May 2019 timetable changes

[CJ]

Not sure if its been brought up, but it looks like there is still one direct Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly service that is still available (whether this is a Summer only timetable thing, i'm not sure):

1M61 12:30 Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly (Sunday Only)

 

[Benjaminmorgan]

I want it to be an HST

 

[PHILIPE]

I want it to be an HST

I doubt it if it's going to Manchester

 

[43055]

Not sure if its been brought up, but it looks like there is still one direct Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly service that is still available (whether this is a Summer only timetable thing, i'm not sure):

1M61 12:30 Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly (Sunday Only)

The PDF timetable on the Cross Country website shows it running throughout the period. Also runs on Saturdays after the 14th September departing Penzance at 0943.

 

[Flinn Reed]

When will GWR introduce their new services between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads (via Bristol Parkway)?

 

[PHILIPE]

When will GWR introduce their new services between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads (via Bristol Parkway)?

There is discussion here:-

www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-dec-19-timetable.180888/#post-3959573

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/04/chiltern-railways-announce-may-timetable.html/amp

Chiltern Railways announce May timetable

Chiltern Railways has announced their new timetable, which will take effect from May 2019.

The new timetable will more than double the number of direct trains between Stratford-upon-Avon and London Marylebone.

The new timetable will also see changes aimed at improving performance and creating capacity.


From May, direct trains between London and Stratford will increase in both directions from three to six on weekdays. There are also additional services on the weekend. Saturday will see four direct trains from London to Stratford, with five trains running in the other direction from Stratford to London.

On Sundays there will be five direct trains in each direction, increasing from just two from Stratford to London and a single service from London to Stratford.

Additional changes to the timetable include:

• More trains to/from Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London.
• An additional service linking Haddenham and Bicester Village/Oxford Parkway/Oxford at 16:42.
• A new service from Marylebone to Haddenham at 1600
• Performance improvements in the evening peak

Train times are available online and through our website and app.

What did the officials say?
Eleni Jordan, Commercial Director of Chiltern Railways said:

“At Chiltern Railways we’re delighted to make these improvements to our Stratford-upon-Avon service and these additional services will mean that the number of direct services between Stratford and London each week will more than double. We hope that these direct journeys will provide a more seamless and easier journey for both Stratford residents and visitors.”

Chiltern announces timetable changes.

 

[Esker-pades]

Glad to see that the 16:00 Wick to Inverness is now back to arriving at 20:10 on Mondays to Fridays. The connection to the 20:15 south from Inverness has been re-instated. Good news for the Far North Line.

 

[jimm]

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2019/04/chiltern-railways-announce-may-timetable.html/amp

Chiltern announces timetable changes.

Some grade one PR nonsense from Chiltern...

“At Chiltern Railways we’re delighted to make these improvements to our Stratford-upon-Avon service and these additional services will mean that the number of direct services between Stratford and London each week will more than double. We hope that these direct journeys will provide a more seamless and easier journey for both Stratford residents and visitors.”

They seem to have forgotten which company it was that withdrew the said services from its timetable in 2015.

 

[Ianno87]

Some grade one PR nonsense from Chiltern...



They seem to have forgotten which company it was that withdrew the said services from its timetable in 2015.

Also I like how they managed to stretch an additional Haddenham call in the 1600 Marylebone-Oxford into two bullet points...

 

[Kite159]

Some grade one PR nonsense from Chiltern...



They seem to have forgotten which company it was that withdrew the said services from its timetable in 2015.

And that for most of the direct services it is quicker to change at Banbury or Leamington

 

[jimm]

And that for most of the direct services it is quicker to change at Banbury or Leamington

But for the tourist market, which is what the London-Stratford trains should be about (and were conceived as such by Network South East), that's really not the point. Those passengers just want the point-to-point journey, with the minimum of fuss.

 

[bramling]

But for the tourist market, which is what the London-Stratford trains should be about (and were conceived as such by Network South East), that's really not the point. Those passengers just want the point-to-point journey, with the minimum of fuss.

Surely this doesn't necessarily apply if one is going there for a day trip. Longer journey times equals less time to spend at the destination.

I bet other users of the stopping service won't appreciate the train being full of tourists either.

 

[Ianno87]

Surely this doesn't necessarily apply if one is going there for a day trip. Longer journey times equals less time to spend at the destination.

I bet other users of the stopping service won't appreciate the train being full of tourists either.

Though I'd expect morning stopping services going north and afternoon stopping services going south to be lighter loaded - if anything a good way of segregating tourists from the Birmingham trains and filling up spare capacity.

Remember joining at Marylebone-Stratford service at Leamington some years ago - with a number of Americans excited for their day out in War-wick (pronounced phonetically, of course)

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Surely this doesn't necessarily apply if one is going there for a day trip. Longer journey times equals less time to spend at the destination.

I bet other users of the stopping service won't appreciate the train being full of tourists either.

You would hope as part of the change and trying to attract tourists they will have lengthened the trains in question of necessary.

 

[bramling]

You would hope as part of the change and trying to attract tourists they will have lengthened the trains in question of necessary.

With it being Chiltern, the answer to that is probably not. This is the operator with whom it’s quite possible to turn up at Marylebone for a Birmingham service to see “Formed of 2 coaches” on the departure board.

Chiltern is by no means all sweetness and honey.

 

[Kite159]

But for the tourist market, which is what the London-Stratford trains should be about (and were conceived as such by Network South East), that's really not the point. Those passengers just want the point-to-point journey, with the minimum of fuss.

"We are now approaching the delights of Kings Sutton and Denham Golf Club"

Any London passengers will probably be encouraged to change at Leamington (same platform) or Banbury (cross platform most likely)

 

[jimm]

"We are now approaching the delights of Kings Sutton and Denham Golf Club"

Any London passengers will probably be encouraged to change at Leamington (same platform) or Banbury (cross platform most likely)

When Chiltern removed several of the direct trains in 2015, we were treated to lots of PR spiel about how there would be all manner of connections available instead for London passengers.

What is happening next month tends to suggest that four years of hard-won experience - and most likely static or falling ticket revenue - says that idea has failed.

If Chiltern are trying to prise groups of visitors on day trips from London out of coaches along the M40, then a decent number of direct services is what they will need to do it. Travel firms like their arrangements nice and simple, which includes things like avoiding changes of trains unless they are absolutely necessary.

While the old NSE service from Paddington did not stop much en route, being linked to the Oxford fast services, that it was a single end-to-end run was a key selling point. And looking at the paths on realtimetrains, the revised Chiltern services are not making that many calls - the 17.36 back to London is non-stop from Bicester North to Marylebone, while others only call at the main Bucks stations.

The key problem is that Chiltern's attitude towards the Stratford services has always been indifferent from the day they were told to take on the job by the DfT. They would far rather focus on hovering up commuter/business travel income from Bucks, Oxon and the south of Warwickshire (plus Bicester Village custom) than have to deal with the very particular needs of the Stratford market.

The idea of reinstating a Paddington-Oxford-Stratford GW service was mentioned by a lot of people suggesting ideas for new services in the GW franchise consultation in 2017 and GWR's md Mark Hopwood has spoken publicly about his wish to revive such a service, or access Stratford via a reinstated Honeybourne-Long Marston-Stratford link from the Cotswold Line. But either option is still a way off due to the refranchising mess the Government has got itself into and the need for a lot of money to make the other route possible.

 

[Ianno87]

When Chiltern removed several of the direct trains in 2015, we were treated to lots of PR spiel about how there would be all manner of connections available instead for London passengers.

What is happening next month tends to suggest that four years of hard-won experience - and most likely static or falling ticket revenue - says that idea has failed.

If Chiltern are trying to prise groups of visitors on day trips from London out of coaches along the M40, then a decent number of direct services is what they will need to do it. Travel firms like their arrangements nice and simple, which includes things like avoiding changes of trains unless they are absolutely necessary.

While the old NSE service from Paddington did not stop much en route, being linked to the Oxford fast services, that it was a single end-to-end run was a key selling point. And looking at the paths on realtimetrains, the revised Chiltern services are not making that many calls - the 17.36 back to London is non-stop from Bicester North to Marylebone, while others only call at the main Bucks stations.

The key problem is that Chiltern's attitude towards the Stratford services has always been indifferent from the day they were told to take on the job by the DfT. They would far rather focus on hovering up commuter/business travel income from Bucks, Oxon and the south of Warwickshire (plus Bicester Village custom) than have to deal with the very particular needs of the Stratford market.

The idea of reinstating a Paddington-Oxford-Stratford GW service was mentioned by a lot of people suggesting ideas for new services in the GW franchise consultation in 2017 and GWR's md Mark Hopwood has spoken publicly about his wish to revive such a service, or access Stratford via a reinstated Honeybourne-Long Marston-Stratford link from the Cotswold Line. But either option is still a way off due to the refranchising mess the Government has got itself into and the need for a lot of money to make the other route possible.

Could a double 800 set in the morning peak return to Oxford and have one set scurry to Stratford and back between the peaks, forming back as a double set at Oxford for the evening peak?

 

[jimm]

Could a double 800 set in the morning peak return to Oxford and have one set scurry to Stratford and back between the peaks, forming back as a double set at Oxford for the evening peak?

Anything is possible but unless the DfT give consent for such a service it's neither here nor there. Such a service would likely have to wait to be a requirement or an option offered by bidders in a franchise competition - and no one knows when/if there will be one of those for GW services.

 

[DaveHarries]

Seasonal changes from South Western Railway on Saturdays:
- Extension: 1L11 (0635 London Waterloo - Salisbury) extends to Corfe Castle (Swanage Railway) via. Yeovil Junction, Weymouth & Wareham
Divides at Weymouth and drops stock for 5M00 to Jersey Siding which later forms 2M00 to Yeovil Junction

- Additional Workings: 2M00 (1210 Weymouth - Yeovil Junction) and 2O01 (1416 Yeovil Junction - Weymouth) via. Yeovil Pen Mill

- Extension: 1847 (Salisbury - London Waterloo) starts from Corfe Castle (Swanage Railway) via. Wareham, Weymouth & Yeovil Junction
May collect 5L35 which may be formed of the stock from 2O01. The latter reverses via. Jersey Sidings on arr. from Yeovil Junction (dep. 1516, arr. 1528).

The diagrams are all in RealTimeTrains.

HTIOI,
Dave

 

[PHILIPE]

Seasonal changes from South Western Railway on Saturdays:
- Extension: 1L11 (0635 London Waterloo - Salisbury) extends to Corfe Castle (Swanage Railway) via. Yeovil Junction, Weymouth & Wareham
Divides at Weymouth and drops stock for 5M00 to Jersey Siding which later forms 2M00 to Yeovil Junction

- Additional Workings: 2M00 (1210 Weymouth - Yeovil Junction) and 2O01 (1416 Yeovil Junction - Weymouth) via. Yeovil Pen Mill

- Extension: 1847 (Salisbury - London Waterloo) starts from Corfe Castle (Swanage Railway) via. Wareham, Weymouth & Yeovil Junction
May collect 5L35 which may be formed of the stock from 2O01. The latter reverses via. Jersey Sidings on arr. from Yeovil Junction (dep. 1516, arr. 1528).

The diagrams are all in RealTimeTrains.

HTIOI,
Dave

I hope you don't mind me pointing out some people seem to be under a misapprehension but RealTimeTrains doesn't show diagrams.
What it shows is Train Schedules. A diagram is a booked day's duty for a unit/loco or member of traincrew. Hope this helps you, Dave and it is meant to help rather than criticism.

 

[Southend Rider]

I see from September Greater Anglia are now running a later Train from Southend Airport at 23.59 calling at Shenfield, Stratford and Liverpool St only. And an early morning departure from Liverpool Street at 04.30 Mon, Sat and 4.35 Tues - Friday calling at Stratford and Southend airport only.

 

[berneyarms]

Seasonal changes from South Western Railway on Saturdays:
- Extension: 1L11 (0635 London Waterloo - Salisbury) extends to Corfe Castle (Swanage Railway) via. Yeovil Junction, Weymouth & Wareham
Divides at Weymouth and drops stock for 5M00 to Jersey Siding which later forms 2M00 to Yeovil Junction

- Additional Workings: 2M00 (1210 Weymouth - Yeovil Junction) and 2O01 (1416 Yeovil Junction - Weymouth) via. Yeovil Pen Mill

- Extension: 1847 (Salisbury - London Waterloo) starts from Corfe Castle (Swanage Railway) via. Wareham, Weymouth & Yeovil Junction
May collect 5L35 which may be formed of the stock from 2O01. The latter reverses via. Jersey Sidings on arr. from Yeovil Junction (dep. 1516, arr. 1528).

The diagrams are all in RealTimeTrains.

HTIOI,
Dave

The trains are all in the new timetable pdfs.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I know this is a bit irrelevant but to save another thread, does anyone know if CrossCountry are making a tweak to their HST diagrams from the May 2019 timetable change?

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I've downloaded the XC May 2019 - December 2019 timetable. However, a reliable person has informed me (before I looked at the timetable properly) that the 09:35 from Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly starts at Plymouth at 11:50.

In its place, the 11:24 (to be exact) from Plymouth to Dundee doesn't just start from Penzance at 09:25, and reduce journey times for those travelling to between (including the 2 stations) Totnes - Birmingham New Street, but is formed of an HST (subject to availability) on Fridays on the whole trip of just over 12-hours!

A few extra Manchester to Bristol services are now extended to and from Exeter St Davids too.

Regarding the new Penzance to Dundee service - an HST should hopefully reduce overcrowding from the GWR London services between Penzance and Taunton as well as in general obviously and with any luck should have more people wanting to travel to the North .

If the 09:25 from Penzance to Dundee is an HST on Fridays all-year round then I might just catch that from Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh next year.

The 06:32 from Dundee to Plymouth is an HST on Mondays and Fridays - 17:25 from Plymouth to Leeds on Fridays is an HST.

The HST is subject to availability.

XC haven't said but I've been told this.

Weirdly, a 7-coach HST has more seats than an 8-coach Voyager!

 

[cle]

Three types of HST between Edinburgh and Dundee?!

 

[sufian123]

Three types of HST between Edinburgh and Dundee?!

Yes Fridays only expected. All year around. Subject to availability

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Yes Fridays only expected. All year around. Subject to availability

All year round?! Brilliant.

Given what I want to do in Edinburgh / Scotland next year, I may end up sticking to the Thursday as the 16:03 and 17:03 are booked for (not guaranteed to be) HST's if this exists next year also.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

All year round?! Brilliant.

Given what I want to do in Edinburgh / Scotland next year, I may end up sticking to the Thursday as the 16:03 and 17:03 are booked for (not guaranteed to be) HST's if this exists next year also.

Brilliant meaning great news !