Transilien
Member
This name change has always interested me because 'Southern' is a rather overgeneralisation of the area of operation.
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Is 'South Central' a better name than 'Southern'?
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LLivery
Established Member
South Central made more sense for their network geographically. Southern will always be the region to me
TT-ONR-NRN
Veteran Member
I think to a lay person South Central sounds quite confusing, to be honest.
Southern's network extends from Southampton to Ashford along the coast. Southern is not an unreasonable name for its network, and just sounds more sensible than South Central. Going back to the early 2000s, something other than South Central was needed.
swt_passenger
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Under BR wasn’t it just the “central division” of the Southern Region, so neither South or Southern…
I do think they should add the "Chatham" back into South Eastern Railway - for accuracy.
Kilopylae
Member
South Central sounds to me like it should cover roughly the same area as London Midland/LNWR. Southern is clearer and also more memorable and elegant.
Mcr Warrior
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Wasn't the "South Central" name irreparably tarnished back in the late 1990s/early 2000s when Connex were operating the area's franchise for five years or so (and somewhat poorly at that)?
Helvellyn
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London & South Coast would have been a good name, especially if it was between London & South Eastern and London & South Western.
Mind you, I'm disappointed Greater Anglia and c2c, plus Network Rail Anglia seem to have come together as GBR | Anglia rather than the more accurate GBR | East Anglia.
Mind you, I'm disappointed Greater Anglia and c2c, plus Network Rail Anglia seem to have come together as GBR | Anglia rather than the more accurate GBR | East Anglia.
Sun Chariot
Established Member
+1 to this.
South Central Electrostars in West Hampshire and along the West Coastway? It's plain wrong, @Transilien
ScottGallagher
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In regard to the Anglia ref , as none of c2c is actually in Anglia wouldnt it be better ato have called it all Great Eastern or just Eastern?
William3000
Member
I understand why you’re suggesting this as historically the Southern region stretched from Kent to Devon (maybe even Cornwall) but South Central sounds clunky. I think South Eastern should be trains running out of London Charing Cross, London Cannon Street and those heading that way from London Bridge. Southern should be trains from London Victoria and some from London Bridge, and South Western should be trains from London Waterloo.
Gloster
Veteran Member
Just go for nostalgia: call it the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway.
Does what it says on the tin.
Mcr Warrior
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Better option that, than what the two poll choices offered!
‘South Central’ to me describes that central bit of southern England that sits between ‘London & the South East’, ‘The South Coast’, ‘The West Country’, Wales and ‘the West Midlands’. So maybe Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, West Berkshire and Buckinghamshire?
Would Hertfordshire be described as ‘North Central’ ?
It is surprisingly how many people in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset don’t think they are going to get any trains when they hear ‘South Western Trains’ are on strike, when they are actually in areas served solely by GWR and XC.
Would Hertfordshire be described as ‘North Central’ ?
It is surprisingly how many people in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset don’t think they are going to get any trains when they hear ‘South Western Trains’ are on strike, when they are actually in areas served solely by GWR and XC.
We could argue over the boundaries but definitely not the former LB&SCR area.
It was, and the shadow franchise during privatisation from 1994 to 1996 was branded Network SouthCentral, before Connex South Central took over and rebranded.
Helvellyn
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Great Eastern would have worked, given we're likely to have GBR | Great Western. No doubt someone would have said it needed to be Greater Eastern though.
dorsetdesiro
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Does it matter as it will be all GBR soon anyway? Unless GBR gets sectorised like a new form of NSE in a way for that part, whether the name will be LSE, Greater Southern, SouthCentral, SouthEastern etc.
DelW
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Remember though that a third of Victoria is a South Eastern station, having originally been a London Chatham and Dover station.
(Edited for factual correction)
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Farnborough
Member
Given that there are three operators, for the three sub-regions:
- South Eastern
- Southern
- South Western
Isn't the GBR flagged 378/387 branded GBR Southern?
Might not be the final brand, but in the south at least it makes sense to have business units that match the TOCs.
contrex
Established Member
Quite. I can't see what's wrong with 'London, Brighton, and South Coast' myself. Not snappy enough for the Tik-Tok generation?