December 2025 Timetable Change - Confirmed changes only

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Enthusiasts might, but the vast majority of people going to central Liverpool from South Parkway will just go downstairs to Merseyrail, particularly once contactless payment is available. They may well not enforce it depending on its purpose which may not relate to revenue.

That wouldn't be surprising, given that a Runcorn to Lime Street anytime day return's £11.60, considerably cheaper than the difference between fares from Watford Junction vs Milton Keynes Central to Euston; charging people from the next stop wouldn't bring much more in per passenger in Liverpool's case.

It’s probably so that they can go ahead with an early arrival into Liverpool if it gets in to South Parkway ahead of schedule. That’s why they have pick up only calls at Haymarket.

 

[Kite159]

It’s probably so that they can go ahead with an early arrival into Liverpool if it gets in to South Parkway ahead of schedule. That’s why they have pick up only calls at Haymarket.

For Avanti, Haymarket is an open call both ways. Are you confusing Avanti with TPE whom does have pick up/set down only flags set for Haymarket?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

For Avanti, Haymarket is an open call both ways. Are you confusing Avanti with TPE whom does have pick up/set down only flags set for Haymarket?

No, I mean “they” as the railway in general. There are set down calls in place - sure, not for all trains but for ScotRail’s Falkirk High services, TPE and a handful of diesels - for the reason I quoted above.

 

[Starmill]

That wouldn't be surprising, given that a Runcorn to Lime Street anytime day return's £11.60, considerably cheaper than the difference between fares from Watford Junction vs Milton Keynes Central to Euston; charging people from the next stop wouldn't bring much more in per passenger in Liverpool's case.

Indeed, and more to the point, fresh ticket charges from a station the person didn't actually travel from, just because they boarded at a stop that was actually set down only, are unbelievably rare, and if they hypothetically did happen, would be on very, very shaky ground. This is in contrast to the other direction where they would have a clear basis in contract.

 

[Bevan Price]

Now available for download as full timetable or separate route timetables:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/

 

[Smethwickian]

Now available for download as full timetble or separate route timetables:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/

Is it correct that the compilers still provide more regular updates and corrections to those tables during the life of the timetable at timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt which are not shown on the Network Rail site?

 

[LittleRedTrain]

Some local consternation brewing around the 2025 timetable in Chiltern-land:
The Up train which currently stops at Kings Sutton at 0641 (1H08 0545 from Birmingham Moor St to Marylebone) will no longer be able to call as it'll be too long for the platform, and the 168s don't have SDO.
The locals are unsurprisingly not happy, as it's a key commuter train for the village:

Campaign to keep village’s current London commuter train service - Banbury FM

A campaign has been launched urging Chiltern Railways not to remove a regularly used London commuter service from King’s Sutton.

banburyfm.com

A campaign has been launched urging Chiltern Railways not to remove a regularly used London commuter service from King’s Sutton.


Currently at least a dozen people catch the 6.41am train which, after Bicester, heads directly into the city, arriving at 7.45am. This leaves enough time for onward tube journeys so workers can be in their offices for 9 o’clock.


But, from December 14 Chiltern are introducing a new timetable, which replaces the 6.41am direct service with an earlier 6.19am service, which takes longer as it stops at a number of stations along the route.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Some local consternation brewing around the 2025 timetable in Chiltern-land:
The Up train which currently stops at Kings Sutton at 0641 (1H08 0545 from Birmingham Moor St to Marylebone) will no longer be able to call as it'll be too long for the platform, and the 168s don't have SDO.
The locals are unsurprisingly not happy, as it's a key commuter train for the village:

Campaign to keep village’s current London commuter train service - Banbury FM

A campaign has been launched urging Chiltern Railways not to remove a regularly used London commuter service from King’s Sutton.

banburyfm.com

They have extended 1H07 (currently 0629 off Bicester) to start at Kings Sutton instead at 0619. Obviously not completely the same though because it leaves 20 minutes earlier, to get in 4 minutes earlier.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

They have extended 1H07 (currently 0629 off Bicester) to start at Kings Sutton instead at 0619. Obviously not completely the same though because it leaves 20 minutes earlier, to get in 4 minutes earlier.

Yeah, unsurprisingly, the locals are not happy about 20mins less in bed and a longer journey for the same fare.
I didn't realise that they were starting the new train directly from Kings Sutton (running ECS from Banbury depot).

If they started it from Banbury, it might actually provide a useful stopping service down the Chiltern line for the much larger population there, including all those who use Banbury as a railhead.
I'm assuming there's a pathing/crewing issue that prevents that.

 

[Ian Hardy]

Is it correct that the compilers still provide more regular updates and corrections to those tables during the life of the timetable at timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt which are not shown on the Network Rail site?

Yes they are, 5 tables have been updated already.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

If they started it from Banbury, it might actually provide a useful stopping service down the Chiltern line for the much larger population there, including all those who use Banbury as a railhead.
I'm assuming there's a pathing/crewing issue that prevents that.

The stock comes from Banbury depot so I imagine they can’t be bothered to shunt it into Banbury. Not that that’s a good thing necessarily

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Dec 2025 ==

1H08 is a 68 from the timetable change, so surely when Mk5s come in they could reinstate the call at Kings Sutton as they have SDO?

 

[MatthewHutton]

The stock comes from Banbury depot so I imagine they can’t be bothered to shunt it into Banbury. Not that that’s a good thing necessarily

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Dec 2025 ==

1H08 is a 68 from the timetable change, so surely when Mk5s come in they could reinstate the call at Kings Sutton as they have SDO?

I would hope so.

Kings Sutton is currently totally screwed over in the morning commute with no trains stopping.

Why they can’t stop the 6:15 from moor street and only open the front doors as I thought that was an option on the 168s I am not quite sure.

And that is at least a vaguely reasonable commuter service.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

I would hope so.

Kings Sutton is currently totally screwed over in the morning commute with no trains stopping.

Why they can’t stop the 6:15 from moor street and only open the front doors as I thought that was an option on the 168s I am not quite sure.

And that is at least a vaguely reasonable commuter service.

I thought 168s had unit deselect or somtething, but considering Whenever they need extra London - Birmingham capacity for WCML closures and run longer trains the have no trains to Kings Sutton, Hatton, and Lapworth

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Sundays on Great Western has quite a cut, hopefully back to what can be reliably delivered on a week in week out basis, details taken from the pdf timetables on their website:

07.37 Reading - Basingstoke and 08.06 Basingstoke - Reading deleted.

Bristol Temple Meads to London services drop to hourly through the day, departing Bristol at 07.45, 09.00 then hourly to 14.00, an additional working at 14.30, then 15.00, hourly to 18.00, then every 90 minutes at 19.30, 21.00 and 22.28.

Extensions south west of Bristol are vastly reduced with Bridgwater and Highbridge losing their Sunday direct trains to London, services from Weston remain at 08.29 (09.00 Bristol), 11.31 (12.00 Bristol), 13.31 (14.00 Bristol) then a gap to 22.03 (22.28 Bristol).

From Paddington departures are 07.59, 09.00 (extends to Weston), 10.30 (extends to Weston), 11.30 then hourly to 17.30, then 18.30 (extends to Weston), 19.30, 20.30 (extends to Weston), 21.30, 22.15, 22.45 and 23.33.

Through trains between Cheltenham and London are further reduced from the existing 3 at 10.47, 15.00 and 17.00 to just a single working at 10.47, the other two workings terminating at Swindon.

There are additional 387 operated services in some hours between Paddington and Swindon.

Cuts on the B&H are the 14.36 Paddington - Exeter is deleted, 4 hour gap in service at Pewsey but Newbury, Westbury and Castle Cary added to the 15.03 Paddington - Penzance. The 18:36 Paddington - Plymouth terminates at Taunton with Dawlish and Teignmouth added to the 19.03 Paddington - Plymouth.

10.32 Paignton - Paddington deleted, stops added into the 08.10 Penzance - Paddington for Pewsey and Newbury and the 09.18 (re-timed to 09.09) Penzance - Paddington for Castle Cary and Westbury. The 19.15 Plymouth - Paddington is deleted.

The 17.50 Cardiff - Portsmouth terminates Westbury and the 22.06 Portsmouth - Westbury is deleted.

 

[Keithheller]

Sundays on Great Western has quite a cut, hopefully back to what can be reliably delivered on a week in week out basis, details taken from the pdf timetables on their website:

07.37 Reading - Basingstoke and 08.06 Basingstoke - Reading deleted.

Bristol Temple Meads to London services drop to hourly through the day, departing Bristol at 07.45, 09.00 then hourly to 14.00, an additional working at 14.30, then 15.00, hourly to 18.00, then every 90 minutes at 19.30, 21.00 and 22.28.

Extensions south west of Bristol are vastly reduced with Bridgwater and Highbridge losing their Sunday direct trains to London, services from Weston remain at 08.29 (09.00 Bristol), 11.31 (12.00 Bristol), 13.31 (14.00 Bristol) then a gap to 22.03 (22.28 Bristol).

From Paddington departures are 07.59, 09.00 (extends to Weston), 10.30 (extends to Weston), 11.30 then hourly to 17.30, then 18.30 (extends to Weston), 19.30, 20.30 (extends to Weston), 21.30, 22.15, 22.45 and 23.33.

Through trains between Cheltenham and London are further reduced from the existing 3 at 10.47, 15.00 and 17.00 to just a single working at 10.47, the other two workings terminating at Swindon.

There are additional 387 operated services in some hours between Paddington and Swindon.

Cuts on the B&H are the 14.36 Paddington - Exeter is deleted, 4 hour gap in service at Pewsey but Newbury, Westbury and Castle Cary added to the 15.03 Paddington - Penzance. The 18:36 Paddington - Plymouth terminates at Taunton with Dawlish and Teignmouth added to the 19.03 Paddington - Plymouth.

10.32 Paignton - Paddington deleted, stops added into the 08.10 Penzance - Paddington for Pewsey and Newbury and the 09.18 (re-timed to 09.09) Penzance - Paddington for Castle Cary and Westbury. The 19.15 Plymouth - Paddington is deleted.

The 17.50 Cardiff - Portsmouth terminates Westbury and the 22.06 Portsmouth - Westbury is deleted.

Train crew issues and the state of the fleets forcing GWR’s hand!!!

 

[lachlan]

Sundays on Great Western has quite a cut, hopefully back to what can be reliably delivered on a week in week out basis, details taken from the pdf timetables on their website:

07.37 Reading - Basingstoke and 08.06 Basingstoke - Reading deleted.

Bristol Temple Meads to London services drop to hourly through the day, departing Bristol at 07.45, 09.00 then hourly to 14.00, an additional working at 14.30, then 15.00, hourly to 18.00, then every 90 minutes at 19.30, 21.00 and 22.28.

Extensions south west of Bristol are vastly reduced with Bridgwater and Highbridge losing their Sunday direct trains to London, services from Weston remain at 08.29 (09.00 Bristol), 11.31 (12.00 Bristol), 13.31 (14.00 Bristol) then a gap to 22.03 (22.28 Bristol).

From Paddington departures are 07.59, 09.00 (extends to Weston), 10.30 (extends to Weston), 11.30 then hourly to 17.30, then 18.30 (extends to Weston), 19.30, 20.30 (extends to Weston), 21.30, 22.15, 22.45 and 23.33.

Through trains between Cheltenham and London are further reduced from the existing 3 at 10.47, 15.00 and 17.00 to just a single working at 10.47, the other two workings terminating at Swindon.

There are additional 387 operated services in some hours between Paddington and Swindon.

Cuts on the B&H are the 14.36 Paddington - Exeter is deleted, 4 hour gap in service at Pewsey but Newbury, Westbury and Castle Cary added to the 15.03 Paddington - Penzance. The 18:36 Paddington - Plymouth terminates at Taunton with Dawlish and Teignmouth added to the 19.03 Paddington - Plymouth.

10.32 Paignton - Paddington deleted, stops added into the 08.10 Penzance - Paddington for Pewsey and Newbury and the 09.18 (re-timed to 09.09) Penzance - Paddington for Castle Cary and Westbury. The 19.15 Plymouth - Paddington is deleted.

The 17.50 Cardiff - Portsmouth terminates Westbury and the 22.06 Portsmouth - Westbury is deleted.

The London-Bristol service is already hourly on Sundays - is the service being cut further?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

The London-Bristol service is already hourly on Sundays - is the service being cut further?

Currently it is half-hourly for some hours of the day. Trains from Bristol to Paddington at 12.30, 15.30, 16.30 and 17.30 all deleted and then the 19.00 and 20.00 Bristol to Paddington are combined into a single train 19.30.

Paddington to Bristol at 15.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18.00 and 19.00 all deleted.

It’s 5 round trips Bristol to Paddington that are deleted.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

I would hope so.

Kings Sutton is currently totally screwed over in the morning commute with no trains stopping.

Why they can’t stop the 6:15 from moor street and only open the front doors as I thought that was an option on the 168s I am not quite sure.

And that is at least a vaguely reasonable commuter service.

Maybe they could extend 1H12 (the 0746 Risborough Silver set) back to Banbury so it runs nonstop from Kings Sutton to Risborough (getting into Marylebone at 0838). Then extend the 1737 Marylebone - Risborough out to Banbury to get the stock to Banbury depot for the next morning

 

[craigybagel]

Maybe they could extend 1H12 (the 0746 Risborough Silver set) back to Banbury so it runs nonstop from Kings Sutton to Risborough (getting into Marylebone at 0838). Then extend the 1737 Marylebone - Risborough out to Banbury to get the stock to Banbury depot for the next morning

Stabling that set at Banbury rather than Wembley overnight might be complicated in the short term with Banbury drivers not signing 68s. That is likely to change in the longer term when MKIV use gets more widespread, but for now it might be an issue.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Currently it is half-hourly for some hours of the day. Trains from Bristol to Paddington at 12.30, 15.30, 16.30 and 17.30 all deleted and then the 19.00 and 20.00 Bristol to Paddington are combined into a single train 19.30.

Paddington to Bristol at 15.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18.00 and 19.00 all deleted.

It’s 5 round trips Bristol to Paddington that are deleted.

GWR doing a Northern on Sundays?

 

[dk1]

GWR doing a Northern on Sundays?

To be fair it’s currently the best option and hopefully will provide a more robust Sunday timetable.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

To be fair it’s currently the best option and hopefully will provide a more robust Sunday timetable.

Indeed, it’s better to actually deliver than over promise and under deliver .

 

[Jamesrob637]

Indeed, it’s better to actually deliver than over promise and under deliver .

So unlike Northern then. I like GWR but don't have to endure them more than a few times a year.

 

[sjm77]

10:08 TPE to Newcastle
10:14 SR to Dunbar
12:08 TPE to Newcastle
12:15 SR to Dunbar
14:08 TPE to Newcastle
14:15 SR to Dunbar

Spare a thought for the good people of Church Fenton. They do get 3tp2h into York as a general frequency but in the hour with 2 trains they sometimes leave at exactly the same time!

09:46, 09:47, 10:46, 11:46, 11:46, 12:46, 13:46, 13:46 etc

 

[Class 466]

Just been looking at the changes for East Linton and Dunbar. The increased TPE services are welcome but what’s the point in the ScotRail services when all they do is follow less than 10 mins behind the TPE services? Why can’t they run in the alternate hours that the TPE services don’t.

Example (departures from Edinburgh southbound calling at East Linton and Dunbar):

10:08 TPE to Newcastle
10:14 SR to Dunbar
12:08 TPE to Newcastle
12:15 SR to Dunbar
14:08 TPE to Newcastle
14:15 SR to Dunbar

Those ScotRail services just seem pointless to me and would have been much better in the alternate hours to the TPE.

The late night services are still awful too.

Late night/evenings will always be hampered by the number of slow freight services that run at that time

 

[hibtastic]

Spare a thought for the good people of Church Fenton. They do get 3tp2h into York as a general frequency but in the hour with 2 trains they sometimes leave at exactly the same time!

09:46, 09:47, 10:46, 11:46, 11:46, 12:46, 13:46, 13:46 etc

Yeah that seems ridiculous too. What a waste of an unit.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Now available for download as full timetable or separate route timetables:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...timetable/electronic-national-rail-timetable/

Is there a link anywhere to a "What's changed" summary to save trawling through every timetable and comparing it with the current one?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Dec 2025 ==

Yeah that seems ridiculous too. What a waste of an unit.

Not really. One's come from Blackpool and the other from Bridlington so there's not much duplication there apart from the CHF-YRK section.

 

[MP33]

There is an article in a local newspaper about the new Greater Anglia timetable. In it, it states that for part of Saturday, the enhancements involve fewer trains than before. The new timetable, is the same as before, although trains may be lengthened.

Well done, Reach group. Clear a place on the Mantelpiece, for the Pulitzer prize.

 

[DaveHarries]

Yeah, unsurprisingly, the locals are not happy about 20mins less in bed and a longer journey for the same fare. I didn't realise that they were starting the new train directly from Kings Sutton (running ECS from Banbury depot).

5N07 (0611 Banbury Depot Reception - Kings Sutton).

Dave

 

[1D53]

Yeah that seems ridiculous too. What a waste of an unit.

It would be if it were running a Church Fenton to York shuttle but as one comes all the way from Blackpool and one all the way from Bridlington it's very much sods law they both turn up together. In the other direction the frequency is much more 20/40.