Complete Summer 2013 GB Timetable

[Smethwickian]

Apologies if this has been mentioned elsewhere but I've only just noticed, the electronic download of the complete timetable, as separate or single PDFs, appears to be available at last on the Network Rail website http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/3828.aspx - for what it's worth.

No doubt shortly people will identify the first of many, many errors, misprints and out of date stuff. (I'll start with the fact that although, yet again, the preamble states "together with rail and shipping connections with
Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands", no ferry times for the Channel Islands are included these days).

Yes, I always check online for the latest info. But for general planning and getting a feel for possible journeys I still like being able to flip backwards and forawrds between printed timetables - or am I just too much of a dinosaur?

 

[Eagle]

I'll start with the fact that although, yet again, the preamble states "together with rail and shipping connections with
Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands", no ferry times for the Channel Islands are included these days.

Also, as of this edition ferries to Scilly are now included.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Yes, I always check online for the latest info. But for general planning and getting a feel for possible journeys I still like being able to flip backwards and forawrds between printed timetables - or am I just too much of a dinosaur?

If you are, I am too
Still absorbing the detail, but they have butchered the layout of Table 75 (Birmingham-Shrewsbury-Cambrian-North Wales) and Table 103 (Merseyrail).
We now have three separate timetables in each case.
There are pluses and minuses in doing this but why have they changed it - again?

There are still no connections shown, only through services.
This ruins tables like 51 (XC) because you never get any connections at the ends (eg beyond Bristol/Pymouth or before Edinburgh).
Another example: the Cornish branches don't even show connections to/from the main line.
etc etc.

I used to enjoy plodding round main stations a month or so before a timetable change to get the new one (several regional books in the old days, always LM and Western and sometimes the others as well).
Then the furtive looks at key tables (always starting with Table 65 - WCML) on the way home to see what had changed.
Now we are reduced to armchair surfing of the NR web site and then a quick download, with a lot of info already out in other forms (journey planners, TOC timetables etc).
Not the same is it?
I wonder why the big book is so late this year?

 

[Smethwickian]

I wonder why the big book is so late this year?

TSOShop (formerly The Stationery Office) reckons its printed version will be out on Monday 13th (we'll see about that!) while Middleton Press's website isn't promising its edition before May 19th.

It's a bit of an afterthought because it's just not a priority for anyone - Network Rail, ATOC or individual TOCs - because so few people want the whole caboodle in a printed book these days and the production cost must be daunting.

I like having it, but could manage well enough without, as have the vast majority of ordinary passengers for some years now.

 

[Darren R]

Can't disagree about printed timetable books - a shelf full of them looks a lot nicer than a computer full of downloaded pdf files! Just out of curiosity, what sort of price are we talking for a hard copy these days? Haven't seen one for years.

 

[Eagle]

£18 from the Stationery Office website.

 

[yorkie]

No doubt shortly people will identify the first of many, many errors, misprints and out of date stuff...

They still erroneously include an entry for Gatwick Express as a Train Company, despite being advised a year or two ago that this ceased to be the case in 2008.

However, I am pleased to see that table 186 has the correct operator codes displayed, so when people look at the timetable they will see the correct operator, Southern (SN)

 

[Eagle]

Also the front cover of the paper version has a Gatwick Express-branded Southern 442 on it :P

 

[Philip C]

Yesterday I parted with £18 and acquired the TSO Summer Timetable. I was, therefore, disappointed to find that it contains whole chunks of blacked-out information (generally the detail which comes before the text "and at the same minutes past each hour until"). Thus Tables 1, 5, 6, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26B, 26F, 26H, 30, 35, 50, 59, 60, 61 etc. etc. lack whole chunks of information.

Have I been unlucky in the batch from which my copy came?

Has anybody found a winning strategy for (1) getting their money back or (2) getting an unredacted copy? I'm reluctant to go heavy on TSO as they can't be making a fortune on this publication and could easily decide that it simply isn't worth the effort to publish the tome.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The pdfs have a light blue shading in those columns.
Looks like the printing process has treated this as black, so you have a "black text on black background" problem.
I doubt you are the only one...

 

[Darren R]

£18 from the Stationery Office website.

How much?!!hock: Hell's teeth - think I'll stick with the pdf! First one I bought was only £2.50!

 

[IanXC]

This item is available via the RailUK Store

(Don't spoil yourself with the 54p saving over the RRP though!)

 

[Smethwickian]

TSOShop (formerly The Stationery Office) reckons its printed version will be out on Monday 13th (we'll see about that!) while Middleton Press's website isn't promising its edition before May 19th.

The websites must have been a little pessimistic about availability. Turns out both were on sale in Manchester on Saturday - the TSO version at WHSmith on Piccadilly station and the Middleton version at the Ian Allan shop just outside.

As for the 'redaction' problem, Philip, C, no, you're not the only one. LNW-GW Joint's explanation would make sense.

 

[dcd]

I can find no reference to the Romsey to Southampton part of the Sundays only 08:19 Romsey to Brighton which starts on 19th May. According to Real Time Trains it is 1O81 and is a GW service using a 158 with first and standard class. Do GW have such stock? GW ticket purchasing site has it as first and standard

The part of the journey from Southampton Central appears in table 188 but not with first class. See Sun_01.pdf attached

 

[yorkie]

According to Real Time Trains it is 1O81 and is a GW service using a 158 with first and standard class.

Open timetable data websites do not provide unit allocation information. They only indicate the "timing load" (more information available here).

 

[dcd]

Open timetable data websites do not provide unit allocation information. They only indicate the "timing load" (more information available here).

Ignoring Real Time Trains the FGW website when booking tickets says there is first class available but complete timetable doesn't and I don't believe FGW has stock other than HST's with first class.

If you bought a first class ticket and no first class accommodation was provided could you get compensation?

 

[Dave P]

I noticed the printing error in the new TSO version of the GB Rail Timetable, and I sent a polite e-mail to their customer service address outlining the facts. I have just got a reply back saying they are aware of the issue and are getting the timetable re-printed and expect corrected copies in stock "next week" and they will send me a further e-mail once it is in stock. In my case, I bought my timetable from a station bookstall, and TSO have advised me to take it back there once replacements have been sent out. I will post another message when I hear back from them. If you purchased the timetable from the TSO web site, you will probably need to contact TSO yourself to find out what the procedure is for getting them swapped over. Although it is regrettable this has happened, at least they (TSO) are doing something to correct the problem. As per the original poster, I hope this doesn't have a negative impact on the future publication of the timetable.

Does anybody know if the Middleton Press version is affected?

 

[dcd]

Ignoring Real Time Trains the FGW website when booking tickets says there is first class available but complete timetable doesn't and I don't believe FGW has stock other than HST's with first class.

If you bought a first class ticket and no first class accommodation was provided could you get compensation?

Went to look what was on the working this morning and it was 158951 with no first class. The working is not shown in the FGW timetable 25 covering this route.


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[D6975]

There are still no connections shown, only through services.

Even some of the through services are missing from some timetables.
As an example, the SO St P to Scarborough is shown in table 26 as terminating at York and is completely missing from table 39.
The software used to compile the timetables was changed a couple of years ago and is completely pants!
You also get some trains on completely the wrong page, eg a train departing at 13:00ish in amongst trains departing at 15:00ish.

 

[brompton rail]

As Table 39 August times are now wrong do we assume that the May - July times apply? Hull - Leeds