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December 2019 Timetable Change

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Starmill

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This thread is intended to act as a holding thread awaiting news of the December 2019 timetable changes. This year, the Principal Change Date will be on Sunday 15 December 2019.

This post will be updated with very concise summaries as details are announced, though news is likely to be thin on the ground for at least the next couple of months.

Where wholesale changes are expected, or there is a need for extended discussion on particular points, a dedicated offshoot thread may be created. These will be linked to from this post.

It has been suggested that there could be wholesale changes at the following operators:
GWR
LNER

Some new services are expected at:
Northern
TransPennine Express

Please feel free to respond below with news and updates only. Wishlists and suggestions are welcome to be posted in our speculative ideas section. Please note that support or criticism of the proposed changes will be on topic, but that wholesale re-writing of the timetable or discussion of your own ideas would need to be posted in a new thread in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

GWR December 2019 Timetable
Northern December 2019 Timetable Bid
Transpennine Express December 2019 Proposals
TfL Rail Paddington to Reading December 2019
LNER December 2019 Timetable Changes
Grand Central December 2019 Timetable
 
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Jorge Da Silva

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https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/business/new-harrogate-london-rail-times-revealed-1-9773991

The exact times have now been revealed of the new, improved regular Harrogate to London rail services.
Hailed by rail operator LNER as the biggest transformation on the East Coast route from London in more than 30 years, Harrogate's boost involves the much-heralded, state-of-the-art Azuma trains.

LNER:

  • 6tpd: Harrogate to London Kings Cross
  • 5tpd: Lincoln to Kings Cross (from September)
Any updates of Bradford or Huddersfield (was meant to be May, but likely to be December)

TPE:

  • Liverpool to Glasgow (September or December)
  • Liverpool to Edinburgh

There are a few timetable changes for Northern, TPE and LNER for September 2019.
 
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TheBigD

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OFFDN

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For Thameslink and Great Northern I have been told the following for December 2019...

Midweek
2Cxx King’s Cross to Cambridge North will terminate at Cambridge (in the bays) all day. GA’s new stock does not fit in the bays (2Hxx ex-L’pool St), so must run through to Cambridge North but there is only enough capacity for GA to do so, not GTR too.
NCL into Moorgate to be closed from 22:00 each night for cleaning. Metro diverted into King’s Cross.

Saturday
NCL into Moorgate to be closed all day every weekend (except during February when King’s Cross is also closed and the NCL will be open) for cleaning. Metro services to divert into King’s Cross.
9Jxx Horsham to London Bridge services (Saturdays) to run through to Peterborough (2tph) and vice versa on Saturdays, matching the weekday service.

Sunday
NCL into Moorgate to be closed all day every weekend for cleaning. Metro services to divert into King’s Cross.

Various empty stock changes all week due to Brent Cross works affecting Cricklewood Sidings.
 
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cle

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I am guessing the Watford DC lines will fill out their 4tph schedule, now that the new stock is approved, and running on Goblin (as of today).
 

Jorge Da Silva

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What about the planned Thameslink services::
  • 4 additional trains per hour
    • 2 to Maidstone diverted away from Kings Cross (to Cambridge)
    • 2 to Welwyn extended from Blackfriars 9 (peak only)
  • Extension of services from Kentish Town to Luton (peak only)

Northern Connect:
  • Carlisle-Middlesborough
  • Bradford-Manchester Airport
  • Bradford-Nottingham
  • Liverpool-Leeds
  • Sheffield-Hull via Doncaster
 
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gingerheid

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For Thameslink and Great Northern I have been told the following for December 2019...

Midweek
2Cxx King’s Cross to Cambridge North will terminate at Cambridge (in the bays) all day. GA’s new stock does not fit in the bays (2Hxx ex-L’pool St), so must run through to Cambridge North but there is only enough capacity for GA to do so, not GTR too.

If that happens it's:
a) Absolutely amazing for me personally
b) Awful news for people commuting to Cambridge North
 

43074

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What about the planned Thameslink services::
  • 4 additional trains per hour
    • 2 to Maidstone diverted away from Kings Cross (to Cambridge)
    • 2 to Welwyn extended from Blackfriars 9 (peak only)
  • Extension of services from Kentish Town to Luton (peak only)

Not sure where the Kentish Town to Luton extensions are coming from, the Orpington and Rainham services already run through in the peak and no more are planned. Second, the Maidstone service won't be happening for a while yet.
 

Jorge Da Silva

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Not sure where the Kentish Town to Luton extensions are coming from, the Orpington and Rainham services already run through in the peak and no more are planned. Second, the Maidstone service won't be happening for a while yet.

Sorry got confused. These are the changes that were meant to happen in December 2018 to December 2019.

Thameslink planned to do the following:

  • Increase the number of services from Bedford to Littlehampton to 2tph (from December 2018, did this happen in May 2019?)
  • Increase the number of services from Cambridge to Brighton to 2tph (happened in May 2019)
  • One additional train between Luton and London from December 2018 (delayed to December 2019, maybe?)
  • Sevenoaks services extended to Welwyn GC from May 2019 (delayed to December 2019?)
  • Maidstone East to Cambridge from December 2019 (delayed to May 2020??)
 

swt_passenger

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Bedford to Littlehampton is yet to increase but only to a max of 3 trains in the peak direction. It is only 2tph for a very short period.
 

brad465

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Not sure where the Kentish Town to Luton extensions are coming from, the Orpington and Rainham services already run through in the peak and no more are planned. Second, the Maidstone service won't be happening for a while yet.

Sorry got confused. These are the changes that were meant to happen in December 2018 to December 2019.

Thameslink planned to do the following:

  • Increase the number of services from Bedford to Littlehampton to 2tph (from December 2018, did this happen in May 2019?)
  • Increase the number of services from Cambridge to Brighton to 2tph (happened in May 2019)
  • One additional train between Luton and London from December 2018 (delayed to December 2019, maybe?)
  • Sevenoaks services extended to Welwyn GC from May 2019 (delayed to December 2019?)
  • Maidstone East to Cambridge from December 2019 (delayed to May 2020??)
Annoying but not surprising the Maidstone service is being put back again, both the line and the Network as a whole (as SE can cascade some of its other rolling stock) need it. I'm guessing one reason for further delay is Chart Leacon needs to be ready to allow 700s to be stored in Ashford.
 

smsm1

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Depending on how far Greater Anglia are through the new trains being introduced, I'd be anticipating some timetabling changes particularly in the Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Peterborough to Coast area.
 

Alfie1014

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Depending on how far Greater Anglia are through the new trains being introduced, I'd be anticipating some timetabling changes particularly in the Cambridge, Norwich, Ipswich, Peterborough to Coast area.

Norwich to Cambridge extended to Stansted Airport replacing the shuttles from Cambridge I understand from December.

And Cambridge bays another piece of infrastructure the 720s can’t fit in!
 

hexagon789

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New Highland Mainline Timetable I believe, be interesting to see how they've worked out the issues
 

route101

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New Highland Mainline Timetable I believe, be interesting to see how they've worked out the issues

Anything else for Scotrail?

I thought they had added some trains from Glasgow/Edinburgh to Inverness recently
 

hexagon789

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Anything else for Scotrail?

I thought they had added some trains from Glasgow/Edinburgh to Inverness recently

The current Glasgow/Edinburgh-Inverness timetable didn't seem that different to the last one unless I missed something.

The only other thing for December might be a tightening of schedules to reflect the superior HST acceleration and fewer stops on many services.

I don't think the West Highland is getting its recast yet.
 

Class 170101

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I think its mentioned elsewhere that GA are going to Cambridge North instead of GN and not using the bays.
 

DaveHarries

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Sticking with GWR I recall that someone somewhere on another thread uploaded a draft timetable for December showing the London Paddington services. If that TT proves to be the one that comes in then many services through Bristol Temple Meads are liable to be retimed. Certainly from that draft the train I get when I have to be in work for 8:40am (0810 Sea Mills - Bristol Temple Meads) advances to 0805. I gather that 1C04 (0730 London Paddington - Penzance via. Bristol Temple Meads) will go no further than Bristol TM but the 1740 Penzance - London Paddington via. Bristol TM is likely to continue with slight retiming. (Sources: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-dec-19-timetable.180888/page-3 and https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-class-800.100841/page-383#post-3983124).

Meanwhile it was suggested in a magazine ("Modern Railways", August 2018 which was a GWR focus edition) that changes due in December that year (which, as we know, didn't happen) that trains between Barnstaple and Exmouth would run between Barnstaple and Exeter Central instead with an enhanced Exmouth - Exeter - Dawlish - Newton Abbot - Paignton service provided in lieu with a 30-minute frequency. I think those changes will come in. The plan as given in the magazine (Page 76) suggested that Class 158s would take over duties on Barnstaple services while Class 150/2 units would do the Exmouth - Paignton runs.

Dave
 

MikeWM

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Norwich to Cambridge extended to Stansted Airport replacing the shuttles from Cambridge I understand from December.

I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand I do Ely <-> Stansted quite a bit, and having a direct service will be nice.

On the other, the paths into Stansted, and the usage of the platforms there, is very tightly constrained. Trains presenting themselves in the wrong order present a massive problem. And a train arriving from Norwich is rather more likely to be delayed than one just from Cambridge. So I'm not sure at all how well this will work at the Stansted end.
 

VT 390

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I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand I do Ely <-> Stansted quite a bit, and having a direct service will be nice.

On the other, the paths into Stansted, and the usage of the platforms there, is very tightly constrained. Trains presenting themselves in the wrong order present a massive problem. And a train arriving from Norwich is rather more likely to be delayed than one just from Cambridge. So I'm not sure at all how well this will work at the Stansted end.

Ely already has a direct Cross Country service ever hour to Stansted Airport though.
 

MikeWM

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Ely already has a direct Cross Country service ever hour to Stansted Airport though.

Err, yes, good point :)

But in my defence, often not the case when I'm travelling (after 9pm from Stansted, from Ely on Sunday before 2pm, etc.)...
 

Scotrail88

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Has anyone managed to obtain any information on December changes coming up.
I know there should be a large number of changes UK wide and with May implementation being relatively problem free, will we see confidence in rolling out all instead of holding back like the May tt change?
 

Jorge Da Silva

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https://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pd...ern-railway-limited-s17-application-form-.pdf

GWR December 2019 timetable plans submitted to ORR:

The Contract takes the existing Track Access Contract as amended by the Section 22a 39th Supplemental submitted in parallel to the ORR for determination and extends to the PCD 2021. This provides security for the enhanced train services facilitated by the huge investment in infrastructure, rolling stock and personnel undertaken to provide much needed material change to OFFICE OF RAIL REGULATION ONE KEMBLE STREET, LONDON, WC2B 4AN Switchboard 020 7282 2000 • Fax 020 7282 2041 • Website www.rail-reg.gov.uk Form P 433399 frequency, speed and capacity on GWR. The complete service is as required by the franchise agreement including its provisions for Service Level Commitment, capacity and meeting and creating demand. Cognizance is made of the December 2019 pattern of both GWR and Crossrail services between Paddington and Reading. The main thrust of the GWR change introduced in December 2019 following the huge investment is to utilise the new Class 800 802 fleet on intercity and limited London area services to improve speed and frequency such as:

• Additional two trains per hour Paddington - Bristol Parkway - Bristol Temple Meads between the peaks;
• Additional limited stop services in the peak London - Bath - Bristol and London - Cardiff;
• An hourly through London - Cheltenham service each hour;
• A limited stop Paddington - Penzance service every two hours and a limited stop Paddington - Plymouth stop in the alternate hour;
• A service for Berks and Hants stations every two hours;
• Two trains per hour Plymouth - Penzance;
• Enhanced Paignton - Exeter services;
• Through Cardiff - Penzance services; and
• higher frequencies on Saturdays and Sundays.
 

theironroad

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If the franchise committment haven't changed since the start of the franchise, then SWR are supposed to have an extra service each hour south of haslemere on the Portsmouth line and the Weymouth/Poole to london services are supposed to be recast and the additional through service from Bournemouth or poole to (was originally going to from Weymouth) to Portsmouth along the coast.

Whether any or some of this is going to actually happen is anyone's guess.....
 
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