Arriva Rail London[1] is a train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains that operates the London Overground concession on behalf of Transport for London.

Arriva Rail London
Franchise(s)London Overground
13 November 2016 - May 2026
Main region(s)Greater London
Parent companyArriva UK Trains
Other
Websitewww.arrivaraillondon.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

History

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In April 2015, Transport for London placed a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, inviting expressions of interest in operating the next concession.[2] In July 2015, Transport for London announced the shortlisted bidders for the next concession were Arriva UK Trains, ComfortDelGro, Govia and MTR Corporation.[3]

In March 2016, Arriva was awarded a seven-and-a-half-year concession with an option to extend for a further two years. Operations commenced on 13 November 2016.[4][5][6] Arriva held a 50% shareholding in the previous concession holder, London Overground Rail Operations.

In June 2023 Arriva Rail London were granted a two-year contract extension, pushing the contract's expiry date to May 2026. The new contract came into effect upon expiry of the old contract in May 2024.[7]

Services

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As of May 2023, the typical off-peak service pattern is:[8]

Windrush line
Route tph Calling at
Dalston Junction to New Cross 4
Dalston Junction to Clapham Junction 4
Highbury & Islington to Crystal Palace 4
Highbury & Islington to West Croydon 4
  • Canonbury
  • Dalston Junction
  • Haggerston
  • Hoxton
  • Shoreditch High Street, Whitechapel
  • Shadwell
  • Wapping
  • Rotherhithe
  • Canada Water
  • Surrey Quays
  • New Cross Gate
  • Brockley
  • Honor Oak Park
  • Forest Hill
  • Sydenham
  • Penge West
  • Anerley
  • Norwood Junction
Mildmay line
Route tph Calling at
Richmond to Stratford 4
Clapham Junction to Stratford 4
  • Imperial Wharf
  • West Brompton
  • Kensington (Olympia)
  • Shepherd's Bush
  • Willesden Junction
  • Kensal Rise
  • Brondesbury Park
  • Brondesbury
  • West Hampstead
  • Finchley Road & Frognal
  • Hampstead Heath
  • Gospel Oak
  • Kentish Town West
  • Camden Road
  • Caledonian Road & Barnsbury
  • Highbury & Islington
  • Canonbury
  • Dalston Kingsland
  • Hackney Central
  • Homerton
  • Hackney Wick
Lioness line
Route tph Calling at
Watford Junction to London Euston 4
Suffragette line
Route tph Calling at
Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside 4
Weaver line
Route tph Calling at
London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town 2
London Liverpool Street to Cheshunt 2
  • Bethnal Green
  • Cambridge Heath
  • London Fields
  • Hackney Downs
  • Rectory Road
  • Stoke Newington
  • Stamford Hill
  • Seven Sisters
  • Bruce Grove
  • White Hart Lane
  • Silver Street
  • Edmonton Green
  • Southbury
  • Turkey Street
  • Theobalds Grove
London Liverpool Street to Chingford 4
Liberty line
Route tph Calling at
Romford to Upminster 2

Battersea Park railway station is served by an infrequent parliamentary train service from Dalston Junction, which terminates at Battersea Park instead of Clapham Junction. Since the reorganization of services into the London Overground network, this has been the only service to use the link from platform 2 at Battersea Park to Wandsworth Road.

Rolling stock

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Arriva Rail London inherited a fleet of Class 172, Class 315, Class 317 and Class 378s. From 2019, the first of 54 Class 710s were delivered.[9] These replaced the Class 172, Class 315 and Class 317s, and the Class 378s on Watford DC line duties, allowing them to be concentrated on North London line, East London line, West London line and South London line services.[10]

On 22 May 2019 TfL announced that approval had been gained for the Class 710s to enter passenger service. The first two units entered service on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line on Thursday 23 May 2019 and the remaining six were in service by August 2019, with the first unit entering service on the Watford DC line on 9 September 2019. The first units on the Lea Valley lines entered service on 3 March 2020 after a first attempt on 24 February 2020.[11][12] Their use on Romford–Upminster line services began in October 2020.[13]

Current fleet

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Family  Class  Image Type  Top speed   Number   Train Numbers   Cars   Seat layout   Routes operated   Built 
 mph   km/h 
Bombardier Electrostar 378/1 Capitalstar   EMU 75 120 20 378135–154 5 Longitudinal East London line
South London line
2009–10
 
378/2 Capitalstar   EMU 75 120 37 378201–378234
378255–378257
5 Longitudinal North London line
West London line
East London line
South London line
Watford DC line
2008–11
 
Bombardier Aventra 710/1   EMU 75 120 30 710101-130 4 Longitudinal Lea Valley lines
Romford–Upminster line
2017–20
 
710/2   EMU 75 120 18 710256-273 4 Longitudinal Gospel Oak to Barking line
Watford DC line
2017–20
 
710/3   EMU 75 120 6 710374-379[14] 5 Longitudinal Watford DC line 2020
 

Past fleet

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Former train types operated by Arriva Rail London include:

Family  Class   Image   Type  Top speed Number Carriages Routes operated Years built Years
operated
 mph   km/h 
Bombardier Turbostar 172/0   DMU 100 160 8 2 Gospel Oak to Barking line 2010 2010–19
 
BREL 1972 315   EMU 75 120 17 4 Lea Valley lines
Romford–Upminster line
1980–81 2015–2020
 
BR Second Generation (Mark 3) Class 317/7   EMU 100 161 8 4 Lea Valley lines 1981–82 2015–2020
 
Class 317/8   EMU 100 161 6 4 Lea Valley lines 1981–82 2015–2020

Depots

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Arriva Rail London's fleet is maintained at Ilford, New Cross Gate and Willesden depots.

References

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  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 4165861 Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine Arriva Rail London Limited
  2. ^ TfL starts search for next operator to run Overground Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine Transport for London 9 April 2015
  3. ^ Four bidders shortlisted for London Overground operating concession Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine Railway Gazette International 29 June 2015
  4. ^ "Arriva wins £1.5bn London Overground contract" Archived 21 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine BBC News 18 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  5. ^ Transport for London announces intention to award London Overground contract to Arriva Archived 8 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Arriva 18 March 2016
  6. ^ TfL confirm London Overground contract with Arriva signed Archived 30 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine Railway Technology Magazine 18 April 2016
  7. ^ "Arriva secures contract extension with Transport for London for the London Overground". Arriva PLC. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  8. ^ "London Overground timetables". London: Transport for London. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  9. ^ Bombardier wins London Overground EMU contract Archived 4 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine Railway Gazette International 19 June 2015
  10. ^ "TFL's order for West Anglia Aventra EMUs confirmed". Rail Magazine. No. 780. 5 August 2015. p. 29.
  11. ^ "Bombardier Class 710/1s finally make their passenger debut on West Anglia suburban routes". Rail. 4 March 2020. Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  12. ^ "New London Overground electric trains enter service". Transport for London (Press release). Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  13. ^ "New London Overground electric trains enter service". Transport for London (Press release). Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  14. ^ "5 car 710's renumbered". Today's railways. No. 231. 21 April 2021. p. 70.
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Preceded by Operator of London Overground concession
2016–2026
Succeeded by
Incumbent