December 2026 Timetable Change

[JonathanH]

Helena Dollimore is taking credit, she's posted a reel about the new services.

The comments on the reel (Facebook) point out that this isn't at the times when commuters want fast services (although it is somewhat unlikely they could run in the high peak).

 

[GoneSouth]

The comments on the reel (Facebook) point out that this isn't at the times when commuters want fast services (although it is somewhat unlikely they could run in the high peak).

Leisure punters don’t want them either as they’re still peak fares. Seems like a hollow victory for their mp

 

[evergreenadam]

Also from the same Southeastern press release on website:

This service forms part of a wider package of improvements being introduced across Kent, East Sussex and south-east London from December. Customers on the Hastings line will benefit from the return of half-hourly semi-fast services between Tunbridge Wells and Charing Cross throughout the day on weekdays and Saturdays, alongside additional late-evening journeys to and from Hastings. Customers on the Maidstone East line will benefit from more frequent services, additional direct trains to Charing Cross and, for the first time, a train to Charing Cross every hour on Sundays, creating a train to London approximately every 30 minutes when combined with existing Victoria services.

On the Isle of Sheppey, customers at Sheerness-on-Sea, Queenborough and Kemsley will gain trains every 30 minutes throughout the day, seven days a week, delivering the most frequent timetable on the line in 30 years and improving connections at Sittingbourne.

Other timetable improvements include:

• Half-hourly semi-fast services between Charing Cross and Tunbridge Wells throughout off-peak periods on weekdays and across Saturdays, providing more frequent journeys to Orpington, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells.
• Restored half-hourly services between Victoria and Ashford via Maidstone East throughout the day, alongside additional direct Charing Cross services.
• Additional 16:58 evening peak service between Cannon Street and Ashford via Tonbridge and Headcorn, providing extra capacity at the busiest time of the day
• Two trains an hour throughout the day, seven days a week, on the Sheerness branch, providing the best timetable on the line for 30 years and better connections at Sittingbourne.
• A more connected Metro network across south-east London, with almost all Metro routes operating at least four trains an hour during the daytime from Monday to Saturday and improved links to the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood.
• More frequent services on the Bexleyheath line, including up to six trains an hour and half hourly all day direct services to Charing Cross.

 

[bramling]

Note that this is only four minutes faster than the current semifast stopping pattern, so I don't really understand the point of these expresses. Perhaps skipping Wadhurst/High Brooms/Sevenoaks was the only way to fit it inbetween other services?

Psychologically having a limited-stop service is still worthwhile for people, even if from a railway point of view it isn’t necessarily the best use of resources.

The journey from Hastings to London has always been fairly torturous because of the number of stops, so having the option of a more undisturbed journey I can imagine being fairly popular, even if there’s no real time saving.

 

[brad465]

I would suggest services being too busy due to passengers from Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge etc. being the issue more than time, but I'd expect the 'express' service to be thirty or sixty minutes earlier northbound and later southbound if that were the case.

Yes I would say this is more likely. You see similar on the Sidcup line with trains fast to London Bridge from New Eltham; they're not actually any faster, but the trains are already packed at New Eltham so they can't call at anything else after.

 

[moonarrow458]

Psychologically having a limited-stop service is still worthwhile for people, even if from a railway point of view it isn’t necessarily the best use of resources.

The journey from Hastings to London has always been fairly torturous because of the number of stops, so having the option of a more undisturbed journey I can imagine being fairly popular, even if there’s no real time saving.

^^^ This could well be true, although whether its the best use of capacity and resources in a budget constrained railway i'm not sure.

From my experience a better use of resources might be to introduce some crack expresses in high summer on weekends between Thanet & London when you have 12 car Javelins full & standing all the way from the coast to the capital - something like Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Canterbury West then non-stop to London terminal of choice. Or Ramsgate - Broadstairs - Margate - Herne Bay - Whitstable then non-stop to London terminal of choice. On-top of the current service offering.

 

[Bald Rick]

From my experience a better use of resources might be to introduce some crack expresses in high summer on weekends between Thanet & London when you have 12 car Javelins full & standing all the way from the coast to the capital - something like Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Canterbury West then non-stop to London terminal of choice. Or Ramsgate - Broadstairs - Margate - Herne Bay - Whitstable then non-stop to London terminal of choice. On-top of the current service offering.

Perhaps, but the December 2026 timetable doesn’t cover high summer.

 

[evergreenadam]

^^^ This could well be true, although whether its the best use of capacity and resources in a budget constrained railway i'm not sure.

From my experience a better use of resources might be to introduce some crack expresses in high summer on weekends between Thanet & London when you have 12 car Javelins full & standing all the way from the coast to the capital - something like Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Canterbury West then non-stop to London terminal of choice. Or Ramsgate - Broadstairs - Margate - Herne Bay - Whitstable then non-stop to London terminal of choice. On-top of the current service offering.

Are the trains that are full and standing running via Medway towns or Ashford?

 

[Zeremony]

Two express services per weekday will serve Hastings on Southeastern.

Hastings to London Charing Cross at 0805 calling at St Leonards Warrior Square, Battle and Tunbridge Wells which arrive at London Bridge at 0923, Waterloo East at 0929 and Charing Cross at 0933.

The return journey leaves Charing Cross at 1611, Waterloo East at 1613, London Bridge at 1618 departing at 1620 calling at the same stations arriving at Hastings at 1742.

Formed of four carriages which, although I was slightly surprised at first, does make sense for this service.

 

[Stephen42]

Note that this is only four minutes faster than the current semifast stopping pattern, so I don't really understand the point of these expresses. Perhaps skipping Wadhurst/High Brooms/Sevenoaks was the only way to fit it inbetween other services?

The semifast pattern doesn't run at peak times and this additional train is 14 minutes faster than the ones around it.

It would be disappointing if this were the only reason but based on the departure times of the service and the fact that it's only a handful of services, it seems likely.

While pandering to local politicians isn't inherently a bad thing here, as normally local MPs act on behalf of constituents who seemingly do want faster trains, the implementation of it is dreadful. Just because a local MP isn't detailing exactly how they'd like faster services to their constituency, that doesn't mean it's NR's job to take it exactly by their word and run services like these which are really not a good use of the limited line capacity. Alternatively, if that's just not possible, then explain why - in this case you'd either need a capacity upgrade on the Tonbridge-Hastings line or a HS1 extension from Ashford - and then maybe the MP could push for that instead.

In my view it's likely there have been conversations in the background of what's possible and why this isn't viable in the heart of the peak. The slot used is taken by trains via Ashford at busiest times so it won't be just the Tonbridge-Hastings part with trade offs. No one wants to say any of that in a press release though.

It might also be low cost, with frequency uplifts the schedules appear setup for a lot more 4-coach running off peak. This change looks like it ends up with two 4-coaches towards end of peak period instead of one 8-coach avoiding splitting at the London end for 4-coaches off peak. Drivers seem relatively available given some of the splitting into sidings is done for a single round trip in the new timetable.

 

[Bikeman78]

The semifast pattern doesn't run at peak times and this additional train is 14 minutes faster than the ones around it.

In my view it's likely there have been conversations in the background of what's possible and why this isn't viable in the heart of the peak. The slot used is taken by trains via Ashford at busiest times so it won't be just the Tonbridge-Hastings part with trade offs. No one wants to say any of that in a press release though.

It might also be low cost, with frequency uplifts the schedules appear setup for a lot more 4-coach running off peak. This change looks like it ends up with two 4-coaches towards end of peak period instead of one 8-coach avoiding splitting at the London end for 4-coaches off peak. Drivers seem relatively available given some of the splitting into sidings is done for a single round trip in the new timetable.

I can't immediately see any other shoulder peak trains on the Hastings line that are likely to be four cars.

The new 1H96 works 1H22/1H80/1H38, arriving in Hastings at 15:29. It then attaches to 5H56 to form 1H56.

Of the five Tunbridge Wells cycles, four appear to be Networkers all day. The fifth retires to Grove Park off the 2H66 arrival at 09:46. 1H64 from Hastings forms 2H30 09:56 to Tunbridge Wells. However that splits in the turnback siding so it must be eight cars. The single class 375 then works 2H76/2H40/2H86/2H04 before attaching to 1H56 at Tunbridge Wells at 1641. The Networkers work 5Y56 Grove Park to Tunbridge Wells to form 2H56.

 

[DunsBus]

Those campaigning to have the hourly LNER service restored at Berwick-upon-Tweed are likely to be disappointed as the current two-hourly service is set to remain.

 

[Starmill]

All the problems with it are fitting around Micklefield Jn with TPE.

Heading west, if the 1Pxx Scarborough - Victoria service is a few mins late, the Hull to Halifax service gets held for it. This means it arrives at Halifax late and has minimum turn around time, so often leaves late

Heading east, if the 9Exx TPE is a few min late at Leeds, the Halifax - Hull is held for it. This in turn delays the 1Sxx Cross Country behind it, and sometimes the 1Pxx TPE to Teeside as well. If the 2Kxx ends up more than 5 late as a result, chances are it gets put behind the Doncaster to Hull all stops service, which then means getting to Hull after it is due to leave back to Halifax.

Cutting at Leeds basically gives 30 min recovery time there and also means that delays aren’t imported to the clockface 15 min Leeds - Halifax service

It's an interesting paradox isn't it?

Usually, joining two services together improves platform occupation time and improves performance by reducing unnecessary movements at peak times. Certainly back when the Hull - Halifax service was first being considered this was the thinking, though that was before the addition of platform 0 and extension of platform 7.

Very unusually, the through service now hinders platform occupation time, because of the additional bay capacity, and the fact that nearly everyone gets off and back on again at Leeds on those services. Taking a turnaround time rather than a dwell time actually saves time rather than costing it.

In addition to the performance improvement and platforming efficiencies at Leeds, one train an hour which is very lightly used and runs very close to the another will eventually drop out of Halifax - Bradford Interchange. This slightly reduces some near-dead unit mileage.