Thameslink Rail Ltd provide commuter rail services on the
British
National Rail network between
Bedford,
London and
Brighton.
There are notionally two separate services: the
CityFlyer, serving the
Bedford to Brighton route, and the
CityMetro, serving
Luton to
Sutton routes. The
CityFlyer has better
rolling stock, but in fact
both kinds of train can be found almost anywhere on the network, due to
the slightly erratic running patterns of the trains. At present
(
2002), there are also a number of
WAGN trains in use due to high
demand. Two airports,
Luton Airport and
Gatwick Airport are served
by the service. Both are referred to as
London airports, despite being
as much as twenty miles from the edge of London.
The 'link' part of the name refers to the fact that in
British Rail
days, Thameslink was a project to re-open and rebuild the line from
Farringdon to
Blackfriars and thus create a more viable commuter
line. A station called
Holborn Viaduct was closed, which had stood at
one end of a bridge over
Ludgate Hill. This station was replaced by
City Thameslink, which is in a tunnel passing under the same road.
This, as a pleasant side effect, re-opened a long-lost view of
St
Paul's Cathedral from towards
Ludgate Circus. The line was privatised
along with the rest of
British Rail during the last
Conservative
adminstration.
Bedford
|
Flitwick
|
Harlington
|
Leagrave
|
Luton
|
Luton Airport Parkway
|
Harpenden
|
St Albans (City)
|
Radlett
|
Elstree and Borehamwood
|
Mill Hill Broadway
|
Hendon
|
Cricklewood
|
West Hampstead Thameslink
|
Kentish Town
|
King's Cross Thameslink
|
Farringdon
|\
| \--------\
| \
City Thameslink \--Barbican----Moorgate
|
Blackfriars
|\
| \--------------\
| \
Elephant and Castle London Bridge
| \
Loughborough Junction \
| \
Herne Hill \
| \
Tulse Hill \
|\ |
| \--------------------\ |
| \|
Streatham East Croydon
|\ |
| \--------\ |
| | Redhill
Tooting | |
| Mitcham |
| Junction |
Haydons Road | |
| | Gatwick Airport
Wimbledon Hackbridge |
| | |
Wimbledon Chase | |
| Carshalton Three Bridges
South Merton | |
| Sutton |
Morden South | |
| West Sutton Balcombe
St Helier | |
\ / |
Sutton Common |
Haywards Heath
|
Wivelsfield
|
Burgess Hill
|
Hassocks
|
Preston Park
|
Brighton
National Rail connections to
GNER and others at
King's Cross Thameslink for
King's Cross;
Midland Mainline at
King's Cross Thameslink for
St Pancras,
Luton Airport Parkway,
Luton and
Bedford;
Connex South Eastern at
Blackfriars;
Connex South Central and others at
Brighton; and the
Gatwick Express and others at
Gatwick Airport.
London Underground connections to the
Metropolitan,
Circle and
Hammersmith and City
Lines at
King's Cross Thameslink for
King's Cross St Pancras,
Farringdon,
Barbican and
Moorgate; to the
District
and
Circle Lines at
Blackfriars; to the
Northern Line at
Kentish
Town,
King's Cross Thameslink for
King's Cross St Pancras,
Moorgate,
London Bridge and
Elephant and Castle; to the
Jubilee
Line at
West Hampstead Thameslink for
West Hampstead; and to the
District Line at
Wimbledon.
Croydon Tramlink connections at
Wimbledon,
Mitcham Junction and
East Croydon.