December and May timetables

[EM2]

From what I understand, the December timetables (especially Virgin and EMT) are quite radically different to the current ones. Does anyone know if the May ones are likely to be too, or will they just have minor tweaks (like Summer extras etc).
I'm guessing there won't be two major overhauls in six months, but hey, you can never second-guess the railway!

Are the FGW and NXEC December timetables restructured too?

 

[kyrano]

new tt here

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4178.aspx

 

[dan_atki]

Normally radical changes are made in the December changeover (in line with EU regulations). As you have said, the May change allows for some slight tweaking with slight re-times and the extra summer services.

 

[The Planner]

Nothing much is changed for May 09, much of it is just rolled over.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Interesting to read the Amendments ("Additional Alterations") page where it adds some extra trains which are not in the main timetables.

eg Table 26 is the ECML and there is an extra CG service dep KGX at 18:20 on Sundays (currently 18:42).
There's no amendment for a corresponding up service!
Perhaps it just got left out by mistake?

 

[xtradj]

london midland has also changed dramatically, even more so than EMT

probably due to the Virgin changes

 

[djw1981]

All WCML operators well LM, VWC and TPE, are changing together, due to the completion of WCRM - the DfT website had the inital plan on from June 07.

The nice article in RAIL about EMT's new timetable is hardly pleasant reading for \EMT or NR I guess. In summary, NR cut short the consultation and are presenting the timetable for EMT to ORR as fait acompli, but FOC's say they are losing paths in the new timetable, thus NR say there is no more room to run trains, but the line is not 'full'. The FOC's wanted a proper timetable consultation like ECML and WCML. But if EMT do not get their slots, the old ones are not available due to other changes, and they may have no functioning timetable. But they have still sold tickets for those trains! So corby and EM Parkway may be the least of their problems!

 

[Mojo]

London Midland, unfortunately seem to have lost a lot of the even spacing that they used to have, particularly on the West Midlands local services.

For example, Shirley to Birmingham trains on Sat used to leave every 20 mins. There is now a gap of 18 and another of 22 mins as there are now 2tph to Stratford-upon-Avon (that's not even either, but it's more trains).

The 2tph to Liverpool (some of which are new) also depart BHM with uneven gaps.

 

[87015]

London Midland, unfortunately seem to have lost a lot of the even spacing that they used to have, particularly on the West Midlands local services.

It is a bit of a mess isn't it.... Virgin being allowed to bully everyone so they can run half empty Pendos. 2tph only half-full off peak so lets run 3tph :-?

 

[Mojo]

It might sound a bit of a rant, and I can sometimes understand the reasons, but odd spacing between trains really annoys me.

For example at Filton Abbey Wood there is the rather good service of 4tph off-peak to Temple Meads, although 3 trains run within 13 minutes of each other. I understand why, as the two cross-Bristol services were split 4-way last December (it used to be the case that ex-Cardiff trains went out via Bath and Weston/Taunton went to Filton (now Parkway) or up towards Gloucester).

 

[me123]

That is actually really annoying, but the ones at Birmingham seem to generally be not bad. In Scotland we sometimes get odd spacing, but overall the services are well spaced.

eg, Hamilton west sees 4tph, at alternating 10 and 20 minute intervals. But overall, its 2tph to Motherwell/Milngavie and 2tph to Larkhall/Dalmuir.

 

[Mojo]

The evenings on the CrossCity (Birmingham) have 10/20 gaps, as does the leaf-fall TT. I've also noticed that the northern section now has 6tph on Saturday (up from 4) and the evenings also now have 4tph (up from 2).

 

[87015]

The evenings on the CrossCity (Birmingham) have 10/20 gaps, as does the leaf-fall TT. I've also noticed that the northern section now has 6tph on Saturday (up from 4) and the evenings also now have 4tph (up from 2).

Seen the state of the local shacks on the Cov-Wolves corridor from December? Its absolutely farcical!! New St staff briefing has been headed "the disaster that is VHF!!!!!!!!

These are stations that have had a half hourly all day service since (at least) electrification and they are nearly all now going to suffer totally stupid services, 2tph but only fifteen minutes apart and skip-stop pathing (which really gets on my goat, have an all shacks or a fast, plenty of people do Berkswell-Tile Hill or similar)

 

[tbtc]

That is actually really annoying, but the ones at Birmingham seem to generally be not bad. In Scotland we sometimes get odd spacing, but overall the services are well spaced.

eg, Hamilton west sees 4tph, at alternating 10 and 20 minute intervals. But overall, its 2tph to Motherwell/Milngavie and 2tph to Larkhall/Dalmuir.

Thankfully the Fife Circles are better spaced again - they were getting very close together at one point...