May 2025 Timetable Change - Confirmed Changes Only

[PGAT]

I notice two new rush-hour services into Cannon Street from Gravesend via Abbey Wood and Greenwich. Haven’t had time to investigate further but I wouldn’t expect too many more additional services to appear

 

[OliverH68]

c2c, Chiltern, LO & Crossrail also in.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I've just noticed that from the Summer timetable change, the timings of the Cross Country Trains to/from Penzance are completely different to the current setup.

Currently (on weekdays) at Penzance it has two early morning departures towards Scotland, along with two evening arrivals.

This changes to an 06:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance (arrive 10:38) which departs Penzance 11:15 towards Edinburgh.

The second arrival at Penzance being at 17:42- 07:04 from Edinburgh- which then forms an 18:14 back towards Birmingham New Street.

I like the wider spread of departure times at Penzance once the changes are made. It does however mean that the Aberdeen to Penzance will no longer run.

 

[Northern158170]

The extra XC trains from NCL/YRK to Reading sort of exist...

Trains run every 2 hours from Newcastle (06:xx-14:xx) - so 1 extra train, additionally with a new 16:33 service to Birmingham New Street- and 2 start from York (06:24, 16:37) - the former being a new service and the latter an extension of the current service to New Street

 

[Express380]

I've just noticed that from the Summer timetable change, the timings of the Cross Country Trains to/from Penzance are completely different to the current setup.

Currently (on weekdays) at Penzance it has two early morning departures towards Scotland, along with two evening arrivals.

This changes to an 06:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance (arrive 10:38) which departs Penzance 11:15 towards Edinburgh.

The second arrival at Penzance being at 17:42- 07:04 from Edinburgh- which then forms an 18:14 back towards Birmingham New Street.

I like the wider spread of departure times at Penzance once the changes are made. It does however mean that the Aberdeen to Penzance will no longer run.

Hopefully this will improve reliability west of Plymouth also staff will no longer need to be transported to and from Penzance/Long Rock to Plymouth which may help things

 

[Halish Railway]

More observations about West Yorkshire; These LNER services to Bradford appear to be disrupting a couple of Wharfedale line services. The 15:21 from Ilkley to Bradford Forster Square will have a 5 minute dwell at Shipley as it will arrive on platform 3 as an LNER service will use platform 4, which in turn means that it conflicts with a Bradford to Skipton service, so it can only leave once that has crawled into the platform. Most of the Bradford to London services also use the path vacated by the missing Bradford to Ilkley services, so that’s part of the reason why they’re not back to half-hourly.

There are also a few Ilkley to Leeds services that has 4 minutes of pathing allowance between Guiseley and Leeds to accommodate the Bradford to London services.

One other thing is that a few Leeds to Skipton and Ilkley services are still booked to use platform 3B at Leeds which precludes the use of 6 car trains on those services. Has the timeline for the introduction of 6 car trains slipped at all or will these select diagrams be worked by four car trains still?

 

[hux385]

I've just noticed that from the Summer timetable change, the timings of the Cross Country Trains to/from Penzance are completely different to the current setup.

Currently (on weekdays) at Penzance it has two early morning departures towards Scotland, along with two evening arrivals.

This changes to an 06:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance (arrive 10:38) which departs Penzance 11:15 towards Edinburgh.

The second arrival at Penzance being at 17:42- 07:04 from Edinburgh- which then forms an 18:14 back towards Birmingham New Street.

I like the wider spread of departure times at Penzance once the changes are made. It does however mean that the Aberdeen to Penzance will no longer run.

Does XC have crews based out of Penzance? I thinkkkk this might reduce the amount taxiing needed to/from Plymouth?

 

[Express380]

Does XC have crews based out of Penzance? I thinkkkk this might reduce the amount taxiing needed to/from Plymouth?

No crew based at Penzance and yes to the latter point

 

[DaveHarries]

I've just noticed that from the Summer timetable change, the timings of the Cross Country Trains to/from Penzance are completely different to the current setup.

Currently (on weekdays) at Penzance it has two early morning departures towards Scotland, along with two evening arrivals.

This changes to an 06:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance (arrive 10:38) which departs Penzance 11:15 towards Edinburgh.

The second arrival at Penzance being at 17:42- 07:04 from Edinburgh- which then forms an 18:14 back towards Birmingham New Street.

I like the wider spread of departure times at Penzance once the changes are made. It does however mean that the Aberdeen to Penzance will no longer run.

I am wondering about 1M92 (18:14 PNZ - BHM): I notice that, from NTA, there is a similar path for a train ID'ing as 1B79 (20:19 PGN - BHM) which works off 1V59 (1403 MAN - PGN) and the times from NTA to BHM are identical for both 1M92 and 1B79. It is tempting to wonder if one joins the other but there is nothing on RTT at present to suggest that this is the case.

(BHM: Birmingham NS, MAN: Manchester Pic, PGN: Paignton, PNZ: Penzance)

Dave

 

[berneyarms]

I am wondering about 1M92 (18:14 PNZ - BHM): I notice that, from NTA, there is a similar path for a train ID'ing as 1B79 (20:19 PGN - BHM) which works off 1V59 (1403 MAN - PGN) and the times from NTA to BHM are identical for both 1M92 and 1B79. It is tempting to wonder if one joins the other but there is nothing on RTT at present to suggest that this is the case.

(BHM: Birmingham NS, MAN: Manchester Pic, PGN: Paignton, PNZ: Penzance)

Dave

They’re not identical until after Bristol Temple Meads.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Just to add to my Cross Country based post from last night- I've just also noticed the additional calls at Worcestershire Parkway- seems to be (on Weekdays) every hour on the Plymouth to Scotland workings northbound, but it's the Manchester to Bristol services which call southbound.

 

[greataj]

The CrossCountry extensions from Cambridge to Stansted Airport also return to hourly as was expected. The missing 09:22 service from Birmingham New St towards Cambridge is also restored.

Greater Anglia has no changes from what I can see except for at Romford, where it appears 2tph will now go towards Southend Victoria as opposed to 1tph to each Southend Victoria and Colchester Town.

 

[OxtedL]

I notice two new rush-hour services into Cannon Street from Gravesend via Abbey Wood and Greenwich. Haven’t had time to investigate further but I wouldn’t expect too many more additional services to appear

Is this just a repeat of last year's Blackheath tunnel closure diversions?

 

[dk1]

The CrossCountry extensions from Cambridge to Stansted Airport also return to hourly as was expected. The missing 09:22 service from Birmingham New St towards Cambridge is also restored.

Greater Anglia has no changes from what I can see except for at Romford, where it appears 2tph will now go towards Southend Victoria as opposed to 1tph to each Southend Victoria and Colchester Town.

I think the only other slight change on GA as mentioned earlier is that a couple of up Saturday morning Norwich services omit Colchester with subsequent 720 replacement starting there.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Jan 2025 ==

Excellent to see XC back properly at the airport.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I am wondering about 1M92 (18:14 PNZ - BHM): I notice that, from NTA, there is a similar path for a train ID'ing as 1B79 (20:19 PGN - BHM) which works off 1V59 (1403 MAN - PGN) and the times from NTA to BHM are identical for both 1M92 and 1B79. It is tempting to wonder if one joins the other but there is nothing on RTT at present to suggest that this is the case.

(BHM: Birmingham NS, MAN: Manchester Pic, PGN: Paignton, PNZ: Penzance)

Dave

I think the 18:14 PNZ - BHM joins at Bristol Temple Meads as the 20:19 from Paignton waits for 25 minutes there (21:53-22:18)

 

[-Colly405-]

It does however mean that the Aberdeen to Penzance will no longer run.

It appears that Aberdeen is only served:
- SSuX - 2A01 (0642 ex-Dundee, arr 0757) and 1V60 (0820 to Plymouth).
- FSO - 1S45 (0927 ex-Plymouth, arr 2041) and 1B61 (2135 to Edinburgh).

 

[Avenger20]

It appears that Aberdeen is only served:
- SSuX - 2A01 (0642 ex-Dundee, arr 0757) and 1V60 (0820 to Plymouth).
- FSO - 1S45 (0927 ex-Plymouth, arr 2041) and 1B61 (2135 to Edinburgh).

This is as per the current timetable due to electrification works Sunday-Thursday between Haymarket and Dalmeny.

1S45 runs to Dundee only, with an earlier 1B61 returning from there to Edinburgh.

 

[222001]

Chesterfield regains it's hourly CrossCountry call that was dropped to a sporadic selection of calls for "social distancing" reasons. Took them long enough to put it back in!

 

[wls1]

I notice two new rush-hour services into Cannon Street from Gravesend via Abbey Wood and Greenwich. Haven’t had time to investigate further but I wouldn’t expect too many more additional services to appear

these services run currently though via Abbey Wood and Lewisham, 0555 from Gillingham and 0650 from Gravesend, its possible its due to the tunnel closure however they run via Greenwich even when the tunnel isn't closed for the few weeks after the initial timetable change

Dartford appears to lose the 0500 and 0505 services to Cannon Street and Charing X, missing from the published timetable? as well as the 1709 1739 and 1809 up Abbey Wood trains now run via Bexleyheath instead. There are some small late night changes also

 

[midland1]

Chesterfield regains it's hourly CrossCountry call that was dropped to a sporadic selection of calls for "social distancing" reasons. Took them long enough to put it back in!

One of those daft covid rules which put people close together than spread them out more.

 

[JRT]

I've just noticed that from the Summer timetable change, the timings of the Cross Country Trains to/from Penzance are completely different to the current setup.

Currently (on weekdays) at Penzance it has two early morning departures towards Scotland, along with two evening arrivals.

This changes to an 06:40 Bristol Temple Meads to Penzance (arrive 10:38) which departs Penzance 11:15 towards Edinburgh.

The second arrival at Penzance being at 17:42- 07:04 from Edinburgh- which then forms an 18:14 back towards Birmingham New Street.

I like the wider spread of departure times at Penzance once the changes are made. It does however mean that the Aberdeen to Penzance will no longer run.

Presumably there's only one Scotland – Penzance service from May? That said, it's now quite a civilised arrival and departure time for Penzance!

 

[hexagon789]

Presumably there's only one Scotland – Penzance service from May? That said, it's now quite a civilised arrival and departure time for Penzance!

Now just an 0704 Edinburgh to Penzance and 1115 Penzance to Edinburgh

 

[43055]

The extra XC trains from NCL/YRK to Reading sort of exist...

Trains run every 2 hours from Newcastle (06:xx-14:xx) - so 1 extra train, additionally with a new 16:33 service to Birmingham New Street- and 2 start from York (06:24, 16:37) - the former being a new service and the latter an extension of the current service to New Street

Monday to Friday as well the 0845 (now 0851) starts back from Southampton at 0755. Also most the services now run on the faster paths north of Birmingham meaning they overtake the Scottish service.

 

[Baji]

Southern/thameslink always seem to be last operator to announce their changes.

 

[anthony263]

Southern/thameslink always seem to be last operators to announce their changes.

Nothing from tfw yet

 

[Class 170101]

Greater Anglia has no changes from what I can see except for at Romford, where it appears 2tph will now go towards Southend Victoria as opposed to 1tph to each Southend Victoria and Colchester Town.

See earlier posts the Colchester Town service now calls at Beaulieu Park (north of Chelmsford) but has a Freight and Intercity in hot pursuit by the time it reaches Colchester so cannot call at Romford as well.

I am wondering about 1M92 (18:14 PNZ - BHM): I notice that, from NTA, there is a similar path for a train ID'ing as 1B79 (20:19 PGN - BHM) which works off 1V59 (1403 MAN - PGN) and the times from NTA to BHM are identical for both 1M92 and 1B79. It is tempting to wonder if one joins the other but there is nothing on RTT at present to suggest that this is the case.

(BHM: Birmingham NS, MAN: Manchester Pic, PGN: Paignton, PNZ: Penzance)

Dave

I think the 18:14 PNZ - BHM joins at Bristol Temple Meads as the 20:19 from Paignton waits for 25 minutes there (21:53-22:18)

I would expect them to be joiners but they shouldn't be shown with overlapping paths between Bristol Temple Meads and New Street. One should be terminating at Bristol (probably the Paignton) and shown as a through portion of the other train.

 

[Peter0124]

ScotRail now in

 

[Stephen42]

Is this just a repeat of last year's Blackheath tunnel closure diversions?

Looks like it, Southeastern has 100+ schedules that change at the end of July and nothing is using the Blackheath tunnel at the start of the May timetable.

 

[hexagon789]

ScotRail now in

Indeed, with the only major change I can see being the doubling of the Leven service?

 

[ScotGG]

I notice two new rush-hour services into Cannon Street from Gravesend via Abbey Wood and Greenwich. Haven’t had time to investigate further but I wouldn’t expect too many more additional services to appear

Makes a lot of sense. North Kent continues to see much new housing and this increases connections to the Elizabeth line.

Edit: Just read above it's actually no net increase between North Kent and Abbey Wood. That's a link that really could be improved given passenger demand.