Southern's Speed Run 2005

To mark the withdrawal of slam door stock and the delivery of their final Electrostar unit, on Sunday September 11th Southern staged a special high speed run between London Bridge and Brighton. Travel was by invitation and donations in aid of The Railway Children charity and the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund were collected, the total contributed reaching Ł5000. Comparatively recently delivered units 377472 and 377474, exceptionally running at their full power rating, were used with 377472 leading. The journey, departing platform 10, was done in 36 minutes 56.28 seconds, some 58 seconds faster than the previous record set in 1994 with class 319 units 319008 and 319009. The average speed over the whole journey was 82mph. The riding was smooth throughout the journey and appeared smoother at100mph than at lower speeds.

It is indeed fortunate then that on the day a clear run was achieved, though as the duration of the trip was so obviously close to the previous record there were some nervous faces in the train at Brighton until confirmation of the time was received. Nobody left the train on platform 5 until the announcement of the duration was made, which resulted in much cheering and clapping. Southern are to be congratulated in marking the ending of one era and the end of the beginning of another in a fitting fashion.


(above left) 377474 leading the empty stock into London Bridge's platform 10 approximately 70 minutes before the departure of the record breaking run, (above right) the front car of 377472 (which was reserved for guests with specially endorsed tickets) awaiting departure - note the revised Southern branding in the centre of the driving motor car, which can be seen in detail below right, and (below right) the commemorative branding on the second car. These markings were mirrored at the other end of 377472, the trailing unit, so that only the outer ends of the 8 car formation formation were so branded. photographs by Colin Duff

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This page updated 9th October 2005 by Colin Duff.
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