New Electric Trains Now Arriving at Guildford – 100 Years After the First One Did

Published on: 18 Jun, 2025
Updated on: 21 Jun, 2025

By David Rose

A keen-eyed reader has noticed South Western Railway is now operating some of its new electric trains into Guildford.

And it just so happens to be 100 years, this coming July 9, the first electric train arrived!

One of the new Arterio electric trains arriving at Guildford on Wednesday evening, June 18, 2025. Picture: David Rose.

Tony Derbyshire writes: “The much delayed Class 701 Arterio trains have started working to and from London Waterloo to Guildford via Effingham on a regular basis. The [operation] diagrams started last week and are now confirmed.”

And that’s the same route as the first one came down to Guildford – more of which later.

On Thursday, April 24, 2025, South Western Railway (SWR) noted on its website: “We are sorry that the Arterio rollout is taking longer than previously expected.

“As has been well documented, as well as introducing a new set of trains, SWR is introducing a new method of work with our drivers responsible for opening and closing the doors (DODC operations). In order to do so, the drivers rely on effective CCTV cameras and in-cab displays down the full length of the 10-car train to make the judgement it is safe to depart.

Details of the new Arterio electric trains from South Western Railway’s website.

“Many of the 98 stations the Arterio will serve were built more than 150 years ago and we have a challenge interfacing the train to some of our older platforms, given their design. We have been undertaking works and extensive testing at our stations under all lighting conditions to ensure there is a detectable image for drivers to be able to release the train.

“While we complete those works at our stations, we’ve taken the decision to re-phase our training programme in order to bring as many Arterios into customer service as quickly as possible. This means we will now begin training our drivers and guards to operate the trains with the driver opening the doors and the guards closing them (DOGC operations), which will enable us to operate on new routes sooner.”

After a quick turn around at Guildford, the Arterio electric train departs back to London Waterloo via Cobham / Effingham Junction on Wednesday evening, June 18, 2025. Picture: David Rose.

Previously, SWR noted that its 750-carriage Arterio fleet had been built by Alstom in Derby, adding they are: “… far more technologically advanced than the older trains they are replacing and have room for many more customers, with each 10 car train providing over 50 per cent more capacity”.

The Arterio electric train rounds the curve towards Guildford’s London Road station and back to London Waterloo on Wednesday evening, June 18, 2025. Picture: David Rose. These three taken at Yorky’s Bridge.

Why the name Arterio? SWR says: “Through Waterloo, the beating heart of our network, Arterio trains will carry our customers along the arteries of our suburban network to the capital – to work, to school, to restaurants, shops, bars and theatres – and home again.”

With Britain’s railways now coming back into public ownership, SWR has become the first planned nationalisation, which came under public control on May 25, 2025.

Here’s the history lesson!

In 1923, the majority of Britain’s many railways were grouped into four main companies known as the ‘Big Four’.

These were the London Midland & Scottish Railway, the London & North Eastern Railway, the Great Western Railway and the Southern Railway. The latter was the smallest of the four and some of its lines ran in and out of Guildford.

The majority of the Southern Railway’s revenue came from passenger traffic, commuters and other passengers making relatively short journeys by rail, rather than freight.

The London & South Western Railway, that was absorbed into the Southern Railway, had already been introducing electric trains using a third rail to conduct direct current electricity at 660 volts.

Southern Railway electrification poster.

However, the Southern Railway is credited with creating, what was at that time, the world’s largest electrified railway system.

On Thursday, July 9, 1925, the first electric train arrived at Guildford from London Waterloo via Cobham.

This was a special inaugural train to herald the new service that officially began the following Sunday, July 12.

Guildford’s town crier Albany Peters in front of Guildford railway station with a crowd behind waiting for the inaugural electric train to arrive, Thursday, July 9, 1925. Picture: Guildford Institute.

The Sunday Express of July 5, 1925, announced details of this train, writing: “Guildford will have a ‘joy’ day on Thursday next to celebrate the arrival of the first electric train on the Southern extension from Waterloo.

“The lusty voice of the town crier, Mr Albany Peters, will announce to the burgesses assembled outside the Guildhall that the mayor and his officials have safely made the journey.”

In its edition of July 10, 1925, the Daily Expresses’s “special correspondent” who had come to Guildford wrote: “The thirteenth and twentieth centuries linked forces here to today when Mr Albany Peters, the town crier, in his quaint medieval robes, rang his bell and announced in the steep streets that the new electric railway from Waterloo to Guildford would be opened on Sunday, and that a special train had carried the mayor over the line today.

The crowd has gathered on platform 1 of Guildford station, welcoming the inaugural electric train, Thursday, July 9, 1925. Note the bunting on the left strung up between lamp-post on the platform. Picture: Guildford Institute.

“His ‘Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!’ was the finishing touch to the second stage of the £5,500,00o electrification scheme which is being carried out by the Southern Railway. The South Western section of the line is now electrified from Waterloo to Dorking via Leatherhead, and to Guildford via Cobham.

“The thirty-mile run to Guildford is the longest electric track in the country. There will be a train every twenty minutes, instead of only one an hour, with additional trains at rush hours.

A picture postcard featuring a steam-hauled train departing or perhaps passing through Guildford station. To the left can be seen an electric train and bunting hanging up. This photo may well have been taken on July 9, 1925. Picture: David Rose collection.

“Mrs Wilfrid Ashley, wife of the Minister of Transport, went into the driver’s cab and started the engine at one stage of the trip made by the special train, and the directors of the railway company and the mayors of a dozen Surrey towns in their robes of office walked in procession to the historic Guildhall and the Borough Hall after it arrived at Guildford. Every hundred yards the procession was held up while the town crier read his dedication.”

Another photo dated July 1925 with a 3 SUB electric train standing at platform 1, Guildford station. The number of this unit is 1298. The number of the unit that hauled the inaugural train was 1295, meaning this photo was taken at a different and later date. The train is set to depart for London Waterloo.

That inaugural train was of the 3 SUB (suburban) type, the first of which were introduced by the London & South Western Railway in 1915, a design that was continued by the Southern Railway until 1939.

Visualising it in colour, its body was painted in a dark olive green, with a white roof. With soot and smoke from steam locos and other air-borne pollution at the time, that roof is unlikely to have stayed white for very long!

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