Description

Join Fred Dinenage in the driver’s cab of a Class 319 EMUs and ride the rails from Brighton into Victoria station in virtually real time. Filmed in 1998, Connex Expresses ran to the capital with just one intermediate stop at East Croydon and thundered through Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and even Clapham Junction.

This film begins at Wolverton with a brief look at the class 319 EMUs’ metamorphosis. Then to Brighton for the start of the journey, seen virtually in real time.

At the time of filming in 1998, Connex Expresses ran between the south coast and the capital with just one intermediate stop at East Croydon. The trains then ran non-stop through Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport and even Clapham Junction! There is a great deal of history crammed into our journey such as the tragic accident in Clayton Tunnel, the tunnel with a house above the castellated portal.

In 1998, Connex held two of the former Southern region franchises but today they have none. Relive the yellow days of Connex here.

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