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GWR Dec 19 timetable

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Ianno87

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The Heathrow Express Dec 19 schedules are now present in the open data stream.

Maintains the 7 day, 4 tph frequency.
Same departures from Paddington as current at xx10 / 25 / 40 / 55

As said earlier, only platform 7 in use.

Departures from Heathrow Central (pad arr in brackets) SX (although arrivals at pad vary a little on saturday and sunday)
xx02 (xx17) / 17 (xx32) / 32 (xx47) / 47 (xx02) all departures on the half minute.

Sat and Sun arrivals: either - xx03/04 / xx18/19 / xx33/34 / xx48/50.

I do see some odd pathing and engineering allowance placements here and there - it's by no means consistent throughout each slot in the hour, but each hour slot does tend to give the same placement. It will all fit together when the rest of jigsaw is published (hopefully) soon.

I thought I would shove it all here, as it's closely related to GWRs timetable.

Wonder how passengers will take to the absence of the layover unit at Paddington? Must provide some psychological reassurance if you're on your way to catch a flight.
 
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II

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Indeed. Hopefully some seats will be provided along the platform?
 

800002

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There is only a (scheduled) seven minutes of empty platform between departure and arrival - it's hardly a lifetime to wait.
It will be a change to the regular fliers though for sure.
(then there is the shock of the cl. 387!)
 

II

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For me, a premium service, with premium fares demands proper facilities. Without being able to instantly board a climate controlled train as they can now and settle down into a seat for the journey, that seven minutes (that's if the arriving train is on time) without anywhere to sit on the platform is a very negative customer experience. I would prefer a narrow heated waiting room was provided ideally.
 

JN114

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For me, a premium service, with premium fares demands proper facilities. Without being able to instantly board a climate controlled train as they can now and settle down into a seat for the journey, that seven minutes (that's if the arriving train is on time) without anywhere to sit on the platform is a very negative customer experience. I would prefer a narrow heated waiting room was provided ideally.

It’s Paddington, not Corrour. I’ve never felt a need to wear a coat waiting on Paddington station; even late night in the depths of winter; let alone desired a heated waiting room...

It’ll go back up to 2 platform operation once Angryrail are using the sewer.

Regardless - it’s exactly what happens at T5 now; and I’ve never seen complaints about waiting times there... If anything that’s where your bemused foreign travellers are going to be experiencing UK Rail for the first time. Perhaps the long layover there is infact the better option.
 

II

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It’s Paddington, not Corrour. I’ve never felt a need to wear a coat waiting on Paddington station; even late night in the depths of winter; let alone desired a heated waiting room...

Even when the station has to be closed for several hours due to snow on the platforms and concourse like the winter before last? ;)

Anyway a heated area would be nice to offer premium paying passengers. But as I said in my original post, I'd settle for a few seats like other platforms at Paddington, 10 and 11, have recently had installed. Especially handy if you are elderly or have difficulty standing.
 

800002

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It’ll go back up to 2 platform operation once Angryrail are using the sewer.

I was wondering about that.
It's a 'temporary' *read semi-perminant* measure to allow X-rail to operate thier silly services while accomodating the enhanced GWR timetable. Is it not?

Surely if it works out well though, NR (from an operations point of view) would like to keep it one platform and enjoy the additional flexibility and capacity it creates (when XR retreat to thier tunnel).
Wonder what the contract says for HEx.
 

jimm

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I'm guessing that Chiltern have been making inroads into GWR's Oxford traffic, so they fancy a bit of Banbury?

A couple of services are not going to do much in revenue-generation terms. The journey time to London, even with an IET, is still going to be longer than the Chiltern route.

This is about getting the best use of out of the IETs and in the case of the Banbury services these can be fitted into the diagrams while maintaining the London-Oxford fast service's frequency.

The morning southbound train will also help to carry some people commuting from Banbury to Oxford or Reading who would otherwise be squeezing on to XC services, which could certainly do with some help at that time of the day.
 

BanburyBlue

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A couple of services are not going to do much in revenue-generation terms. The journey time to London, even with an IET, is still going to be longer than the Chiltern route.

This is about getting the best use of out of the IETs and in the case of the Banbury services these can be fitted into the diagrams while maintaining the London-Oxford fast service's frequency.

The morning southbound train will also help to carry some people commuting from Banbury to Oxford or Reading who would otherwise be squeezing on to XC services, which could certainly do with some help at that time of the day.

I'm wondering how many Banbury (Chiltern) commuters will use the morning service because of the better LU connections at Paddington? I could see me using the morning service for those occasions I travel into London, although probably not the evening service as it's too late for me.

Is there a possibility that this is 'dip the toe in the water' exercise from GWR to see if there is a Banbury to Paddington (fast) market?

And yes agree, will certainly help with the XC overcrowding between Banbury and Oxford (and to a lesser extend Reading).
 

Ianno87

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It’s Paddington, not Corrour. I’ve never felt a need to wear a coat waiting on Paddington station; even late night in the depths of winter; let alone desired a heated waiting room...

It’ll go back up to 2 platform operation once Angryrail are using the sewer.

Regardless - it’s exactly what happens at T5 now; and I’ve never seen complaints about waiting times there... If anything that’s where your bemused foreign travellers are going to be experiencing UK Rail for the first time. Perhaps the long layover there is infact the better option.

Layovers at T5 is less ideal due to the platforms being more widely separated with screens/trolley barrier between them. It's easy to direct arriving passengers with a nice simple "Go to Platform 4".

(Not disputing the logic of taking away the layover at Padders, but I think it will diminish the HEx 'experience' a little bit)
 

II

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The evening down Banbury service at 18:28 from Paddington is planned to run non-stop to Oxford and then on to Banbury for a 19:34 arrival. If the Chiltern service stays the same as now, then its own 18:15 from Marylebone arriving 19:07 is a clear winner on speed, but after that there is nothing to match the GWR service apart from the 18:47 arriving at 19:50 which is only 3 minutes quicker than GWR's planned offering which therefore slots nicely into a handy gap. Add in Paddington's slightly more attractive location and tube connections and I can certainly see some current Marylebone passengers transferring to the 18:28.

The 07:45 up service will, as said, be of more use to Oxford and Reading commuters.
 

800002

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The evening down Banbury service at 18:28 from Paddington is planned to run non-stop to Oxford and then on to Banbury for a 19:34 arrival. If the Chiltern service stays the same as now, then its own 18:15 from Marylebone arriving 19:07 is a clear winner on speed, but after that there is nothing to match the GWR service apart from the 18:47 arriving at 19:50 which is only 3 minutes quicker than GWR's planned offering which therefore slots nicely into a handy gap.

The Chiltern timetable has remained consistent - for the above services anyway.
 

si404

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I look forward to the escalators at Marylebone tube being covered in ads for the new GWR fast service to Banbury!
 

nicksk

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I’m wondering what this means for trains from Paddington to Bridgend/Port Talbot/Neath/Swansea. Currently there are two direct trains per hour most hours. What I’ve read up the thread suggests that there will only be one direct train per hour in future, with the other terminating in Cardiff. In peak hours there’s a third service from Paddington to Swansea in peak hours - but this won’t stop at Reading, unfortunate given that Reading is such a major interchange.

I appreciate that none of the timetable change is confirmed yet, but is my understanding correct, as far as we know?
 

VT 390

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I’m wondering what this means for trains from Paddington to Bridgend/Port Talbot/Neath/Swansea. Currently there are two direct trains per hour most hours. What I’ve read up the thread suggests that there will only be one direct train per hour in future, with the other terminating in Cardiff. In peak hours there’s a third service from Paddington to Swansea in peak hours - but this won’t stop at Reading, unfortunate given that Reading is such a major interchange.

I appreciate that none of the timetable change is confirmed yet, but is my understanding correct, as far as we know?
There are only 2tph (GWR) to Swansea during the peak periods and the morning and evening with almost all off peak hours having 1tph to each of Swansea and Cardiff. As the 3rd tph is a new service won't the Reading interchange be kept on the existing services just re timed?
 

Wilts Wanderer

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I’m wondering what this means for trains from Paddington to Bridgend/Port Talbot/Neath/Swansea. Currently there are two direct trains per hour most hours.

Incorrect. Currently there is 1tph Padd to Swansea, and 1tph Padd to Cardiff, off peak. During the morning peak the up Cardiffs start back from Swansea and during the evening peak the down Cardiffs extend to Swansea.

The new service has a similar off-peak pattern, but in morning peak there is an additional Swansea-Padd each hour fast from Bristol Parkway to London, and in the evening peak there is similar in the down direction. (I don’t think there are any peak hours when all three trains run to/from Swansea incidentally.)
 

nicksk

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Thanks for the info and the correction. For my desired journey (Guildford to Port Talbot, typically in peak) this may be worse than previous timetable, due to the trains which don’t stop at Reading. But any change will create winners and losers.
 

II

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Thanks for the info and the correction. For my desired journey (Guildford to Port Talbot, typically in peak) this may be worse than previous timetable, due to the trains which don’t stop at Reading. But any change will create winners and losers.

Indeed it will, create winners and losers that is. As a heads-up, the Reading to Port Talbot peak hours service is likely to be at xx:07, taking two hours, so 12-20 minutes quicker than today. But if you are unlucky with your preferred time of travel and connections at Reading from Guildford it could be a longer journey than it is now potentially.
 

Mintona

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If I understand correctly the Bristol via Bath trains will call at Didcot and the South Wales trains will omit Didcot.
 

DaveHarries

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If I understand correctly the Bristol via Bath trains will call at Didcot and the South Wales trains will omit Didcot.
From what I have heard you are mostly correct on this understanding. The Off-Peak weekday TT will be 2tph between Bristol TM and London Paddington calling Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington. In the peak times there will, it seems, be a few exceptions to that stopping pattern:

AM Peak:
1A03 0600 Bristol TM - Paddington (calling Bath, Chippenham and then non-stop to Paddington)
1A06 0620 Weston-s-Mare - Paddington (0700 ex. Bristol TM) (after Bristol TM calls Bath, Chippenham, Swindon and then runs non-stop to Paddington)
1A09 0655 Taunton - Paddington (0800 ex. Bristol TM) (after Bristol TM calls Bath, Chippenham, then runs non-stop to Paddington)

PM Peak:
1C23 1658 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)
1C26 1758 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)
1C29 1858 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)

Cheltenham services will, however, call at Didcot Parkway.

Dave
 

CharlesR

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From what I have heard you are mostly correct on this understanding. The Off-Peak weekday TT will be 2tph between Bristol TM and London Paddington calling Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington. In the peak times there will, it seems, be a few exceptions to that stopping pattern:

AM Peak:
1A03 0600 Bristol TM - Paddington (calling Bath, Chippenham and then non-stop to Paddington)
1A06 0620 Weston-s-Mare - Paddington (0700 ex. Bristol TM) (after Bristol TM calls Bath, Chippenham, Swindon and then runs non-stop to Paddington)
1A09 0655 Taunton - Paddington (0800 ex. Bristol TM) (after Bristol TM calls Bath, Chippenham, then runs non-stop to Paddington)

PM Peak:
1C23 1658 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)
1C26 1758 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)
1C29 1858 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)

Cheltenham services will, however, call at Didcot Parkway.

Dave

Are the Cheltenham’s going to keep the theme as the current 1742 and 18(36??) run non stop to Didcot from Pad?
 

cle

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Will Chippenham non-stop in the AM be around the magic 60 minute mark?
 

II

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Will Chippenham non-stop in the AM be around the magic 60 minute mark?

If NR can validate the timings, then yes, bang on 60 minutes. PM timings the other way down to 58 minutes.
 

gtat

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From what I have heard you are mostly correct on this understanding. The Off-Peak weekday TT will be 2tph between Bristol TM and London Paddington calling Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington. In the peak times there will, it seems, be a few exceptions to that stopping pattern:

AM Peak:
1A03 0600 Bristol TM - Paddington (calling Bath, Chippenham and then non-stop to Paddington)
1A06 0620 Weston-s-Mare - Paddington (0700 ex. Bristol TM) (after Bristol TM calls Bath, Chippenham, Swindon and then runs non-stop to Paddington)
1A09 0655 Taunton - Paddington (0800 ex. Bristol TM) (after Bristol TM calls Bath, Chippenham, then runs non-stop to Paddington)

PM Peak:
1C23 1658 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)
1C26 1758 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)
1C29 1858 Paddington - Bristol TM (first stop Chippenham)

Cheltenham services will, however, call at Didcot Parkway.

Dave

So that means likely still two trains per hour between Bath Spa and London Paddington in the peak, with the exception of the additional service between 6 and 7am? Or will there likely be 3tph throughout the peaks? Thanks!
 

cle

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Do we think that they will ever review the post-Ladbroke Grove speed restrictions out of the blocks? Surely two to three minutes to be shaved between Paddington and Ealing?
 

Wilts Wanderer

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Do we think that they will ever review the post-Ladbroke Grove speed restrictions out of the blocks? Surely two to three minutes to be shaved between Paddington and Ealing?

Probably not worth the expenditure given that most/all trains will be calling at Old Oak Common Interchange in a few years time.
 

JN114

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Probably not worth the expenditure given that most/all trains will be calling at Old Oak Common Interchange in a few years time.

They’ve already tweaked bits of it as part of the Crossrail works. With ETCS there won’t be any barriers to raising it in software relatively cheaply in years to come. Old Oak is far enough out it would make a difference.
 
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