Depots: Reading TMD Operators: Great Western Railway Southern South Western Railway Rolling Stock Class 165 Class 166 Class 377 Class 450 Route Length: 38 miles (61 km) History The line was authorised by Acts of Parliament in 1846 and 1847 and most of it was constructed by the Reading, Guildford and Reigate Company opening in 1849. (A central section of the line near Guildford was built by a predecessor of the LSWR.) The stated objective of the company was to secure through traffic passing between the West, North and Midlands and the Channel Ports avoiding the congestion of London and thus saving time, distance and expense." Although the company had some independent shareholders, it was closely associated with the South Eastern Railway (SER). The original intention was for the SER to build part of the line itself, but this proposal was rejected by Parliament. The independence of the company was only a formality to satisfy Parliament. The two companies had some common directors; an SER engineer controlled the construction of the line. As intended at outset, the line was leased to the SER in 1850, and the two companies finally merged in 1852. The company's relationship with the GWR is described as "enigmatic". The GWR initially offered the company the use of its facilities at Reading station, but terms could not be agreed and a separate station was built.[2] Services The main services on the line are provided by Great Western Railway using Class 165 and Class 166 Network Turbo diesel multiple units. Hourly semi-fast services run from Reading to Gatwick Airport and there is an half an hourly stopping service between Reading and Redhill. At Redhill, the Gatwick Airport services reverse to head south along the Brighton Main Line. Until 1994, the stopping services continued to Tonbridge, but the line between Redhill and Tonbridge was electrified in 1993. This section is now operated (by Southern) as a shuttle service between Redhill and Tonbridge only. In late 2021, the Class 165 trains are due to be replaced by Class 769 'Flex' four-carriage trains, once several station platforms have been extended. Additional services on the North Downs Line are provided by South Western Railway between Reading and Wokingham (trains to/from London Waterloo) and between Ash and Guildford (trains to/from Alton or Ascot). Southern operates services between Reigate and Redhill and onwards to London. Stations Reading Earley Winnersh Triangle Winnersh Wokingham Crowthorne Sandhurst Blackwater Farnborough North North Camp Ash Wanborough Guildford Shalford Chilworth Gomshall Dorking West Dorking Deepdeme Betchworth Reigate Redhill
Nice love the idea and would buy however one thing that would be helpful would be some rolling stock and station photography
Great choice which I have mentioned at least a few times before. Bringing this route would give us the ability to drive all the way from Eastbourne via Brighton, Redhill and Reading to Paddington. If we could have a Southeastern route from Rochester to Victoria, we would have a vast connecting network which would then only require a South Western route via Guildford. I could imagine endless hours of fun with this batch of routes and variety of stock.
Excellent idea and here's how you can make the introduction of class 166 to the route owners of Great Western Main Line London Paddington Station to reading and this route if they purchased it can use class 166. In return North Downs Line gives class 166 to GWML. This is the same approach on German routes Hamburg-Lübeck gives DB BR112 to Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Gemünden but in return Main Spessart Bahn gives DB 146.2 to Hamburg-Lübeck
