© www.dover-kent.co.uk 2022
Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom
The Golden Arrow
In 1926 a new all first class Pullman train service, the ‘Flèche
d’Or’, was introduced between Calais and Paris. Connecting
ferry services and trains from Dover to London were run by the
Southern Railway, and after a year or so it decided to introduce
a similar all first class Pullman service on the English side, with
a new luxury ferry linking the English and French trains.
On 15 May 1929 the new ‘Golden Arrow’ / ‘Flèche d’Or’ service
began. The trains left both capitals at 11:00 am and the ‘Golden
Arrow’ on the English side usually consisted of 10 Pullman cars,
pulled by one of the Southern Railway’s new ‘Lord Nelson’ class
express locomotives. The run to Dover took 98 minutes and the
crossing to Calais was made on board the new luxury ferry the
‘Canterbury’.
Unfortunately the early 1930’s was not the best period for the
running of a first class only, luxury train in Britain, and the
‘Golden Arrow’ soon included ordinary first and second class
coaches in its formation as the need for Pullmans gradually
declined. The service was abandoned in September 1939 with
the outbreak of the Second World War.
On 15 April 1946 the ‘Golden Arrow’ resumed service and was
again an all Pullman formation but this time with first and
second class cars. The train was formed with pre-war Pullmans
which had been stored during the war but in 1951, to coincide
with the Festival of Britain Exhibition in London, a new set of
Pullman cars was built.
In the early 1950’s the timing and route of the ‘Golden Arrow’
was changed. The train now left London Victoria at 2:00 pm and
ran to Folkestone Harbour rather than to Dover Marine on the
outward journey, with the return service still working from
Dover.
In May 1960 the train reverted to Dover as it Channel port for
both outward and return journeys, and went back to its
morning departure time from London. Ordinary non-Pullman
coaches appeared in the formation once again, but normally not
more than two. In 1961 the remaining sections of line to the
Kent Coast were electrified and the train was now hauled by
new electric locomotives.
The rapid expansion during the 1960’s of private motoring and
the introduction of new car ferry ships and hovercraft across the
Channel, plus the expansion of air services between London and
Paris, led to a decline in use. The final service of the ‘Golden
Arrow’ ran on 30th September 1972. Some of the Pullman cars
that once ran on the ‘Golden Arrow’ have been restored and are
now in use in the English portion of the "Venice-Simplon Orient
Express", running over much the same route as they did in the
past.
d’Or’, was introduced between Calais and Paris. Connecting
ferry services and trains from Dover to London were run by the
Southern Railway, and after a year or so it decided to introduce
a similar all first class Pullman service on the English side, with
a new luxury ferry linking the English and French trains.
On 15 May 1929 the new ‘Golden Arrow’ / ‘Flèche d’Or’ service
began. The trains left both capitals at 11:00 am and the ‘Golden
Arrow’ on the English side usually consisted of 10 Pullman cars,
pulled by one of the Southern Railway’s new ‘Lord Nelson’ class
express locomotives. The run to Dover took 98 minutes and the
crossing to Calais was made on board the new luxury ferry the
‘Canterbury’.
Unfortunately the early 1930’s was not the best period for the
running of a first class only, luxury train in Britain, and the
‘Golden Arrow’ soon included ordinary first and second class
coaches in its formation as the need for Pullmans gradually
declined. The service was abandoned in September 1939 with
the outbreak of the Second World War.
On 15 April 1946 the ‘Golden Arrow’ resumed service and was
again an all Pullman formation but this time with first and
second class cars. The train was formed with pre-war Pullmans
which had been stored during the war but in 1951, to coincide
with the Festival of Britain Exhibition in London, a new set of
Pullman cars was built.
In the early 1950’s the timing and route of the ‘Golden Arrow’
was changed. The train now left London Victoria at 2:00 pm and
ran to Folkestone Harbour rather than to Dover Marine on the
outward journey, with the return service still working from
Dover.
In May 1960 the train reverted to Dover as it Channel port for
both outward and return journeys, and went back to its
morning departure time from London. Ordinary non-Pullman
coaches appeared in the formation once again, but normally not
more than two. In 1961 the remaining sections of line to the
Kent Coast were electrified and the train was now hauled by
new electric locomotives.
The rapid expansion during the 1960’s of private motoring and
the introduction of new car ferry ships and hovercraft across the
Channel, plus the expansion of air services between London and
Paris, led to a decline in use. The final service of the ‘Golden
Arrow’ ran on 30th September 1972. Some of the Pullman cars
that once ran on the ‘Golden Arrow’ have been restored and are
now in use in the English portion of the "Venice-Simplon Orient
Express", running over much the same route as they did in the
past.
