Silverlink

The North London Railways franchise was awarded to National Express on 7 February 1997.[2] National Express commenced operating the franchise on 3 March 1997.

After initially trading as North London Railways, in September 1997 the franchise was rebranded as Silverlink.[3]

The franchise was due to finish on 15 October 2006, but on 11 August 2006 the Department for Transport granted an extension until 10 November 2007.[4]

Silverlink had two sub-brands:

Silverlink Metro was used for services primarily within Greater London:

• North Woolwich - Richmond (the North London Line)
• Willesden Junction - Clapham Junction (the West London Line)
• London Euston - Watford Junction via Willesden Junction (the Watford DC line)
• Gospel Oak - Barking (the Gospel Oak to Barking Line)

Silverlink County was used for services beyond Greater London:

• London Euston - Birmingham New Street
• Watford Junction - St Albans Abbey (the St Albans Abbey Line)
• Bletchley - Bedford (the Marston Vale Line)

Silverlink was categorised as a London and South East operator by the Office for Rail Regulation (ORR) and was one of the best performing TOCs in this sector with a PPM (Public Performance Measure) of 90.8% for the last quarter of the financial year 2006/7.[7] This figure is for the whole of the day, as opposed to just peak services for which their performance is lower. The figures are slightly down from the previous year, but remain above the sector level of 89.0%.

Silverlink inherited a fleet of Class 117, Class 121, Class 313 and Class 321s from British Rail.

To replace the Class 117 and 121s, seven Class 150s were transferred from Central Trains in summer 1999, with an eighth following in 2006.[14] Pending their arrival Silverlink hired Class 31s from Fragonset to top and tail Mark 2 carriages on Bletchley - Bedford services in 1998/99.

In 2003 three Class 508s were transferred from Merseyrail for use on the Watford DC Line.

On 16 July 2004, Virgin Trains announced that it was withdrawing most of its stops at Milton Keynes Central, which were used by up to 6,000 passengers a day. Commuters became unhappy at the prospect of switching to older Silverlink trains, and a longer journey. Silverlink countered this with the temporary usage of ex-Virgin stock, still in Virgin colours.[15]

The Strategic Rail Authority decided to divert thirty four-carriage Siemens Desiro carriages from an order made by South West Trains to provide stock with faster acceleration for the West Coast Main Line operators. They were not allocated to a specific operator but a shared fleet used by both Silverlink and Central Trains, both being National Express train operating companies.

While awaiting these to arrive, from September 2004 Silverlink introduced two former Virgin Trains Mark 3 sets hauled by Virgin Trains Class 87s and EWS Class 90s on peak hour Northampton services as well as hiring five Class 321s from National Express sister fleet One.[16]

Metro services were operated by Class 313s on the electrified routes, with the Class 508s used exclusively on the Euston - Watford Junction service from 2003.

County services to Northampton and Birmingham were operated by Class 321s joined in 2005 by Class 350s.

The St Albans Abbey line was operated for many years by Class 313s, but later were usually operated by Class 321s with Silverlink Metro drivers and Silverlink County guards.

The non-electrified Marston Vale Line and Gospel Oak to Barking Line services initially used Class 117 and Class 121s before Class 150s took over in 1999.

Fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Train Numbers	Routes operated	Built	Period used	Notes
			mph	km/h
121 Bubble Car		DMU	70	112	4	55023/27/29/31	Gospel Oak to Barking Line Marston Vale Line	1960	1997-2001	Replaced by Class 150
150/1 Sprinter			75	120	8	150120-150121, 150123, 150127-150131		1984–1987	1999–2007
313/1		EMU			21	313101-117, 313119-313123, 313134	Silverlink Metro: North London Line West London Line Watford DC Line	1976-1977 1997 - 2001 (Refurbished)	1997–2007
321/4			100	160	37	321401-321437	Silverlink County: Northampton Line St Albans Abbey Line	1989–1990	1997–2007
350/1 Desiro					30	350101-350130	Silverlink County: Northampton Line	2004–2005	2004–2007	Shared use by Central Trains and Silverlink on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line
508/3			75	120	3	508301-508303	Silverlink Metro: Watford DC Line	1979 – 1980 2003 (Refurbished)	2003–2007

Class 313 at North Woolwich in 2001, closed in 2006.

Silverlink's fleet was maintained at Bletchley Depot. Following Virgin Trains ceasing to operate electric locomotives, Silverlink's Metro fleet moved to Willesden Depot.

In 2006 Alstom proposed closing Willesden. Closure would have left the Class 508s homeless and the Class 313s having to return to Bletchley Depot which was due to close. On 12 May 2007 Silverlink took over direct running of the depot and its staff for the final six months of its franchise.

As part of a wider redrawing of the rail franchise map by the Department for Transport, the Silverlink network was to be broken up when it was renewed in November 2007.

The Silverlink Metro services were moved to the control of Transport for London under the banner of the London Overground. On 19 June 2007 Transport for London announced it had awarded the London Overground concession to a Laing Rail/MTR joint venture.[17]

The Silverlink County services were merged with the Central Trains services around Birmingham to create a new West Midlands franchise. On 22 June 2007 the Department for Transport announced it had awarded the West Midlands franchise to Govia.[18]

Silverlink's services transferred to London Overground Rail Operations and London Midland on 11 November 2007.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Silverlink.

• Official website
• National Express Group website