December 2017 Timetable

[dk1]

XC calls at Morpeth are ramped up:

SX:
0632 Dundee-Plymouth (calls at 0924);
0609 Bath Spa-Glasgow Central (1151);
0925 Plymouth-Aberdeen (1648);
1707 Edinburgh-Bristol TM (1824).

Saturday:
0615 Bristol TM-Glasgow Central (1147);
1100 Glasgow Central-Penzance (1318);
1300 Glasgow Central-Plymouth (1521);
0925 Plymouth-Aberdeen (1645).

Sunday:
0921 Sheffield-Glasgow Central (1144);
1110 Aberdeen-Plymouth (1520);
1348 Glasgow Central-Plymouth (1622);
0925 Plymouth-Glasgow Central (1741);
1655 Glasgow Central-Birmingham NS (1923).

Couple the latter with the introduction of Northern locals and Morpeth goes from 16 departures on a Sunday to 29!

Morpeth has to be one if not the biggest winner for service enhancement in the next few years.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Morpeth has to be one if not the biggest winner for service enhancement in the next few years.

Indeed, I can appreciate it acts as a railhead for the likes of Blyth and Ashington too; but given all of the above, the tweaks by VTEC in recent years, and soon to materialise TPE service, Morpeth is doing very well for itself.

 

[dk1]

Novembers Modern Railways has its usual good article on TT changes. It's good to see GA has decided at long last to move away from the rigid standard pattern timetable on Saturday mornings first introduced by NX in 2005 & that have caused overcrowding ever since. The 08:00, 09:00 & 10:00 (SO) up road departures will now run non-stop Manningtree-Stratford omitting Colchester & Chelmsford. In my experience the 11:00 could do with the same tweaking but at least it's a start. Additional EMUs will run in the path of the 'fast' IC services leaving Colchester at 09:03, 10:03 & 11:03 with any passengers inconvenienced from Stations before Colchester being able to make an easy same platform interchange at Manningtree into the following xx:52 stopper from Ipswich.

 

[Starmill]

There is most definitely something going on with Morpeth, because it has had two additional sets of extra VTEC trains calling (with better times on Saturdays from this timetable), and XC making a significant number of additional calls, and 'First East Caost' applying to call there, and then TransPennine applying to call there as well and of course the commencement of the Sunday services. The Morpeth (also Alnmouth) to Newcastle fare also went down last year by a little over 10% too.

I have a feeling that Bradford FS to Ilkley and Bradford FS to Skipton going from 2-hourly to hourly might not yet have been mentioned? Apologies if it has.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Northern (bar those involving Blackpool), TPE (the main guides) and c2c all have their new timetable pdfs up now.

 

[berneyarms]

c2c just have a list of timetable changes and not a full timetable pdf on their website as far as I can tell?

As of tonight timetable pdfs are available for:
Cross Country
Transpennine Express
Northern
TfL Rail

I'll update this list as new timetable pdfs are uploaded onto the TOC websites.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

c2c just have a list of timetable changes and not a full timetable pdf on their website as far as I can tell?

Indeed, my error, apologies. To be fair, I personally prefer seeing a list as opposed to just the raw data as presented in tables, it makes for easier intake of the changes

 

[berneyarms]

More new timetable pdf files have now appeared on TOC websites.

As of this morning new timetable pdfs are available for:
Arriva Trains Wales
Chiltern Railways
Cross Country
East Midlands Trains
Northern
South Western Railway
TfL Rail
Transpennine Express
Virgin Trains East Coast

 

[The Planner]

May 18 gets offered next week and the changes in that make this look tiny.

 

[Failed Unit]

May 18 gets offered next week and the changes in that make this look tiny.

Will that be the first time the Thameslink proposal has formally got analysis? As in the industry can object to the proposed blocking of a 2 track mainline at Welwyn North more frequently.

 

[yorksrob]

I will look to see whether West Yorkshire Metro have repented and started printing their WYorks timetable book.

 

[YorkshireBear]

May 18 gets offered next week and the changes in that make this look tiny.

I know that Northern and TPE are planning major changes from next May. Are any other operators (other than Thameslink) going for major changes too?

 

[YorkshireBear]

There is most definitely something going on with Morpeth, because it has had two additional sets of extra VTEC trains calling (with better times on Saturdays from this timetable), and XC making a significant number of additional calls, and 'First East Caost' applying to call there, and then TransPennine applying to call there as well and of course the commencement of the Sunday services. The Morpeth (also Alnmouth) to Newcastle fare also went down last year by a little over 10% too.

I have a feeling that Bradford FS to Ilkley and Bradford FS to Skipton going from 2-hourly to hourly might not yet have been mentioned? Apologies if it has.

Maybe one of the CEOs or MDs now lives there?

 

[222001]

I know that Northern and TPE are planning major changes from next May. Are any other operators (other than Thameslink) going for major changes too?

Thameslink, East Midlands Trains, CrossCountry, Northern and TransPennine Express are the major May changes I believe.

 

[The Planner]

Will that be the first time the Thameslink proposal has formally got analysis? As in the industry can object to the proposed blocking of a 2 track mainline at Welwyn North more frequently.

If its the 2018 EAS then that boat sailed long ago, that should have been disputed over the last year. 2019 EAS is out now.

 

[jamieintercity]

Thameslink, East Midlands Trains, CrossCountry, Northern and TransPennine Express are the major May changes I believe.

I believe scotrail are also due major changes in May which includes an hourly Glasgow to arbroath service and full introduction of the class 385s.
Also, the scotrail winter timetables should be available by Sunday

 

[FenMan]

Back to the December changes, well not December exactly.

From Sunday, 7 January, GWR are increasing Sunday service levels on the North Downs Line to a near Saturday service.
Good to see GWR putting the freed up Reading-based Turbos to good use. Faster journeys to Gatwick, more opportunities to visit the Surrey Hills, the death of the wretched 1tp2h service at stations such as Farnborough North and improved connections at Reading, Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick.

The daytime pattern from Reading is:-
xx:18 to Gatwick Airport (a. x1:35)
xx:48 to Redhill (a. x1:06)

I've not seen any announcements, so fingers are firmly crossed it is not a temporary change.

 

[PHILIPE]

The current GWR Timetable runs through to December 31st, with the new one starting January 1st when, hopefully, the big cascade of Turbos to the West takes place. Systems will have to be amended to cope with this.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Back to the December changes, well not December exactly.

From Sunday, 7 January, GWR are increasing Sunday service levels on the North Downs Line to a near Saturday service.
Good to see GWR putting the freed up Reading-based Turbos to good use. Faster journeys to Gatwick, more opportunities to visit the Surrey Hills, the death of the wretched 1tp2h service at stations such as Farnborough North and improved connections at Reading, Guildford, Redhill and Gatwick.

The daytime pattern from Reading is:-
xx:18 to Gatwick Airport (a. x1:35)
xx:48 to Redhill (a. x1:06)

I've not seen any announcements, so fingers are firmly crossed it is not a temporary change.

Yes!!! Thank you! No more blooming two hourly Farnborough North and Ash!!!! That means that as a Farnham resident I don’t have to keep relying on North Camp!

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

When do GWRs January timetables get released online I’m dying to see them!

 

[DarloRich]

Changes on Marston Vale line: 0

Changes on Marston Vale line since 1968: 0

Only another 3 years to wait for our Sunday service.............................

 

[PHILIPE]

When do GWRs January timetables get released online I’m dying to see them!

Not all TOCs have issued them for December yet. All details are in systems, RTT etc.,

 

[berneyarms]

Some more TOCs have added timetable pdfs online:

Currently available are:

Arriva Trains Wales
Chiltern Railways
Cross Country
East Midlands Trains
Greater Anglia
Great Northern
Northern
Scotrail (most lines)
Southern (most lines)
South Western Railway
TfL Rail
Thameslink
Transpennine Express
Virgin Trains East Coast

 

[Ianno87]

Changes on Marston Vale line: 0

Changes on Marston Vale line since 1968: 0

Only another 3 years to wait for our Sunday service.............................

Did the MV trains not get shunted around the hour for Dec 2008?

And didn't the first Up train move a few minutes earlier in May?

Eartg shattering, I know.

 

[swt_passenger]

When do GWRs January timetables get released online I’m dying to see them!

This question seems to get asked about twice a year every year, and the answer is that although some are done slightly earlier than others, they are usually all online about 2 weeks before the timetable change. Most TOCs don't put paper copies on display in station racks until a couple of days before the change date.

 

[berneyarms]

This question seems to get asked about twice a year every year, and the answer is that although some are done slightly earlier than others, they are usually all online about 2 weeks before the timetable change. Most TOCs don't put paper copies on display in station racks until a couple of days before the change date.

If that’s aimed at me - I’m not asking that question?

I’m just letting people know as the new timetable pdfs are loaded onto the TOC and NR websites .

 

[Starmill]

If that’s aimed at me - I’m not asking that question?

It's aimed at the poster who swt_passenger quoted. Perhaps you've got that member on ignore.

 

[swt_passenger]

If that’s aimed at me - I’m not asking that question?

I’m just letting people know as the new timetable pdfs are loaded onto the TOC and NR websites .

I think the situation is as Starmill just explained.

 

[306024]

Novembers Modern Railways has its usual good article on TT changes. It's good to see GA has decided at long last to move away from the rigid standard pattern timetable on Saturday mornings first introduced by NX in 2005 & that have caused overcrowding ever since. The 08:00, 09:00 & 10:00 (SO) up road departures will now run non-stop Manningtree-Stratford omitting Colchester & Chelmsford. In my experience the 11:00 could do with the same tweaking but at least it's a start. Additional EMUs will run in the path of the 'fast' IC services leaving Colchester at 09:03, 10:03 & 11:03 with any passengers inconvenienced from Stations before Colchester being able to make an easy same platform interchange at Manningtree into the following xx:52 stopper from Ipswich.

There has been a noticable increase in patronage too over that time. The success of cheaper advance fares sees most if not all seats taken on those trains before Colchester, so this can only be a good move. Of course these Colchester reliefs ran in the NX timetable too, but to relieve the 3 car 170s that found their way to London on the Lowestoft / Peterborough trains.

 

[berneyarms]

I think the situation is as Starmill just explained.

Yes indeed - this board is even more technologically advanced than I thought!!