Southern Electric Group Kent Coast Electrification Scheme (Index)

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This major article written by Jeff Cousins appeared over 8 issues of Live Rail distributed to members between February 1983 and August 1985 and for the first time has been collected here into a single document. In this item the author reviews in detail the major Southern electrification scheme which formed part of the 1955 modernisation plan of British Railways. Implementation of the Kent Coast scheme was in two phases which are clearly described here covering infrastructure, trains and services. The routes via Ashford are today those traversed by Channel Tunnel traffic but despite the intervening four decades, the 1990’s Eurostar trains run along the 1950’s 4Cep units.

To make it easy to read on-screen we have split the text into 10 parts. If you wish to either see the complete text on one page or to print the complete text then it is available as the Kent Coast Complete Text. We have listed each heading of the article and provided hyperlinks directly to them.

Kent Coast Part 1

• Early Electrification Proposals
• Evolution of the Kent Coast Electrification Scheme

Kent Coast Part 2

• Track Facility and Station Improvements—Phase 1
• Track Facility and Station Improvements—Phase 2

Kent Coast Part 3

• Electrification—Power Supply and Control—Phase 1
• Electrification—Power Supply and Control—Phase 2
• Signalling—Phase 1
• Signalling—Phase 2

Kent Coast Part 4

• Express Rolling Stock—4Cep and 4Bep (later Class 411 and 410)

Kent Coast Part 5

• Semi-Fast Rolling Stock 2Hap (later Class 414)
• Motor Luggage Vans
• Locomotives
• Maintenance Depots

Kent Coast Part 6

• Driver Training
• Publicity
• Implementation

Kent Coast Part 7

• Timetables—Phase 1
• Timetables—Phase 2

Kent Coast Part 8

• Continental Services
• Traffic Levels
• Developments Since Electrification
• Developments

Kent Coast Part 9

• 4Cep Refurbishment

Kent Coast Part 10

• Timetable Changes
• The Future (as seen in 1985)
• The Kent Coast Electrification Scheme (subsequent notes and amendments)

Kent Coast Complete Text

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