Network SouthCentral

Network SouthCentral (abbreviated NSC) was a shadow franchise (an independent train operating company) that existed from 4 February 1994 to 13 October 1996, when Connex Rail took over the running of the franchise, which became Connex South Central. The franchise is now operated by Southern. As with all shadow franchises, Network SouthCentral was a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Railways Board.

During the privatisation of British Rail under John Major's Conservative Government in the early to mid 1990s, a series of "shadow franchises" were created. These were independent and officially known as train operating companies, but were designed to be replaced by new franchisees (in NSC's case, Connex). Network SouthCentral officially came into being on 4 February 1994, superseding Network SouthEast over the central part of southern England.

Network SouthCentral covered most of Sussex, and parts of Eastern Surrey in the "commuter belt". The core of NSC's operations was the London Victoria-East Croydon-Brighton express route, with most other NSC mainline services utilising some part of this alignment. The rough boundaries of the Network SouthCentral operations were from Hastings in the east to Portsmouth in the west, although services operated by the company did extend further on both sides- to Southampton along the Solent line in the west, and as the sole operator of the Marshlink Line from Hastings to Ashford via Rye.

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