Editing Brighton Main Line (section)

==History==
===London and Croydon Railway (1834{{endash}}1846)===
[[File:S_E_London_railways_1840.jpg|thumb|right|The junction between the [[London and Greenwich Railway]] and the [[London and Croydon Railway]] to the east of {{rws|London Bridge}} in 1840]]
The first part of the Brighton Main Line to be constructed was the section between London Bridge and Croydon. It was proposed in 1834 by the [[London and Croydon Railway]] (L&CR) company.<ref>{{cite news |title= London and Croydon Railway |date= 16 November 1834 |work= The Observer |page= 4 }}</ref> Much of the route, surveyed by [[Joseph Gibbs (engineer)|Joseph Gibbs]], followed the course of the [[Croydon Canal]], the southern terminus of which would be used for Croydon station (now {{rws|West Croydon}}).{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=26-27}}{{efn|The [[Croydon Canal]] closed on 22 August 1836. Its route was followed by the [[London and Croydon Railway]] (L&CR) between New Cross and West Croydon.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=23-24}}{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|p=8}} Only the southernmost part of the line was directly laid over the course of the former canal. For the remainder, the L&CR followed the general corridor of the waterway.{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=53}} Several sections of canal that were not built over were deliberately retained (some were even stocked with fish) in the hope that they would attract potential residents to new housing developments.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=47-48}}}} The line would diverge from the [[London and Greenwich Railway]] (L&GR) around {{cvt|1.75|mi}} east of London Bridge station and the L&CR would have running powers into the terminus.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=26-27}}{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=23-24}}

Passenger trains began running on the L&GR between {{rws|Deptford}} and its temporary London terminus at {{rws|Spa Road}} on 8 February 1835. London Bridge station, the first permanent terminus in the capital, opened on 14 December the following year.{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=28}}{{sfn|Baker|1989|p=20}} The L&CR was authorised by act of parliament on 12 June 1835{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=23-24}} and a second act, permitting the company to build its own terminus at London Bridge, was given royal assent on 14 July 1836.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=30-31}}{{efn|The [[London and Croydon Railway]]'s London Bridge terminus was to the north of that of the [[London and Greenwich Railway]]. The two companies swapped stations in 1844.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=14-15}}}} The line between the capital and Croydon was built by the engineer, [[William Cubitt]], and construction began in 1838.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=47-48}}{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}} The cost of the line was originally estimated to be around £400,000, but difficulties encountered during the excavation of the [[cut (earthworks)|cutting]] at New Cross, meant that an additional £216,000 was required.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}} The route originally surveyed by Gibbs was also modified to ease curves and to reduce the maximum gradient from 1 in 80 to 1 in 100.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=47-48}}

[[File:JollySailor.jpg|thumb|right|Jolly Sailor station (now {{rws|Norwood Junction}}) in 1845]]
The official opening ceremony for the L&CR took place on 1 June 1839, although passenger trains for the general public did not start until four days later.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}}<ref name=Clarke_2020>{{cite magazine |last= Clarke |first= Jeremy |date= April 2020  |title= The 'Croydon Tangle'  |magazine= Southern Way  |issue= 50  |pages= 61–78 |publisher= Crécy Publishing Ltd |location= Manchester |isbn= 978-1-90-932895-2 }}</ref> Since the area between New Cross and Croydon was sparsely populated and largely undeveloped countryside, the majority of passenger journeys on the line were between the two termini. Nevertheless, when the line opened, intermediate stations were provided at New Cross (now New Cross Gate), Dartmouth Arms (now Forest Hill), Sydenham, Penge (now Penge West), Anerley Bridge (now Anerley) and Jolly Sailor (now Norwood Junction).{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=151}} Initially nine steam locomotives operated on the line: five [[Sharp, Stewart and Company|Sharp, Roberts and Co.]] and two [[J. and G. Rennie]] [[2-2-2]] engines were used to haul trains and two [[0-4-2]] locomotives were used as [[bank engine|banking engines]] for the steep climb to New Cross from the junction with the L&GR.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=25-26}}

===London and Brighton Railway (1837{{endash}}1846)===
In the early 1830s, several different routes for a railway between London and Brighton were proposed. [[John Rennie the Younger]] favoured a line via Merstham and Horley, while the engineers [[Robert Stephenson]] and [[Nicholas Wilcox Cundy|Nicholas Cundy]] preferred longer, but cheaper routes via [[Dorking]] and [[Shoreham-by-Sea]].{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=28}}{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=30-31}}{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=72-74}} The [[London and Brighton Railway]] (L&BR) company, formed to promote Rennie's more direct route,{{sfn|Baker|1989|p=28}} received parliamentary approval for its scheme on 15 July 1837.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=14-15}}{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=21-23}} The line was to leave the L&CR about a mile from its southern terminus, to head southwards towards Brighton. The L&BR purchased the defunct [[Surrey Iron Railway|Croydon, Merstham and Godstone Railway]] in order to use part of its abandoned trackbed for the new railway.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=30-31}}

[[File:The North entrance of the Clayton Tunnel - geograph.org.uk - 1577506.jpg|thumb|right|The northern portal of [[Clayton Tunnel]] is constructed in the style of a medieval castle.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1986|loc=Fig. 75}}]]
The first construction contracts were let in 1838 and the first track was laid at Hassocks on 4 February the following year.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=132-134}} The engineer was [[John Urpeth Rastrick]] and the stations were designed by [[David Mocatta]]. In total, around 6000 [[navvy|navvies]] are thought to have worked to build the railway.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=30-31}} The line, which required five tunnels and a viaduct over the Ouse valley, cost £2.63M (around £57,000 per mile). Completion was delayed due to bad weather during the winter of 1840-41 and the first section, from Croydon to Haywards Heath, did not open until 12 July 1841.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=137-139}} The initial timetable included four trains each way on weekdays between the capital and Haywards Heath, with intermediate calls at Redhill, Horley and Three Bridges (calls were made at other stations on request). The journey time was two hours from London and a [[stagecoach|coach]], taking a further two hours to reach Brighton, was provided for onward travel.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=163-164}}

The final section of the Brighton Main Line, between Haywards Heath and Brighton, opened on 21 September 1841.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=137-139}} The initial service on the whole line was six trains per day in each direction, with most trains taking {{frac|2|1|4}} hours to complete the journey and one non-stop service in each direction taking {{frac|1|3|4}} hours.{{sfn|Baker|1989|p=40}} The station at Merstham opened on 1 December 1841, but was closed two years later. A station was opened at Stoats Nest (later Coulsdon North) in the spring of 1842 to cater for racegoers at [[Epsom Racecourse|Epsom]].{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=165-166}} Work to widen the shared section of the L&GR viaduct was completed on 10 May that year.{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=167}} The new L&CR London Bridge station, designed by [[Henry Roberts (architect)|Henry Roberts]], opened in 1844.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=48, 50}} Since the new terminus was not designed to handle freight, a spur line primarily for goods trains was built to {{rws|Bricklayers Arms}} and opened on 1 May that year.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=46-47}}{{efn|Although {{rws|Bricklayers Arms}} was primarily intended to handle freight, it also provided a stopping place for coaches and so passenger trains were also run to the station although London Bridge remained the primary terminus for the capital.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=46-47}}}}

[[File:Redhill_jct_station.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|{{rws|Redhill}} station {{circa|1853}}: The station was moved to its current location by the [[South Eastern Railway (England)|South Eastern Railway]] in 1844.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=44-45}}]]
The [[South Eastern Railway (England)|South Eastern Railway]] (SER) company was formed to promote a railway from London to [[Dover Priory railway station|Dover]]. Under the terms of the act of parliament passed on 21 June 1836, the company was empowered to build a line that left the L&CR at Penge,{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=23-24}} but the following year, parliament permitted the company to instead form a connection to the L&BR at Redhill.{{sfn|Turner|1977|pp=33-34}} The Redhill to {{rws|Tonbridge}} section of the SER opened on 26 May 1842.{{sfn|Turner|1977|p=172}} In 1839, anticipating that disputes might arise over the use of the line north of Redhill, parliament instructed the L&BR to sell the Coulsdon{{endash}}Redhill section to the SER. A price of £340,000 was agreed and the transfer of ownership took place in July 1845.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=17-18}}

On 27 July 1846, parliamentary authority was granted to merge the L&CR and L&BR to form the [[London, Brighton and South Coast Railway]] (LB&SCR).{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=1}}

===London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (1846{{endash}}1922)===
A branch line from Sydenham to {{rws|Crystal Palace}} was opened on 10 June 1854 by the [[West End of London and Crystal Palace Railway]] (WELCPR). The company extended its line to Balham on 1 December 1856 and to {{rws|Pimlico}} in March 1858.{{sfn|Turner|1978|pp=57-58}} A west{{endash}}south spur linking Crystal Palace and Norwood Junction stations was opened in 1857, allowing trains from Brighton to reach the Pimlico terminus. The LB&SCR purchased the WELCPR in 1859.{{sfn| Turner|1978|pp=117-118}} In 1860, the [[Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway]] constructed [[Grosvenor Bridge]] across the [[River Thames]], opening Victoria station on 1 October that year.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=78-79}}{{efn|The [[Victoria Station and Pimlico Railway]] was authorised by act of parliament on 23 July 1858. The new terminus station, {{rws|London Victoria}}, was built on the site of the former [[Grosvenor Canal]] basin.{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=119}}}}

Although LB&SCR trains could access Victoria station via Crystal Palace,{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=126}} John Rastrick advised that a shorter route to the [[West End of London]] would be "most desirable".{{sfn| Turner|1978|pp=117-118}} The company therefore decided to build a "cut-off" line between Croydon and Balham via Streatham Common. The proposal was authorised by parliament on 3 July 1860{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=126}} and the new double-track line opened on 1 December 1862 with intermediate stations at Thornton Heath and Streatham Common.{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=129}}{{efn|An independent proposal for a line linking {{rws|East Croydon}} to {{rws|Wandsworth Common}} had been presented to parliament in 1851, but had been withdrawn the following year.{{sfn| Turner|1978|pp=60-61}}}} A further act of parliament was passed on 18 July 1864 authorising a link between the Victoria and London Bridge arms of the Brighton Main Line that allowed trains to travel between Norwood Junction and Thornton Heath without a reversal.{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=132}} Selhurst station, on the Victoria arm, opened on 1 May 1865 and South Croydon opened that September.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=41-42}}

A third track had been laid between New Cross and Croydon in August 1844 for [[atmospheric railway|atmospheric trains]].{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=38}} This method of train propulsion was abandoned by the LB&SCR in 1847,{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=25-26}} but the extra track was retained to provide additional capacity for northbound locomotive-hauled trains. A fourth track, used for southbound services, was added to this section of line by 1854.{{sfn|Turner|1978|p=50}}

[[File:Purley, Red Hill & Stoats Next RJD 130.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Quarry Line was built at the end of the 19th century to bypass the station and junctions at Redhill.]]
Between Stoats Nest and Redhill, the Brighton Main Line was owned by the SER.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=17-18}} Congestion at the junctions at the south end of Redhill station prompted the LB&SCR to propose a two-track bypass of this section of line. The new line, which included two new tunnels and extensive cuttings, was authorised by parliament on 20 July 1894.{{sfn|Turner|1979|pp=114-115}} A second act, permitting minor changes to the route, was given royal assent on 20 July 1896.{{sfn|Turner|1979|p=118}} The Quarry Line, as the bypass became known, opened to freight services on 5 November 1899 and to passenger trains on 1 April the following year.{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=100-101}}

Five stations opened on the Brighton Main Line in the 1870s and 1880s. Brockley opened on 6 March 1871 to serve a new area of residential development.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc=Fig. 53}} Norbury was built on a speculative basis, with one third of the cost being contributed by developers, and opened on 1 January 1878.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 80}} Similarly, the cost of Honor Oak Park station, which opened on 1 April 1886, was also part-paid by developers.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc=Fig. 59}} On 1 August that year Wivelsfield opened and trains began calling at Coulsdon South on 1 October 1889. The final station to be built on the line in the 19th century was Purley Oaks, which opened on 5 November 1899.{{sfn|Baker|1989|pp=41-42}}

Work to quadruple the Brighton Main Line continued in the first decade of the 20th century. Two additional tracks were brought into use between Streatham Common and Windmill Bridge Junction (north of Croydon) in July 1903.{{sfn|Baker|1989|p=122}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 76}} The line between Redhill and Three Bridges was quadrupled in 1907{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|pp=100-101}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988b|loc=Fig. 113}} and from Three Bridges to the southern limit of four-tracking at Balcombe Tunnel Junction in 1911.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988b|loc=Fig. 116}}

[[File:Electric_railway_journal_(1911)_(14572219409).jpg|thumb|right|Overhead line electrification at {{rws|Balham}} in 1911]]
The first parts of the Brighton Main Line to be electrified, were the approaches to London Bridge and Victoria stations. The chosen system used overhead wires, energised to 6,700 V AC, and multiple units equipped with [[pantograph (transport)|pantographs]] for current collection. The new infrastructure allowed electric trains to start running between the two termini via the [[South London Line]] on 1 December 1909.{{sfn|Brown|2009|p=10}}{{sfn|Turner|1979|p=174}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc= Fig. 7}} On 12 May 1911, the electrification was extended from Battersea Park to Crystal Palace via Balham{{sfn|Oppitz|1988|p=28}} and to Norwood Junction and Selhurst on 3 March 1912.{{sfn|Turner|1979|p=178}}

[[File:The British Army on the Home Front, 1914-1918 Q30511.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Soldiers at {{rws|London Victoria}} station during the First World War]]
During the First World War, the Brighton Main Line was the target of two [[Zeppelin]] attacks. The line at the south end of East Croydon station was damaged on 13 October 1915{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988b|loc= Fig. 3}} and Streatham Common station was hit by a bomb in September 1916.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc= Fig. 83}} Salfords station was opened on 8 October 1915 initially for the use of workers at the nearby [[Monotype Imaging|Monotype Corporation]] factory. It continued to operate as a private halt after the war and was not opened to the general public until 1932.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=138}}

===Grouping (1923{{endash}}1948)===
[[File:4-lav_emu.jpg|thumb|right|A [[SR Class 4Lav|4-LAV]] electric multiple unit approaching {{rws|Coulsdon North}}: These trains were used on the Brighton Main Line between 1933 and 1969.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=42-43}}]]
Under the [[Railways Act 1921]], the Brighton Main Line became part of the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] in 1923.{{sfn|White|1992|p=179}} The overhead electrification of the line as far south as Coulsdon North was completed in April 1925,<ref>{{cite news |title= More electric trains : New SR sections open |date= 1 April 1925 |work= Daily Telegraph |issue= 21819 |page= 14 }}</ref> but in August the following year, the company decided that all future electrification projects would use the DC third-rail system and that the existing overhead wire system would be replaced.<ref>{{cite news |title= £3,000,000 scheme of Southern Railway : 'Overhead' to disappear |date= 10 August 1926 |work= Daily Telegraph |issue= 22233 |page= 9 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Southern Railway's £3,750,000 scheme : Overhead system to disappear |date= 10 August 1926 |work= Manchester Guardian |issue= 24947 |page= 12 }}</ref> The conversion of the existing electrified sections was completed in September 1929<ref name=Clarke_2020/> and third-rail electrification reached Three Bridges in July 1932.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1986|loc= Fig. 9}}<ref>{{cite news |title= Wiping out the steam trains : First stage of a great electrification scheme |date= 5 July 1932 |work= Evening Standard |issue= 33659 |page= 18 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Electric trains further extensions : Coulsdon to Reigate and Three Bridges |date= 7 July 1932 |work= Sutton and Cheam Advertiser |page= 3 }}</ref> The electrification of the entire line was completed on 1 January 1933, when the section between Three Bridges and Brighton was commissioned.<ref name=Clarke_2020/>{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1986|loc=Fig. 113}}{{sfn|Bonavia|1987|pp=87-89}}

A major resignalling project on the southern part of the Brighton Main Line was undertaken in 1932. Colour light signalling was commissioned between Coulsdon North and Balcombe Tunnel Junction on 4 June 1932. Six signal boxes were closed and control of this section of line was transferred to Three Bridges.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=42-43}} In October 1932, colour light signalling was commissioned between Balcombe Tunnel Junction and Brighton. Haywards Heath station was rebuilt with two island platforms, each with two platform faces able to accommodate 12-car trains. Platforms 3 to 6 at Brighton were also lengthened as part of the same project.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=42-43}}<ref name=ES_July_1932>{{cite news |title= Southern Railway : Stations under reconstruction |date= 29 July 1932 |work= Evening Standard |issue= 33680 |page= 20 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Railway light signals |date= 21 October 1932 |work= Surrey Mirror and County Post |issue= 2855 |page= 9 }}</ref>

Redhill station was substantially rebuilt in 1932 as part of the electrification programme. A new [[sorting office]] was opened in the town in 1933,<ref name=ES_July_1932/>{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=18}}<ref>{{cite news |title= Postal development |date= 22 September 1933 |work= Surrey Mirror and County Post |issue= 2903 |page= 6 }}</ref> replacing the previous facility which had been built in 1884.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|pp=24-25}} Further upgrades to enable larger volumes of mail to be handled at the station were undertaken in 1935 and 1938.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=18}} Rail transport of Post Office mail ceased following the opening of the [[Willesden]] postal rail hub in 1996.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=100}}

[[File:BB_at_Purley_Oaks_1964_cropped.jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 403|Class 403 (5-BEL)]] unit in Pullman livery at {{rws|Purley Oaks}} in 1964]]
A [[Pullman train (UK)|Pullman]] dining service between London and Brighton, nicknamed the ''[[Brighton Belle]]'', was launched on 29 June 1934. It used five-car {{cvt|75|mph|adj=on}} capable [[British Rail Class 403|Class 403 (5-BEL)]] units, the first all-electric Pullman trains in the world.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=107-108}}{{sfn|Glover|2001|p=45}}<ref>{{cite news |last= Pring |first= Martyn |date= 13 February 2020 |title= The iconic Brighton Belle is returning after 50 years (with wider seats to handle expanding girths) |work= The Telegraph |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/articles/dawn-of-a-new-brighton-belle-epoch/ |access-date= 26 March 2024 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Initially, three return trips ran each day, but the service was increased to four in 1963. The Class 403 sets were withdrawn on 30 April 1972.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=107-108}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1986|loc= Fig. 116}}

The [[Beehive, Gatwick Airport|Beehive]], the original terminal building at [[Gatwick Airport]], opened in mid-1936. It was served by Tinsley Green station, which had opened in September the previous year and which was renamed Gatwick Airport on 1 June 1936.{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|pp=73-74}}<ref>{{cite news |last= Robertson |first= F. |date= 8 June 1936 |title= London's second airport : Opening ceremony at Gatwick |work= Manchester Guardian |issue= 27996|page= 10 }}</ref> The station was relocated northwards to its current site at the South Terminal on 27 May 1958.{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|pp=73-74}}<ref>{{cite news |title= The Queen's plane makes a trial run into Gatwick |date= 29 May 1958 |work= Evening Standard |issue= 41666 |page= 8 }}</ref>

During the Second World War, the Brighton Main Line was a target for enemy bombing. Bombs caused damage to the tracks at Norbury on 19 October 1940{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 81}} and outside Victoria station on 21 December that year.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 21}} Both London termini were damaged in a raid on 11 May 1941 and a [[V-1 flying bomb]] caused extensive damage to the station offices at Victoria on 12 June 1944.{{sfn|Baker|1989|p=175}} Further bomb damage occurred at Forest Hill on 23 June 1944.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc=Fig. 70}}

===Nationalisation (1948{{endash}}1996)===
[[File:(The former) Balham signal box - geograph.org.uk - 899090.jpg|thumb|right|Balham signal box opened on 12 October 1952 and closed on 7 June 1981.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 70}}]]
Under the [[Transport Act 1947]], the Brighton Main Line became part of the [[Southern Region of British Railways]]. During the 1950s, work continued to modernise the signalling system, which included the installation of colour lights between Selhurst and East Croydon in March 1954.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc=Figs 99, 117}} In the same decade, the number of signal boxes on the line was reduced and new boxes were commissioned at Balham,{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 70}} Norwood Junction,{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc=Figs 103, 104, 108}} Gloucester Road Junction{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 101}} and Purley.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988b|loc=Fig. 31}}

The South Terminal at Gatwick Airport was opened on 9 June 1958. The new terminal was directly linked to a new railway station on the Brighton Main Line, which had opened on 27 May that year. The former airport station, located close to the redundant Beehive terminal, had closed on 18 May 1958.{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|pp=73-74}}{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988b|loc= Fig. 111}}

[[File:BREL_Class_455_No_455841_(8061890234).jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 455|Class 455]] unit at {{rws|Sydenham|London}} in [[Network SouthEast]] livery]]
On 4 January 1982, the Brighton Main Line and the majority of the Southern Region of British Railways, became part of the new "London & South Eastern" sector of British Rail. Four years later, on 10 June 1986, the sector was rebranded to become [[Network SouthEast]].{{sfn|Brown|Jackson|1990|pp=7-8}}

In the early 1980s, a major resignalling project was undertaken that involved the closure of the majority of the signal boxes on the line and the transfer of control to Victoria and Three Bridges signalling centres.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 20}} London Bridge panel box, which had opened in 1975, retained control of the line north of Norwood Junction.<ref name=Clarke_2020/>{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1988a|loc=Fig. 16}} Remodelling of Windmill Bridge Junction was undertaken, with the creation of an additional flyover to eliminate conflicting movements between trains on the slow lines.<ref name=Clarke_2020/>{{efn|The embankments required for the creation of the new flyovers at Windmill Bridge Junction were constructed using spoil from [[Betteshanger Colliery]] in Kent.<ref name=Clarke_2020/>{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc=Fig. 104}}}} The arrangement of the tracks at East Croydon was changed to route all fast services through platforms 1, 2 and 3 on the west side of the station.{{sfn|Mitchell|Smith|1987|loc= Map XXIII}}

[[File:73208_at_Horley.jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 73|Class 73]] locomotive in [[InterCity]] livery operating a Gatwick Express service in push mode]]
Gatwick Express services were launched by Network SouthEast on 14 May 1984 using {{cvt|90|mph|adj=on}} capable [[British Rail Class 73|Class 73]] locomotives in push-pull mode, each hauling a rake of [[British Rail Mark 4|Mark 4f]] coaches and a [[British Rail Class 414|Class 414 (2-HAP)]] driver motor brake unit.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=79-80}}{{sfn|Oppitz|1987|p=75}} The journey was timetabled to take 30 minutes and seven trainsets were required to operate the service.{{sfn|Glover|2001|pp=79-80}}<ref name=Foster_2014>{{cite magazine |last= Foster |first= Suzanne |date= 18 November 2014 |orig-date= 11 June 2014 |title= "Catch the train and you've caught the plane" |magazine= Rail |url= https://www.railmagazine.com/trains/new-trains/catch-the-train-and-you-ve-caught-the-plane |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref><ref name=Wolmar>{{cite news |last= Wolmar |first= Christian |date= 3 April 1996 |title= National Express wins Gatwick rail franchise |work= The Independent |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/national-express-wins-gatwick-rail-franchise-1303118.html |access-date= 25 March 2024 }}</ref> In the first seven months of the service, the number of passengers travelling by rail to Gatwick Airport went up by 38% and revenue on the route increased by 52%.<ref name=Foster_2014/> Responsibility for running the Gatwick Express was transferred to the [[InterCity (British Rail)|InterCity]] sector of British Rail in April of the following year.{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|pp=18-19}} A service from {{rws|Reading}} to Gatwick via {{rws|Guildford}} and Redhill, later branded the [[North Downs Line]], was introduced in May 1980.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=102}} A third new route launched by Network SouthEast was the {{rws|Bedford}}{{endash}}Brighton [[Thameslink]] service via the [[Snow Hill tunnel (London)|Snow Hill tunnel]] under central London, which began on 16 May 1988.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|pp=100-101}}{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=101}}<ref>{{cite news |title= All systems go for Thameslink |date= 13 May 1988 |work= Croydon Advertiser |issue= 6232 |page= 5 }}</ref>

Two major stations on the Brighton Main Line were rebuilt in the early 1990s. A new circular station building at Redhill station, designed by the architecture firm, Troutham & Macasum, was completed towards the end of 1990.{{sfn|Jackson|1999|p=100}}{{sfn|Green|Vincent|2014|p=69}} East Croydon station, designed by Alan Brookes Associates, opened on 19 August 1992.<ref>{{cite news |last= Alford |first= Simon |date= 21 August 1992 |title= BR unwraps its vision of the future |work= Croydon Advertiser |issue= 6455 |page= 3 }}</ref>

===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>