Network Day 1989

The Introduction of Network South East in the 1980's, together with a "Network Card" costing about £10, giving a 33 percent price reduction on all off peak fares, significantly increased Rail travel in South East England. And amazingly, Network South East stretched as far north as Banbury, a mere 40 minute drive from my home. One of the features of the network card was a £1 per day ticket over certain weekends that permitted unlimited travel. Saturday 10th June 1989 was one such day, so I decided that I would head for one of my favourite Steam Railways, the Kent & East Sussex. In order to give me more time on the KESR, I decided to travel via the West Coast Main Line to Euston, then the tube to Charing Cross.

And so at 7.31am, I was heading south from Birmingham International behind 90026. We travelled via Northampton, reached 109 mph at Apsley, and arrived at Euston at 9.03am.

At Charing Cross, I purchased my £1 Network Day ticket, and headed south on the 9.30am Ramsgate, via Ashford, service. This was a 12 car EMU comprising 2 4 car VEP Units, 3446 & 3153) and a class 421 4 car unit, no 1579. We called at Waterloo East, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood, Staplehurst, Headcorn, Pluckley, and arrived at Ashford at 11.33am.

I then caught the 12.00pm Maidstone & District bus, which took me through several delightful villages, before depositing me at Tenterden. I then walked down to the Kent & East Sussex Railway Station, hopefully to join a "Terrier" class 0-6-0T for the run to Wittersham Road and back. My intention was to do three round trips on the line before retracing my steps to Ashford, then back home. Disaster!. Despite a confirmation by phone the previous day that a Terrier was booked for Saturday trains, it was an industrial 0-6-0T named Linda that was standing at the platform.

There was an immediate change of plan. One round trip to Witersham Road, the bus back to Ashford, then some "track bashing" around Kent and Sussex, wherever possible on lines upon which I had not previously travelled.

Below are details of my travels:

Ashford (3.06pm)-Dover-Ramsgate(4.10pm) 3 VEP units

Ramsgate (4.17pm)-Canterbury-Ashford (5.04pm) 2 VEP units

Ashford (5.14pm)-Hastings (6.00pm) on Class 207 DEMU's (2)

Hastings (6.25pm)-Eastbourne-Victoria (8.30pm) 12 car

My Network Card usage for the day complete, I tubed to Euston in good time to catch the 9.40pm Euston to Wolverhampton, from which I alighted at Birmingham International at 11.04pm. The loco was 86250 and we again travelled via Northampton, with some 112mph travel at Apsley and again at Wolverton.

And so a long an interesting rail day came to an end, though rather different to the day that had been planned.