NSE - Network's plan for expansion.

[lm321412]

Few points of interest I found from the 1987 Modern Railways magazine which has a detailed plan for Network SouthEasts up to 1993.

#1989 - 94 two car DMUs (Super Sprinters) for Chiltern and Paddington suburban services

#1990 - Four Car EMUs enter service for Stansted Airport. Networker deliveries begin in Kent

#1991 - Waterloo/Exeter Super Sprinters

#1992 - Paddington/Oxford - New Super Sprinters

#1993 - New MKII Networkers for Liverpool Street & LTS.

Underneath all this is "New trains for Chiltern and Paddington suburban services will be based upon the sucessful Sprinter class shown here in Network Livery". The picture depicted is Class 155301 which is shown in Network SouthEast livery.

A very interesting idea that in 1987 they had planned for Cl155s to operate suburban services out of Paddington & Oxford and possibly 159 styled trains to operate the longer distance services to Oxford and beyond. I see they would of also looked to have introduced a MKII Networker out of Fenchurch St and Liverpool St, thus replacing some of the more elderley rolling stock that was operating out of these stations.

There is also a Yellow-less design front of a Kent Networker and mention of at-seat trolley service on "Electric Services between London St Pancras and Bedford"

Fascinating!

 

[Helvellyn]

This would have all been in the very early days of NSE, which came into existance in 1986. Obviously the diesel units evolved into the Class 165s for Chiltern and Thames suburban services, primarily replacing the Class 115 and 117 units (although Class 101/104/119/121 were also replaced), whilst The Class 166 units primarily replaced the LHCS sets on the Paddington-Oxford route. There was also plans for a longer distance Network Turbo for services toi Birmingham out of Marylebone (Class 167?) but privatisation killed that off and in its place came the Class 168 Clubman (and that led on to the Turbostar family).

The article doesn't seem to mention the planned longer distance version of the Networker, Class 471, for Kent Coast services.

I've a feeling that proposed a.c. Network for LTS services was initially going to be Class 331 (which would explain why the HEX units were Class 332), and this would have logically fitted in with Class 341 for Crossrail and Class 371 for Thameslink.