North Downs Line

Gatwick Airport to Reading

We board a 3-car class 165 turbo DMU for a fast service that runs through all but 7 of the 22 intermediate stations en route.  At first our train takes us along the four track main line to Redhill where our train has to reverse. We then run via Reigate, the end of the line for the electric services. A traditional signal box controls the level crossing and the next leg of our journey running below the Surrey Hills escarpment as far as Guildford. Here we see inside the panel signal box that controls our train as far as Wokingham.

Strangely the North Downs line was built by the South Eastern Railway all the way to Reading, running miles beyond its normal sphere of operation well into GWR territory. It's an interesting line, full of variety, traversing a number of major junctions and stations managed by five different companies. 

More than most, the gradients on this line are particularly apparent from the driver's cab.

The discs have chapter access to individual stations called at.