June 2024 Timetable Change

[Some guy]

The full Euston-Birmingham-Glasgow services need to be fully restored by May and that should bring the WCML back to 3 trains per hour. The Blackpool services should hopefully revert to Trent valley services

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The full Euston-Birmingham-Glasgow services need to be fully restored by May and that should bring the WCML back to 3 trains per hour. The Blackpool services should hopefully revert to Trent valley services

Why do they NEED to be fully restored?

 

[hexagon789]

Why do they NEED to be fully restored?

The gaps do make many once easily done through journeys a bit awkward now, especially the lack of the 1000 Glasgow to London via Birmingham, that was very useful for connecting at Wolverhampton or Birmingham to get to the likes of Oxford, Southampton, the South West etc...

 

[Some guy]

Why do they NEED to be fully restored?

As Glasgow and Birmingham are both 2nd and 3rd largest cities in UK. It was every 2 hours Pre Covid and should be that way now. The demand is there for both cities and if they want people avoiding planes it’s better having the lost services

Avanti can’t get behind the easy way out of sending them to Blackpool. Blackpool used to have its own services direct to London via Trent valley

 

[matt]

Can I remind posters of the first post that this thread is not for speculative or what you want to happen but rather what is changing.

 

[Starmill]

The gaps do make many once easily done through journeys a bit awkward now, especially the lack of the 1000 Glasgow to London via Birmingham, that was very useful for connecting at Wolverhampton or Birmingham to get to the likes of Oxford, Southampton, the South West etc...

I think that internally the thinking is that they'd value the return of that service from Glasgow Central to Preston strongly. As discussed elsewhere, however, there's little commercial need for any of the additional northbounds to make that extra set available at Polmadie of a morning. The 0936 doesn't have the time or capacity to be calling at Crewe really either, even if to set down only. As such, it's difficult to act on at the moment but fingers crossed and all that.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

 

[dk1]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

Desperately needed on certain days. I’ve known the 12:03 carry in excess of 1000 passengers.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

In the summer timetable period, but starting in September rather than June, there is of course the new Saturday Oxford-Bristol service as chronicled elsewhere.

 

[GW43125]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

I do wonder whether there'll be issues with crowding during half term at the end of May, now that the timetable isn't changing until June.

 

[chuff chuff]

Its a fallout from the proposal to move to three timetables a year. That isnt happening but the process couldnt be recovered for this year back to May.

So sticking with may/december then?

 

[The Planner]

So sticking with may/december then?

For the foreseeable, even though I can't see the change being attempted again.

 

[chuff chuff]

For the foreseeable, even though I can't see the change being attempted again.

Okay thanks.

 

[mangyiscute]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

I'm guessing the current Newbury service is also pushed back a couple minutes too, since it currently leaves at 12:05. Either way it's good to see a capacity increase - it'll also be interesting to see how much improvement can be made to journey times, but I guess we'll see what the paths allow.

 

[NorthKent1989]

December will be bigger. And will probably be similar to May 18 with the fallout

How So? What’s going on this December?

 

[lione87023]

The full Euston-Birmingham-Glasgow services need to be fully restored by May and that should bring the WCML back to 3 trains per hour. The Blackpool services should hopefully revert to Trent valley services

I'm almost certain this won't happen in May/June 24. December 24 at the very earliest for the 2 hourly Glasgow-West Midlands services.

 

[Verulamius]

How So? What’s going on this December?

ECML recast I think.

 

[swt_passenger]

It’s happening.

[West Coastway]
OK, that seems a fairly categoric statement. Let’s hope the suddenly missing documentation is just an admin error.

 

[NorthKent1989]

ECML recast I think.

Thank you!

 

[snookertam]

It was silly for them to make the Gourock services 2tph all stoppers. Looking forward to the new Inverclyde TT!

Re:the Inverclyde T/T, they seem to have given Cal Mac the details as the Dunoon and Rothesay schedules show new times for string/departing Glasgow Central in their summer timetables.

The half hourly Wemyss Bay timetable will be unreliable and unworkable IMO.

As Glasgow and Birmingham are both 2nd and 3rd largest cities in UK. It was every 2 hours Pre Covid and should be that way now. The demand is there for both cities and if they want people avoiding planes it’s better having the lost services

Avanti can’t get behind the easy way out of sending them to Blackpool. Blackpool used to have its own services direct to London via Trent valley

Most people travelling between Glasgow and the midlands south probably fly these days.

 

[MontyP]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

A timetabled relief service, just like the old days!

 

[duffield]

I wonder which of the 1203 and 1205 will be most crowded? Will people who can take either train flock to the later one, thinking it will be emptier but making it fuller? Or will more of them stick to the earlier train because of the shorter journey time? Will GWR use differential pricing of advances to try to balance the demand?
Maybe the answer is obvious but I don't know what it is!

I suppose for those who can use either there would be just about time to examine the loading on the 1203 shortly before departure and switch to the 1205 if very crowded.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Will people who can take either train flock to the later one, thinking it will be emptier but making it fuller? Or will more of them stick to the earlier train because of the shorter journey time? Will GWR use differential pricing of advances to try to balance the demand?
Maybe the answer is obvious but I don't know what it is!

I suppose for those who can use either there would be just about time to examine the loading on the 1203 shortly before departure and switch to the 1205 if very crowded.

Only people for Plymouth will have the option to use both.
Passengers going beyond Plymouth need the 12:03
passengers for Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Exeter* need the 12:05.

* Exeter is pick up only on the 12:03, some people may get on for a quicker journey knowing it'll stop there. (like some do for Reading already)

 

[danbarjon]

I wonder if we will see any Class 805s entered into service in the Timetable changes.

 

[Kite159]

Only people for Plymouth will have the option to use both.
Passengers going beyond Plymouth need the 12:03
passengers for Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Exeter* need the 12:05.

* Exeter is pick up only on the 12:03, some people may get on for a quicker journey knowing it'll stop there. (like some do for Reading already)

Also depends if the passenger wants to split tickets to reduce the cost of the fare, considering that the fast will be advertised at Paddington as first stop Plymouth.

 

[Pumbaa]

WMR Birmingham-Shrewsbury is supposedly going up to 2tph, with a new limited stop service going via Bescot, though I've not seen the full news article.

Other way round. The new limited stop service goes opposite the TFW service, so xx22/52 from New St and xx30/00 from Shrewsbury, same calling pattern, plus Shifnal for the WM additional now with quicker 196 stock. The all stops goes via Bescot, xx40 from Shrewsbury and xx26 from New St.

 

[irish_rail]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

Interesting. As someone who works the 1203 presently I'd say definetley a good move. I suspect though the fact 1203 is stopping at Exeter suggests it will become an Exeter driver, whilst Plymouth drivers will no doubt work the 1205.... DOH. Though seriously, I'm glad that something looks like it's being done about this notoriously busy service. I think my record for it according to the TMS was about 1200 passengers.

 

[MasterPhillips]

On GW there’s some summer weekday West Country enhancements to try and tackle overcrowding on the lunchtime Paddington to Penzance trains.

The existing 12.03 Paddington to Penzance looses its calls at Reading, Taunton, Newton Abbot and Totnes. Exeter St David’s becomes a pick up only call. Train remains booked a 9 car 80x.

A new 12.05 Paddington to Plymouth operates, formed 9 car 80x calling at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes returning with an additional 15:49 Plymouth to Paddington.

A welcome decision however, the reason this train is so busy is that it’s the first “Super off peak” direct service to Penzance. But a change to fares restrictions that was supposed to start Monday means the 10:03 from Paddington to Penzance (1C80) will become Super off peak. Meaning this service will surely become the busiest service and needing a “relief“ train and not the 12:03.

 

[Starmill]

Other way round. The new limited stop service goes opposite the TFW service, so xx22/52 from New St and xx30/00 from Shrewsbury, same calling pattern, plus Shifnal for the WM additional now with quicker 196 stock. The all stops goes via Bescot, xx40 from Shrewsbury and xx26 from New St.

Uh oh. Does that mean that Codsall has been dropped from the Shrewsbury - Birmingham semi-fast? Is it gaining Tame Bridge Parkway?

 

[AJDesiro]

Other way round. The new limited stop service goes opposite the TFW service, so xx22/52 from New St and xx30/00 from Shrewsbury, same calling pattern, plus Shifnal for the WM additional now with quicker 196 stock. The all stops goes via Bescot, xx40 from Shrewsbury and xx26 from New St.

Ah right. That makes more sense to be honest!