Does anyone know why some of the GWR services from Reading to the South West have been retimed slightly? Eg the 1533 service from Reading to Penzance will now depart from Reading at 1530 after the May timetable change. This happens also with the 1633 (retimed to 1630). They appear to leave Paddington at the same time. This is frustrating because it breaks the connection from Oxford in journey planners - not meeting the 7 minute connection at Reading, making it hard to purchase AP tickets.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
May 2018 timetable changes
- Thread starter jamieintercity
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
I don’t think this will be happening in May anymore.
Camelon getting a surprisingly large upgrade in service. You would think Linlithgow would be far better off with the Dunblane calls than Camelon would.
Currently the 1633 has an extended dwell to let 2J46 to Basingstoke arrive into Platform 2 first at 1631.
From May it swaps - the 1633 has a standard dwell at Reading to depart at 1630 (regaining existing booked path further down the Berks & Hants), and 2J46 waits outside the station, before pulling in at 1633.
Best guess is that 2J46 is commonly arriving slightly late, delaying the start of the 1633 from Reading, is knocking right down to Cornwall or something.
Thank you!
Redhill to Brighton southbound goes up by about 15-20 minutes for most off-peak times. Coming from Tonbridge it's overall 2 hours versus 1:25 at the moment. A journey I do quite frequently will probably be more practical albeit more expensive to go via London Bridge.
At the other end of the North Downs Line the timetables from May '18 continue to look shambolic, according to NRE, an apparently trusted source.
May 2018 last departure from Blackwater to Reading: 22:02
Current timetable: departures at 22:02, 22:36, 23:38 and 00:20.
Wilts Wanderer
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2016
- Messages
- 3,199
The North Downs timetable for May is still under discussion between GWR and Network Rail. One thing is for certain - the extra train per hour will not be happening at this point. However the existing 2tph service does not mesh with the Thameslink timetable, so some form of compromise is required. Due to significant volumes of rewrites elsewhere nationally, there is something of a backlog of work. Far from ideal but the current reality - too much work, not enough planners or time.
Thanks.
Frankly, GWR should not permit Network Rail to display any timetable in NRE because the current one is fundamentally misleading. So much is missing and some of the scheduling defies belief. I do get it that some retiming is necessary due to the improved Reigate service.
I note that some of the fantasy SWR timetable of trains that interact with the NDL was removed from view in NRE on Friday. So the alleged 4tph frequency between Guildford and Aldershot has now reverted to 2tph using the Dec 2017 timings.
Frankly, GWR should not permit Network Rail to display any timetable in NRE because the current one is fundamentally misleading. So much is missing and some of the scheduling defies belief. I do get it that some retiming is necessary due to the improved Reigate service.
I note that some of the fantasy SWR timetable of trains that interact with the NDL was removed from view in NRE on Friday. So the alleged 4tph frequency between Guildford and Aldershot has now reverted to 2tph using the Dec 2017 timings.
At last a late night train from Nottingham to Sheffield.
The new Northern service departs Nottingham at 2318, six nights a week, calling at Ilkeston, Langley Mill, Alfreton and Chesterfield.
Great for concerts and shows, evening football, floodlit cricket at Trent Bridge, the odd beer in Nottingham, plus, greater connectivity from eastern England.
The current last train is just after 2130!
The new Northern service departs Nottingham at 2318, six nights a week, calling at Ilkeston, Langley Mill, Alfreton and Chesterfield.
Great for concerts and shows, evening football, floodlit cricket at Trent Bridge, the odd beer in Nottingham, plus, greater connectivity from eastern England.
The current last train is just after 2130!
bunnahabhain
Established Member
- Joined
- 8 Jun 2005
- Messages
- 2,271
It'll be best avoided Fridays and Saturdays.
Class 170101
On Moderation
- Joined
- 1 Mar 2014
- Messages
- 8,661
Very sensible train to run I always wondered why the service from Nottingham to Sheffield packed up so early.
Wilts Wanderer
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2016
- Messages
- 3,199
Network Rail are a law unto themselves when it comes to publishing forward timetables. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that the TOCs don’t continually protest at the complete rubbish that is continually advertised online.
Batman
Member
Has anyone else noticed that Birmingham - Rugeley (the Chase Line) becomes half hourly from May?
It looks like the increase in line speed from 45 to 60mph has been completed ahead of schedule to make this possible. I was under the impression this wouldn’t happen until electrification is completed.
There was a half hourly weekday off peak service previously from 2008 to 2010 when Staffordshire county council cut the funding for it. This time the service should be safe as it’s included in the new franchise.
Landywood and both Bloxwich stations will now get a half hourly off peak service for the first time as these were excluded from the extra weekday service London Midland introduced and then withdrew again, and the current half hourly Saturday service. The increased line speed will mean that one service an hour will no longer need to skip stations in order to get recovery time at Rugeley.
I’ve noticed the 16:12 Birmingham to Rugeley is missing from RTT. Is this just an oversight? It’s return working is on there.
It looks like the increase in line speed from 45 to 60mph has been completed ahead of schedule to make this possible. I was under the impression this wouldn’t happen until electrification is completed.
There was a half hourly weekday off peak service previously from 2008 to 2010 when Staffordshire county council cut the funding for it. This time the service should be safe as it’s included in the new franchise.
Landywood and both Bloxwich stations will now get a half hourly off peak service for the first time as these were excluded from the extra weekday service London Midland introduced and then withdrew again, and the current half hourly Saturday service. The increased line speed will mean that one service an hour will no longer need to skip stations in order to get recovery time at Rugeley.
I’ve noticed the 16:12 Birmingham to Rugeley is missing from RTT. Is this just an oversight? It’s return working is on there.
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
And there's now a decent connection southbound from the Crewe-Stoke-Euston LNWR service (xx07/12).
The new trains seem to run in a loop, like the existing ones, from Birmingham via Soho, back via Aston.
Halish Railway
Established Member
Good news for Kirkstall Forge!
From a Northern news article - "Northern customers travelling from Kirkstall Forge to Leeds and Bradford are to benefit from two trains an hour from May."
https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/n...efit-from-kirkstall-forge-service-improvement
From a Northern news article - "Northern customers travelling from Kirkstall Forge to Leeds and Bradford are to benefit from two trains an hour from May."
https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/n...efit-from-kirkstall-forge-service-improvement
Well at present the final two journey opportunities from Nottingham to Sheffield are the 2205 to changing at Worksop, and the 2320 changing at Derby. The new train does not strictly provide a later departure from Nottingham for those going to Chesterfield and Sheffield. However, it does provide a rather quicker journey, and is later than the current 2146 for Langley Mill (and Ilkeston) or Alfreton.
Class 170101
On Moderation
- Joined
- 1 Mar 2014
- Messages
- 8,661
This is true though I was thinking in terms of direct trains it always seemed odd that EMT provided a service south from Sheffield to Nottingham (dep 23:20 ish) yet the latest opposite journey was some 90 minutes earlier.
Yes you can catch the 2320 from Nottingham to Derby and change trains for Chesterfield and Sheffield, however, this usually involves hanging around Derby station for around an hour (sometimes longer during engineering work) not a pleasant experience after midnight!
bunnahabhain
Established Member
- Joined
- 8 Jun 2005
- Messages
- 2,271
Only because its the returning service from Liverpool. Similar to the decent service provided Derby to Sheffield, because it comes from London.
Exactly. And that 2337 from Sheffield is not very useful if you want to get to Dronfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill or Ilkeston! I would imagine that the 2137 will continue to be the last train to serve these?
duffield
Established Member
It appears that the Northern 22:03 service from Sheffield will be the last service to these stations in this direction. Of were you only referring to EMT services?
agbrs_Jack
Member
This is ridiculous:
Attached are 2 pictures; Stoke Line Sunday services and Crewe Line Sunday services. Also attached is a nice table I've made.
I'm not seeing a reason why Northern can't run SOT-MAN hourly on a Sunday.
Attached are 2 pictures; Stoke Line Sunday services and Crewe Line Sunday services. Also attached is a nice table I've made.
I'm not seeing a reason why Northern can't run SOT-MAN hourly on a Sunday.
Attachments
I imagine the Crewe line will also have a 2pm service which is not shown. What is needed on that line is a direct link between Crewe and Manchester Airport in the early morning, late evening and on a Sunday as at present it is difficult to get to the airport on a Sunday.
Congleton should become a regular stop for CrossCountry, just as previous years it was, to provide faster services and mean less reliant on Northern stoppers which seem to be good north of Macclesfield
agbrs_Jack
Member
I (and a ton of others in Congleton) would love that to happen, but what would happen between MAC and XC? should XC stop at both?
At present Macclesfield has a two minute stop in both directions, Stoke has two southbound, so I reckon there could be enough time to call at Congleton for one minute
Maybe a new chord needs to be built north and west of Kidsgrove to connect Macclesfield line with Alsager line, and a passenger service between Crewe and Manchester via Alsager, Congleton, Macclesfield and all stations to Manchester - which would connect to HS2 at Crewe, and provide better passenger services. I think Cheshire East should look at the feasibility of this chord
MidnightFlyer
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 16 May 2010
- Messages
- 12,856
Don't forget the time that would be lost slowing for and then starting from Congleton too, it isn't just about shifting dwell time about. I have no idea what the line speed is through there (and given the time of night I can't be bothered to check!) but I seem to recall it is rather high. Having a quick look through RTT for a standard weekday off-peak, unless you started removing engineering minutes and other fiddles I don't think you could make it fit unless you had some breathing space on the approach to Stockport / Manchester northwards, and through Stoke and beyond southward.
What may be worth noting is that from May Macclesfield is added as a stop to the Manchester-Bristols as standard.
- Status