, the Medway Towns, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and the South Coast | Timetable valid from Monday 11 December 2023 until Monday 27 May 2024". timetables.thameslinkrailway.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Q: London, Croydon and Gatwick Airport to Haywards Heath and Brighton". timetables.thameslinkrailway.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  4. "O: London and Croydon to Redhill, Reigate, Tonbridge, Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges". timetables.thameslinkrailway.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "A: King's Lynn, Ely, Cambridge, Peterborough and Stevenage to London, Gatwick Airport, Horsham and Brighton". Thameslink. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  6. "P: London, Croydon and Gatwick Airport to Crawley and Horsham". timetables.thameslinkrailway.com. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "E: Sevenoaks, Swanley, Orpington, Bromley South and Catford to London".
  8. "F: The Medway Towns, Gravesend, Dartford and Woolwich to London and Luton".
  9. 9.0 9.1 "H: Sutton and Wimbledon to London via Streatham and Tulse Hill".
  10. "Great Northern Timetables as of May 2024".
  11. 11.0 11.1 Southern Railway (23 May 2023). "Table R: London Victoria to Gatwick Airport and Brighton (Gatwick Express services only)". timetables.southernrailway.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  12. Table 175 National Rail timetable, May 2023
  13. "Southern June 2024 Timetable".
  14. Sherrat, Philp (October 2022). "EMR evolves for the future". Modern Railways. Vol. 79, no. 889. p. 52.
  15. 15.0 15.1 Southern Useful Information Archived 6 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine - Southern. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  16. 16.0 16.1 "Units". Rail Express. No. 318. November 2022. p. 27.
  17. Clinnick, Richard. "New Govia Thameslink Railway trains to be Class 717s". Rail. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  18. "Leasing for the GN Network of Additional Rolling Stock". find-tender.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  19. Southern Railway [@SouthernRailUK] (19 May 2023). "The last day of scheduled passenger services with 313 stock was today" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 May 2023 – via Twitter.
  20. "Southern: Useful Information". www.southernrailway.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. "EMR Evoles for the Future". Modern Railways. October 2022. p. 52.

Other websites

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  Media related to Govia Thameslink Railway at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
First Capital Connect
Thameslink and Great Northern franchise
Operator of Thameslink, Southern
and Great Northern franchise

2014/2015–2025
Incumbent
Preceded by
Southern
South Central (incl Gatwick Express) franchise