Editing Brighton Main Line (section)

===Privatisation (1996{{endash}}present)===
[[File:Hugh_llewelyn_(460_0)_04_(6390134977)_adjusted.jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 460|Class 460]] in [[Gatwick Express]] livery at {{rws|Clapham Junction}}]]
The [[Gatwick Express]] franchise was one of the first parts of the UK rail network to be transferred to a private operator, when [[National Express]] began running the trains on 28 April 1996.<ref name=Foster_2014/><ref name=Wolmar/> The company introduced [[British Rail Class 460|Class 460]] units to their services in 1999, although the final locomotive-hauled trains were not withdrawn until 2005.<ref name=Foster_2014/>

[[File:421855_at_Horley_on_7th_April_2001.jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 421|Class 421]] (4-CIG) unit in [[Connex South Central]] livery at {{rws|Horley}}]]
[[Veolia Transport|Connex]] was awarded a seven-year franchise in 1996 to operate passenger trains on the Brighton Main Line as [[Connex South Central]]. The company introduced a Gatwick Airport{{endash}}{{rws|Rugby}} service, which ran via the [[West London Line]], and also deployed [[British Rail Class 319|Class 319]] units to Victoria{{endash}}Brighton express services.{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=135}} Following concerns over Connex's management and performance, the [[Strategic Rail Authority|Shadow Strategic Rail Authority]] decided to re-tender the franchise in 2000. In October that year, the competition was won by [[Govia]],<ref>{{cite news |title= Connex loses rail franchise |date= 24 October 2000 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/988016.stm |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> which took over the running of trains in August 2001, having bought out the final two years of Connex's contract for £30M.<ref>{{cite news |title= Connex loses rail franchise |date= 26 August 2001 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1509731.stm |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref>{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|pp=136-137}}

Govia's ten-year franchise formally began in May 2003, when it introduced the "Southern" brand name. The agreement required the company to retire the final slam-door trains, achieved in 2005, and to invest £853M in new rolling stock.<ref>{{cite news |title= £1bn train improvements promised |date= 12 May 2003 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3019807.stm |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Slam-door trains at end of line |date= 19 August 2005 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4163768.stm |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> The Gatwick Express and Southern franchises were merged in May 2008, to allow capacity increases and better use of train paths on the Brighton Main Line.<ref>{{cite news |title= Gatwick Express service to remain |date= 4 April 2007 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6524763.stm |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref>{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=138}} The new arrangement allowed Gatwick Express services to be extended to Brighton, initially during peak periods, but required the replacement of the ten Class 460s with seventeen [[British Rail Class 442|Class 442]] units.<ref name=Foster_2014/>{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=138}} The third South Central franchise, awarded again to Govia, began in 2009 and required the operator to increase capacity on its routes by 10% by December 2013.{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=138}} In 2014, 700 more services were running on the South Central network on weekdays than at privatisation in 1996.{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=139}} In May 2010, [[London Overground]] began running stopping services on the Norwood Junction{{endash}}New Cross Gate section of the Brighton Main Line, allowing trains that had previously terminated at London Bridge to run via the [[East London Line]] to {{rws|Dalston Junction}}.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Whitelaw |first= Jackie |date= 27 May 2010 |title= East London Line special : An introduction |magazine= New Civil Engineer |url= https://www.newcivilengineer.com/archive/east-london-line-special-an-introduction-27-05-2010/ |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref>

[[File:319432 at East Croydon 9th April 2011.jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 319|Class 319]] unit in [[First Capital Connect]] livery at {{rws|Gatwick Airport}}]]
The Thameslink franchise, which included services from Brighton to Bedford, was awarded to Govia in 1997. It was initially due to end in 2004, but delays in the Thameslink 2000 project resulted in the company being awarded a two-year extension to 2006.{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=163}} The new franchise, also incorporating services on the [[Great Northern Route]], was awarded to [[FirstGroup]], which began operating trains under the [[First Capital Connect]] brand on 1 April 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title= FirstGroup wins rail franchises |date= 13 December 2005 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4523592.stm |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> The company introduced 12-car trains to the Brighton Main Line in December 2011.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Bottom |first= Hannah |date= 17 November 2011 |title= Thameslink route ready for 12-car trains |magazine= New Civil Engineer |url= https://www.newcivilengineer.com/archive/thameslink-route-ready-for-12-car-trains-17-11-2011/ |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref>

The South Central franchise was terminated two years early in 2014, allowing Southern- and Gatwick Express-branded services to be combined with those run by First Capital Connect, to create the [[Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise]]. Awarded to Govia, the new franchise took the form of a [[management contract]], reducing the risks to the operator arising from the introduction of new services as part of the Thameslink programme.{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=139}}<ref>{{cite news |last= Topham |first= Gwyn |date= 23 May 2014 |title= FirstGroup loses Thameslink franchise to Go-Ahead joint venture |work= The Guardian |url= https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/may/23/firstgroup-loses-thameslink-franchise-go-ahead-joint-venture |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Govia wins Thameslink rail franchise |date= 23 May 2014 |work= BBC News |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27534731 |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> During the lifetime of the franchise, the [[Bermondsey dive-under]] was constructed, reducing the conflict between Southern trains departing from London Bridge and northbound Thameslink services heading towards London Blackfriars,<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Stacy |first= Mungo |date= 1 February 2017 |title= Thameslink progress around London Bridge |magazine= Rail Engineer |url= https://www.railengineer.co.uk/thameslink-progress-around-london-bridge/ |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> and an extensive refurbishment of London Bridge station was completed.<ref>{{cite news |title= London Bridge station reopens platforms in £1bn project |date= 2 January 2018 |work= BBC News |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-42540990 |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> Govia was heavily criticised for the poor implementation of a new timetable in May 2018, which routed additional services from the Brighton Main Line via the Thameslink core.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Ford |first= Roger |date= 22 March 2018 |title= Perfect storm hits May 2018 timetable |magazine= Modern Railways |url= https://www.modernrailways.com/article/perfect-storm-hits-may-2018-timetable |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Topham |first= Gwyn |date= 21 May 2018 |title= Cancellations and delays as new timetables introduced |work= The Guardian |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/21/cancellations-and-delays-as-new-rail-timetables-introduced |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= News timetables in disarray |date= 21 June 2018 |magazine= Modern Railways |url= https://www.modernrailways.com/article/new-timetables-disarray |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> The company was also criticised for its role in the [[2016–2019 United Kingdom railway strikes]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Southern rail strike : 48-hour walkout causes chaos for commuters |date= 13 December 2016 |work= BBC News |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38296623 |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= Ackerman |first1= Naomi |last2= Murray |first2= Dick |date= 3 January 2017 |title= 'It has ruined my life': Southern Rail commuters at 'breaking point' over strikes |work= Evening Standard |url= https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/it-has-ruined-my-life-southern-rail-commuters-at-breaking-point-over-strikes-a3431376.html |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> In 2022, Govia was awarded a three-year extension to its management contract, which took effect on 1 April that year.<ref>{{cite news |last= Topham |first= Gwyn |date= 25 March 2022 |title= New rail contract award to Go-Ahead branded a sick joke |work= The Guardian |url= https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/25/new-rail-contract-award-go-ahead-branded-sick-joke-thameslink-southern-great-northern- |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref>