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Night Ferry
The Night Ferry was an international boat train from London Victoria to Paris Gare du Nord that crossed the English Channel on a train ferry. It ran from 1936 until 1939 when it ceased due to the onset of World War II. It resumed in 1947, ceasing in 1980. It was operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits until 1977 and then British Rail.
The Night Ferry was introduced on the night of 14 October 1936. The train was operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) until 1 January 1977, when it was taken over by British Rail. Motive power was provided by the Southern Railway and later British Railways in England, SNCF in France and from 1957, by SNCB in Belgium.
When loaded onto the train ferry the train was split into sections and loaded equally on tracks on the port and starboard sides of the ship, to maintain its balance. It normally departed from and arrived at platform 2 at London Victoria where customs checks were performed.
The first class sleeping cars and the baggage vans travelled the entire journey. The English train from London Victoria to Dover, and the French train from Dunkirk to Paris Gare du Nord, conveyed normal second class carriages of their own railway. The passengers travelling by these walked on and off the ship in the standard way. The English train conveyed one of a pair of standard Mark 1 Brake Composite carriages, which had been modified with a French-style gangway connection at one end. This provided the guard's compartment in England and enabled the guard to walk through the train.
From November 1936, a Pullman Car Company dining carriage was added for the serving of supper and breakfast, operated between Victoria and Dover. Following British Railways taking over the Southern Railway, but not Pullman, a British Rail carriage took over the restaurant duties from January 1948, although still crewed by Pullman, until 1962 when Pullman was merged into British Transport Hotel and Catering Services. In France, a dining carriage was attached, initially a 1926 carriage built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company.
After ceasing with the onset of World War II in September 1939, services resumed on 15 December 1947. From 2 June 1957, a through coach to and from Brussels was attached/detached at Lille. In the winter seasons of 1967/68 and 1968/69, a daily through coach to and from Basel, Switzerland was added, where onward connections to skiing resorts were provided.
In 1959, diesel locomotives were replaced by electric locomotives on parts of the train's route in both France and the UK – from 11 January between Paris and Arras and from 8 June between London and Dover – which allowed faster speeds (e.g. reducing the London–Dover journey time by 12 minutes). Following electrification of the South Eastern Main Line between Sevenoaks and Dover Marine in 1961, the train was usually hauled within England by Class 71 electric locomotives. In its final years Class 33 diesels or Class 73 electro-diesels were often used.
Until the Eurostar service began on 14 November 1994, the Night Ferry had been the only through passenger train between the United Kingdom and continental Europe. The carriages of the daytime Golden Arrow train did not cross the English Channel.
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Night Ferry AI simulator
(@Night Ferry_simulator)
Night Ferry
The Night Ferry was an international boat train from London Victoria to Paris Gare du Nord that crossed the English Channel on a train ferry. It ran from 1936 until 1939 when it ceased due to the onset of World War II. It resumed in 1947, ceasing in 1980. It was operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits until 1977 and then British Rail.
The Night Ferry was introduced on the night of 14 October 1936. The train was operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) until 1 January 1977, when it was taken over by British Rail. Motive power was provided by the Southern Railway and later British Railways in England, SNCF in France and from 1957, by SNCB in Belgium.
When loaded onto the train ferry the train was split into sections and loaded equally on tracks on the port and starboard sides of the ship, to maintain its balance. It normally departed from and arrived at platform 2 at London Victoria where customs checks were performed.
The first class sleeping cars and the baggage vans travelled the entire journey. The English train from London Victoria to Dover, and the French train from Dunkirk to Paris Gare du Nord, conveyed normal second class carriages of their own railway. The passengers travelling by these walked on and off the ship in the standard way. The English train conveyed one of a pair of standard Mark 1 Brake Composite carriages, which had been modified with a French-style gangway connection at one end. This provided the guard's compartment in England and enabled the guard to walk through the train.
From November 1936, a Pullman Car Company dining carriage was added for the serving of supper and breakfast, operated between Victoria and Dover. Following British Railways taking over the Southern Railway, but not Pullman, a British Rail carriage took over the restaurant duties from January 1948, although still crewed by Pullman, until 1962 when Pullman was merged into British Transport Hotel and Catering Services. In France, a dining carriage was attached, initially a 1926 carriage built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company.
After ceasing with the onset of World War II in September 1939, services resumed on 15 December 1947. From 2 June 1957, a through coach to and from Brussels was attached/detached at Lille. In the winter seasons of 1967/68 and 1968/69, a daily through coach to and from Basel, Switzerland was added, where onward connections to skiing resorts were provided.
In 1959, diesel locomotives were replaced by electric locomotives on parts of the train's route in both France and the UK – from 11 January between Paris and Arras and from 8 June between London and Dover – which allowed faster speeds (e.g. reducing the London–Dover journey time by 12 minutes). Following electrification of the South Eastern Main Line between Sevenoaks and Dover Marine in 1961, the train was usually hauled within England by Class 71 electric locomotives. In its final years Class 33 diesels or Class 73 electro-diesels were often used.
Until the Eurostar service began on 14 November 1994, the Night Ferry had been the only through passenger train between the United Kingdom and continental Europe. The carriages of the daytime Golden Arrow train did not cross the English Channel.