Cuts and increases to services since 2019

[A S Leib]

Cuts on the Waterloo suburbans (Hounslow loop, Worcester Park/Epsom services), reduced frequencies on the lines out of Bradford F Sq to add to the list (although there is probably a separate thread for this!)

As a follow up to a thread a few months ago where I asked about changes to stations served by TOCs since December 2019, which services have been cut and haven't been fully restored since then? I can think of (but I'm likely going to be wrong in some cases, and referring to weekday off-peak frequencies)

• Carmarthen to Fishguard Harbour 1tp2h to 3tpd (it doesn't sound right that it was that frequent in 2019)
• London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe stoppers merged
• Marylebone to Aylesbury via Princes Risborough becoming a Princes Risborough shuttle
• Marylebone to Banbury cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon not running south of Leamington Spa
• Cardiff Bay to Queen Street cut from 5tph to 4tph (with 2tph through to Pontypridd)
• Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse cut / merged with Nottingham to Worksop
• Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City / Hertford North each cut back from 4tph to 2tph
• King's Cross to Cambridge stopper cut from 2tph to 1tph to Cambridge and 1tph to Letchworth
• Paddington to Bedwyn split at Newbury
• Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey cut from 4tp3h to 1tph
• LNR Euston to Birmingham New Street cut from 3tph to 2tph with one terminating at Milton Keynes Central
• Snow Hill lines left with 2 fewer tph (6tph to 4tph for Stourbridge, 3tph to 2tph for Solihull and Wythall) and no Chiltern between Stourbridge Junction and Kidderminster
• I think there were Preston to Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street to Warrington Bank Quay services pre-Covid, neither of which I can find clear extra alternatives for
• Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road cut from 2tph to 1tph and 1tph Liverpool to Warrington Central
• Manchester Piccadilly to Rose Hill Marple cut from 2tph to 4tp3h
• Leeds to Huddersfield via Bradford Interchange not running between Leeds and Bradford
• Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley / Skipton each cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Leeds to Harrogate cut from 3tph to 2tph (excluding 1tp2h LNER), but with Knaresborough to York increasing from hourly to 2tph
• Sheffield to Gainsborough Central no longer running with Leeds to Lincoln Central services taking up the calls
• Doncaster to Scunthorpe stoppers cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Sheffield to Hull stoppers cut back to Doncaster to Hull
• Sittingbourne to Sheerness cut from 2tph to 1tph
• London Victoria to Dover Priory cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Victoria to Canterbury West no longer runs
• London Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells semi-fast services no longer run
• Cannon Street circular via Greenwich and Bexley services only running Cannon Street – Bexley – Dartford
• Charing Cross to Dartford (first stop after London Bridge Woolwich Arsenal) services no longer run
• Charing Cross to Dartford via Bexleyheath cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Bromley North shuttle cut from 3tph to 2tph
• Victoria to Bromley South stoppers no longer run
• Southern Victoria to Brighton services no longer run (diverted to Eastbourne)
• Brighton to Lewes terminators cut
• Brighton to Hove shuttles cut
• Victoria to East Grinstead cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Milton Keynes Central to East Croydon not running north of Watford Junction
• Victoria to Sutton terminators no longer running
• Victoria to Dorking cut from 2tph to 1tph with Horsham services staying
• London Bridge to East Croydon local service cut from 4tph to 2tph
• Kentish Town to Orpington services no longer running
• TransPennine Express Newcastle to Edinburgh cut from hourly to 5tpd (but 1tp2h from December and with more intermediate stops than just Morpeth)
• Manchester Airport to Newcastle no longer runs
• Newcastle to Reading / Southampton Central cut from 1tph / 1tp2h to 5tpd to Reading
• Birmingham New Street to Stansted cut from 1tph to 1tp2h south of Cambridge (restored in a few weeks)
• 2tph nonstop Glasgow Central to Kilwinning no longer run (Glasgow–Ayrshire cut from 6tph to 4tph)
• Glasgow Queen Street to Anniesland cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Waterloo to Guildford via Epsom cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Waterloo to Dorking cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Waterloo to Waterloo via Hounslow services no longer run
• Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High cut from 4tph to 2tph
• Edinburgh to Helensburgh Central cut from 4tph to 2tph
• Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street via Cumbernauld cut from 2tph to 1tph Falkirk Grahamston to Glasgow

The quoted post refers to cuts, but I'm interested in cases which have gone the opposite way as well.

• Wrexham General to Bidston 1tph to 4tp3h
• Cardiff Central to Swansea local service 1tp2h to 1tph
• Ebbw Vale Town gaining an hourly Newport service
• Corby going from hourly to Kettering and (some?) through services to 2tph to St. Pancras
• Peterborough to Spalding services extended to make Peterborough to Lincoln mostly hourly
• Carmarthen (and Weston-super-Mare? I don't think it was as frequent pre-Covid) gaining a London Paddington service every two hours
• I think Swindon to Cheltenham Spa was a shuttle in alternate hours rather than an hourly Paddington service
• Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury increasing to 3tph (partly replacing irregular SWR Bristol services)
• Gloucester to Bristol increased from 1tph to 2tph
• Worcester to Bristol increased from 1tp2h to 1tph
• Okehampton properly opening
• Lumo started
• Northumberland line opening with 2tph
• Extra 1tp2h semi-fast between Newcastle and Middlesbrough
• Manchester Piccadilly to York via Wakefield Kirkgate services starting
• Strood to Paddock Wood increased from 1tph to 2tph but with no Tonbridge services
• Liverpool Street to Shenfield increased from 6tph to 8tph via Whitechapel; Crossrail opening
• 2tph Reading to Gatwick rather than 1tph Reading to Gatwick and 1tph Reading to Redhill
• Levenmouth services started

 

[JonathanH]

The quoted post refers to cuts, but I'm interested in cases which have gone the opposite way as well.

North Downs 2tph through to Gatwick, instead of 1tph Gatwick, 1tph Redhill.

Southern Victoria to Brighton services no longer run

Diverted to Eastbourne

 

[MerlinRail 804]

As a follow up to a thread a few months ago where I asked about changes to stations served by TOCs since December 2019, which services have been cut and haven't been fully restored since then? I can think of (but I'm likely going to be wrong in some cases, and referring to off-peak frequencies)

• Carmarthen to Fishguard Harbour 1tp2h to 3tpd (it doesn't sound right that it was that frequent in 2019)
• London Marylebone to Gerrards Cross and High Wycombe stoppers merged
• Marylebone to Aylesbury via Princes Risborough becoming a Princes Risborough shuttle
• Marylebone to Banbury cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon not running south of Leamington Spa
• Cardiff Bay to Queen Street cut from 5tph to 4tph (with 2tph through to Pontypridd)
• Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse cut / merged with Nottingham to Worksop
• Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City / Hertford North each cut back from 4tph to 2tph
• Paddington to Bedwyn cut back to Newbury to Bedwyn
• Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey cut from 4tp3h to 1tph
• Snow Hill lines left with 1 fewer tph and no Chiltern between Stourbridge Junction and Kidderminster
• I think there were Preston to Manchester Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street to Warrington Bank Quay services pre-Covid, neither of which I can find clear extra alternatives for
• Manchester Piccadilly to Rose Hill Marple cut from 2tph to 4tp3h
• Leeds to Huddersfield via Bradford Interchange not running between Leeds and Bradford
• Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley / Skipton each cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Leeds to Harrogate cut from 3tph to 2tph (excluding 1tp2h LNER), but with Knaresborough to York increasing from hourly to 2tph
• Sheffield to Gainsborough Central no longer running with Leeds to Lincoln Central services taking up the calls
• Doncaster to Scunthorpe stoppers cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Sheffield to Hull stoppers cut back to Doncaster to Hull
• Sittingbourne to Sheerness cut from 2tph to 1tph
• London Victoria to Dover Priory cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Victoria to Canterbury West no longer runs
• London Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells semi-fast services no longer run
• Cannon Street circular via Greenwich and Bexley services only running Cannon Street – Bexley – Dartford
• Charing Cross to Dartford (first stop after London Bridge Woolwich Arsenal) services no longer run
• Charing Cross to Dartford via Bexleyheath cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Bromley North shuttle cut from 3tph to 2tph
• Victoria to Bromley South stoppers no longer run
• Southern Victoria to Brighton services no longer run (diverted to Eastbourne)
• Brighton to Lewes terminators cut
• Brighton to Hove shuttles cut
• Victoria to East Grinstead cut from 2tph to 1tph
• Milton Keynes Central to East Croydon not running north of Watford Junction
• Victoria to Sutton terminators no longer running
• Kentish Town to Orpington services no longer running
• TransPennine Express Newcastle to Edinburgh cut from hourly to 5tpd (but 1tp2h from December and with more intermediate stops than just Morpeth)
• Newcastle to Reading / Southampton Central cut from 1tph / 1tp2h to 5tpd to Reading
• Birmingham New Street to Stansted cut from 1tph to 1tp2h south of Cambridge (restored in a few weeks)

The quoted post refers to cuts, but I'm interested in cases which have gone the opposite way as well.

• Wrexham General to Bidston 1tph to 4tp3h
• Cardiff Central to Swansea local service 1tp2h to 1tph
• Ebbw Vale Town gaining an hourly Newport service
• Corby going from hourly to Kettering and (some?) through services to 2tph to St. Pancras
• Carmarthen (and Weston-super-Mare? I don't think it was as frequent pre-Covid) gaining a London Paddington service every two hours
• I think Swindon to Cheltenham Spa was a shuttle in alternate hours rather than an hourly Paddington service
• Bristol Temple Meads to Salisbury increasing to 3tph (partly replacing irregular SWR Bristol services)
• Okehampton properly opening
• Lumo started
• Northumberland line opening with 2tph
• Extra 1tp2h semi-fast between Newcastle and Middlesbrough
• Manchester Piccadilly to York via Wakefield Kirkgate services starting
• Strood to Paddock Wood increased from 1tph to 2tph but with no Tonbridge services
• Liverpool Street to Shenfield increased from 6tph to 8tph via Whitechapel; Crossrail opening

I think in terms of Chiltern long distance, Marylebone - Birmingham Moor Street down from 2tph to 3tp2h (down from 3-4tph in the peak to 2), and overall Marylebone - Banbury down from 3tph to 2. I think Aylesbury via Amersham has been cut from 2tph to 1 at some parts of the day. And Stratford no longer gets through trains to London except for one late evening up service.

 

[A S Leib]

I think in terms of Chiltern long distance, Marylebone - Birmingham Moor Street down from 2tph to 3tp2h (down from 3-4tph in the peak to 2), and overall Marylebone - Banbury down from 3tph to 2. I think Aylesbury via Amersham has been cut from 2tph to 1 at some parts of the day. And Stratford no longer gets through trains to London except for one late evening up service.

I think Amersham's back up to 2tph except for two hours in each direction between weekday peaks, but down to 1tph away from / towards London on Saturday mornings / afternoons.

 

[PGAT]

Victoria to Bromley South stoppers no longer run

It’s now 4tph to Orpington all day except on Saturdays.

London Bridge to Epsom no longer extends to Dorking or Guildford in peaks.

Off-peak Victoria to Horsham/Dorking semi fasts no longer run, existing Epsom stoppers extended to Horsham, with 1tph no longer stopping at Ewell East.

Victoria to West Croydon via Crystal Palace no longer runs in the evenings past 8pm.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

I think Amersham's back up to 2tph except for two hours in each direction between weekday peaks, but down to 1tph away from / towards London on Saturday mornings / afternoons.

Yeah it does vary a bit. That line also suffers when Chiltern need the trains for more Birmingham services or when there’s HS2 works. Don’t know if it was quite that bad in 2019 though

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fishguard is back to about 0.5tph.

 

[Donny Dave]

Sheffield to Gainsborough Central no longer running with Leeds to Lincoln Central services taking up the calls

• Doncaster to Scunthorpe stoppers cut from 1tph to 1tp2h
• Sheffield to Hull stoppers cut back to Doncaster to Hull

With regards to the last point quoted, AFAIK, the stoppers from Hull used to terminate at Doncaster, blocking P1 for 15-20 minutes.

The stopper from Scunthorpe used to go through to Sheffield (and Lincoln). Again, AFAIK, there was no Sheffield to Gainsborough service, as this was part of the Scunthorpe to Lincoln via everywhere.

 

[NSE]

Diverted to Eastbourne

And it’s meant Haywards Heath has improved service to London hugely. Going from 4tph on TL and 2tph on to Victoria with SN, to 4tph on TL and 6tph to Victoria including two being nonstop from Gatwick. Not bad going.

Back to the original question, many peak hour services were snipped.
- GA no longer run Ely - Kings Lynn.
- TL no longer run Preston Park - Littlehampton.
- SN peak services from Eastbourne to London Bridge no longer run (though they are coming back).
- SN lost peak services from Victoria - Seaford
- XC service to Guildford and Bath Spa (I think) were both cut.

 

[Intercity_225]

On the KGX - PBO commuters the:
05:44 PBO - KGX has been removed (but might be added back in December)
08:35 PBO - KGX has been removed
09:17 PBO - KGX has been removed
18:42 KGX - PBO has been removed
20:12 KGX - PBO has been removed
21:12 KGX - PBO has been removed
22:12 KGX - PBO has been removed
23:12 KGX - PBO has been removed

On the KGX - BDK/RYS commuters the:
06:12 BDK - KGX has been removed
06:35 RYS - KGX has been removed
07:12 BDK - KGX now starts at LGC
07:42 BDK - KGX now starts at LGC
08:12 BDK - KGX now starts at LGC
08:42 BDK - KGX has been removed
16:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
17:24 KGX - BDK now terminates at LGC
17:54 KGX - BDK now terminates at LGC
18:24 KGX - BDK now terminates at LGC
18:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
19:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
20:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
21:54 KGX - BDK has been removed

 

[Peter0124]

XC reducing Glasgow Central to only 1tpd down from a roughly 2-hourly service (will be 2tpd from May with the second running in the former LNER path)

 

[NSE]

On the KGX - PBO commuters the:
05:44 PBO - KGX has been removed (but might be added back in December)
08:35 PBO - KGX has been removed
09:17 PBO - KGX has been removed
18:42 KGX - PBO has been removed
20:12 KGX - PBO has been removed
21:12 KGX - PBO has been removed
22:12 KGX - PBO has been removed
23:12 KGX - PBO has been removed

On the KGX - BDK/RYS commuters the:
06:12 BDK - KGX has been removed
06:35 RYS - KGX has been removed
07:12 BDK - KGX now starts at LGC
07:42 BDK - KGX now starts at LGC
08:12 BDK - KGX now starts at LGC
08:42 BDK - KGX has been removed
16:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
17:24 KGX - BDK now terminates at LGC
17:54 KGX - BDK now terminates at LGC
18:24 KGX - BDK now terminates at LGC
18:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
19:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
20:54 KGX - BDK has been removed
21:54 KGX - BDK has been removed

Ah the 20:12 (previously 20:10). Many happy memories of warm summer evenings on the only non-stop run from KGX to SNO.

I miss that one.

 

[driverd]

• Leeds to Huddersfield via Bradford Interchange not running between Leeds and Bradford

This one wasn't a covid cull. When the Hull-Halifax (which I believe fell in with the calder valley recast in line with the new signalling and Chester trains) was introduced, the Leeds - Huddersfield was cut back to BDI-HUD. Rumours has it the plan was originally to make that one a Hull-Huddersfield and fully absorb the service, however, the original plan was for 3 car 170s on these services and there wasn't sufficient platform space at Hudds. Would be nice of the re-assessed that at some point, as the current BDI-HUD shuttle is rather pointless.

• Leeds to Harrogate cut from 3tph to 2tph (excluding 1tp2h LNER), but with Knaresborough to York increasing from hourly to 2tph

Technically a covid cull but the new Leeds - Harrogate fast were always very very lightly loaded and was being talked about binning off. Would have made better use of capacity to be a Horsforth all stops turn back.

 

[Ridercross]

The Snow Hill lines are actually down 2tph, Stourbridge side is now 4tph and was 6tph before, and on the other side both Dorridge and Whitlocks End are down to 2tph from 3tph.

 

[Bald Rick]

Noone seems to have mentioned the substantial oncrease in service on the Elizabeth Line…

 

[A S Leib]

Noone seems to have mentioned the substantial oncrease in service on the Elizabeth Line…

Liverpool Street to Shenfield going from 6tph to 8tph was one of the last things I put in the first post (and I don't know off the top of my head how much the GWML frequencies have gone up by).

 

[Timmyd]

London Bridge to Wimbledon peak service didn’t return (actually was contra peak with the peak trains inbound from Sutton - one train was restored in December but doesn’t do the loop)

15 min Saturday service Victoria to Bromley South (weekdays recently restored and through to Orpington)

Forest Hill line service to East Croydon including all mainline trains at Anerley and Penge West (Southern between London Bridge and Sydenham now 2 instead of 4 tph and only a couple of peak trains between Norwood Junction and Sydenham)

Blackfriars to Beckenham Junction evening peak service 1tph, was 2

 

[Magdalia]

Back to the original question, many peak hour services were snipped.
- GA no longer run Ely - Kings Lynn.

Overall Kings Lynn-Ely has an improved service, with 2 tph to Kings Cross 0440-0840 and 1640-2040.

 

[Anonymous10]

Milford haven has 2 additional journeys a day, albeit the timings are wierd. Rhymney line past bargoed is also up to 2 tph but don't call all stations

 

[PGAT]

And it’s meant Haywards Heath has improved service to London hugely. Going from 4tph on TL and 2tph on to Victoria with SN, to 4tph on TL and 6tph to Victoria including two being nonstop from Gatwick. Not bad going.

Back to the original question, many peak hour services were snipped.
- GA no longer run Ely - Kings Lynn.
- TL no longer run Preston Park - Littlehampton.
- SN peak services from Eastbourne to London Bridge no longer run (though they are coming back).
- SN lost peak services from Victoria - Seaford
- XC service to Guildford and Bath Spa (I think) were both cut.

Seaford arguably isn't a cut, the Victoria service just sacrificed a Brighton path which has now been given back.

Also who said Eastbourne to London Bridge is returning? I haven't seen any mention of it anywhere

 

[Iskra]

With regards to the last point quoted, AFAIK, the stoppers from Hull used to terminate at Doncaster, blocking P1 for 15-20 minutes.

The stopper from Scunthorpe used to go through to Sheffield (and Lincoln). Again, AFAIK, there was no Sheffield to Gainsborough service, as this was part of the Scunthorpe to Lincoln via everywhere.

There was a Sheffield to Gainsborough Central terminator that was newly introduced and then binned-off around the Covid time, just as it was starting to become popular.

 

[brad465]

• London Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells semi-fast services no longer run

These still run, but not all day like before. Now they run in the morning peak and from just before the evening peak till end of service, while Saturday is morning only, not all day.

• Bromley North shuttle cut from 3tph to 2tph

This was also 4tph in the peak pre-covid, which required double-manning drivers so the turnback at each end could be done quicker.

Strood to Paddock Wood increased from 1tph to 2tph but with no Tonbridge services

Tonbridge is served during school run periods and at the start and end of service, but otherwise yes this service was cut back.

There also used to be a Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads express, calling only at Bristol Parkway service being phased in that was scrapped during covid.

 

[Mag_seven]

Avanti Euston to West Midlands - cut from 3tph to 2tph

 

[Bald Rick]

Liverpool Street to Shenfield going from 6tph to 8tph was one of the last things I put in the first post (and I don't know off the top of my head how much the GWML frequencies have gone up by).

So you did! Apologies.

Its fair to say the Abbey Wood branch has gone up to 12tph from nothing.

 

[ABB125]

Birmingham Cross-City line down to 4tph (at 10/20 minute intervals) rather than 6tph in 2019.
Birmingham to Liverpool cut at off-peak times to 1tph, instead of 2tph all day, though I think it's mostly back to 2tph now and might even be back to 2tph all day from December?
Birmingham to London (Avanti) was 3tph all day in 2019, went down to as low as 1tph at one point and has for a few years been 2tph with the odd extra. Additional extra services have slowly been added, but there are still some noticable gaps before a 3tph frequency is restored.

Going the other way, Worcester to Bristol is now hourly, in 2019 is was 1tp2h, generally extended to Malvern in the north and a seemingly random assortment of destinations in the south via a reversal at Bristol, now curtailed to just the core route.

 

[Mag_seven]

There also used to be a Paddington-Bristol Temple Meads express, calling only at Bristol Parkway service being phased in that was scrapped during covid.

These were supposed to run all day from Dec 2019 but as you say they went for a phased introduction from that point before Covid killed the whole plan.

 

[Bald Rick]

Avanti Euston to West Midlands - cut from 3tph to 2tph

It’s 3tph in every weekday hour except 0700-0800, 1100-1200, and 1200-1300 (until 2100, after which it was never 3tph).

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

Paddington to Bedwyn hasn’t been cut to Newbury, it’s been split at Newbury. Overall there’s more capacity as replaced by longer trains.

Then there are a few cuts out of Waterloo, Portsmouth direct line and the Poole semifasts cut back to Winchester/Southampton, for example.

 

[The exile]

Going the other way, Worcester to Bristol is now hourly, in 2019 is was 1tp2h, generally extended to Malvern in the north and a seemingly random assortment of destinations in the south via a reversal at Bristol, now curtailed to just the core route.

As part of the same improvement, Bristol - Gloucester is now 2tph (with one 1 tph going on to Worcester), as is Bristol - Westbury. My own highly unscientific observations indicate that this is certainly having a major effect on usage at Keynsham and Oldfield Park.

These were supposed to run all day from Dec 2019 but as you say they went for a phased introduction from that point before Covid killed the whole plan.

To be honest - it never really got off the ground.

 

[ABB125]

London to Carmarthen is now 1tp2h (apart from one 3hr gap), up from one train a day (or maybe none? I can't remember) in 2019, all as extensions of Swansea services (2x5-car splitting at Swansea, with one unit continuing to Carmarthen and the other staying in Swansea). However, I think this has come at the expense of the summer Saturday once a day extensions to Pembroke Dock