May 2026 timetable

[ayubdaud]

Sunday service also improved, with new services at
0753 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport
0912 Preston to Manchester Airport via Wigan

However, it is hugely disappointing to see the £100m Lostock Wigan electrification is to remain wasted, with electric services remaining as the pitiful handful of 769s that make it off the depot each morning. Not to mention the expensive, unused platform extensions.

Also noting no timetabled services at the new Salford Crescent platform, which is surprising given it's now on telecoms fit out.

I don't think the 0912 Preston service is new, it is removed due to the reduced Sunday timetable. The 0753 Blackpool is also not new but the extension to Manchester Airport is.

 

[The Planner]

Also noting no timetabled services at the new Salford Crescent platform, which is surprising given it's now on telecoms fit out.

Its not normal practice to timetable something on a new piece of infrastructure unless its confirmed its going to be opened prior to any STP timescales. I expect you will see alterations during the May timetable itself.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Looks like there's an additional morning rush hour service on the Bristol Temple Meads to Filton Abbey Wood shuttle in GWR land. 07.07 from Temple Meads to Filton, then 08.17 Filton to Bristol. Given that shuttle is what gives Ashley Down its only weekday service, that means ASD gets an extra train in each direction which is great for the station. Now just needs a more frequent service service the rest of the day, and an actually reliable sunday service!

 

[Squally]

Minor change, but there seems to be a new early morning ScotRail service into Edinburgh originating from Shotts (06:56). Hopefully should boost capacity a tad for the local stations into the capital.

 

[Watershed]

Minor change, but there seems to be a new early morning ScotRail service into Edinburgh originating from Shotts (06:56). Hopefully should boost capacity a tad for the local stations into the capital.

Looks like it takes the path of the current 06:52 calling at all shacks, whilst the 06:52 becomes the 06:50 and runs semifast to arrive at Edinburgh 13 mins earlier.

 

[D1537]

That huge untapped demand from people wishing to leave Blackpool at stupid o'clock on a Saturday morning.

To be fair there could be people who arrived on a Friday night and want to get out ASAP.

 

[SeanM1997]

I can't see an 0732 Chester-Euston, one of the key peak Avanti services.
The 0545 ex Holyhead (1D25) terminates at Chester as now but there is no 1R25 (ex-Wrexham) forward - maybe an error.

Now loaded as 0703 Wrexham General to London Euston (merging with 0548 Holyhead to Chester) - meaning 10 coaches from Chester to London

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

If Greater Anglia can do what they have done for May 2026, then I suspect that there are a few other possibilities for marginal improvements too, especially if they could get their hands on Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough and Norwich-Peterborough.

Could they sweat the 755 fleet to cover those though?

 

[hux385]

Looks like North Berwick goes half hourly on Saturday daytimes

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Maidstone to Blackfriars services make a return on Southeastern with a morning service (1F91) at 06:52 from Maidstone East to Blackfriars arriving at 08:05.
In the evening the return service (1F97) departs Blackfriars at 17:44 arriving at Maidstone East at 18:55

Given the proximity of Waterloo East to Blackfriars and the frequent Charing cross services seems an unnecessary complication to the timetable.

 

[317 forever]

London North Western Railway (LNWR) / West Midlands Railway (WMR) now loaded

Darlaston & Willenhall listed as "Service Stop Unadvertised" on the hourly Birmingham - Shrewsbury via Tame Bridge services

Camp Hill Line has two trains an hour each between Birmingham New Street and Kings Norton calling at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road


On the Northern updates - Sunday services return to hourly on the Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe (via Stockport) line and hourly between Leeds and Chester via Manchester Victoria

That is encouraging if these West Midlands developments are definitely on for May then.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

Could they sweat the 755 fleet to cover those though?

Unlikely for Stansted, Cambridge, Birmingham as they'd never get enough paths through Ely to get the 755s from crown point

 

[thealexweb]

Sunday service also improved, with new service
0753 Blackpool North to Manchester Airport

Skips Lostock. Dead on arrival for me. I’ve been trying to lobby northern for an early Sunday start for six years.

 

[30907]

Given the proximity of Waterloo East to Blackfriars and the frequent Charing cross services seems an unnecessary complication to the timetable.

Long-standing (pre-Covid) services which serve Elephant, Bromley S and St Mary Cray.

 

[dk1]

Could they sweat the 755 fleet to cover those though?

Certainly not. This May 26 TT is going to be pushing the fleet already and you are stirring up a hornets nest breaking up direct Cambridge to West Midlands services.

 

[cle]

Long-standing (pre-Covid) services which serve Elephant, Bromley S and St Mary Cray.

I did think they’d go - along with some of the random Orpingtons. Surprised to see them back especially as the Charing Cross is proving popular (especially at Swanley!)

 

[PGAT]

I did think they’d go - along with some of the random Orpingtons. Surprised to see them back especially as the Charing Cross is proving popular (especially at Swanley!)

Wouldn't be any paths to go to Charing Cross or Victoria

 

[Magdalia]

Could they sweat the 755 fleet to cover those though?

No, to begin with they would have to use the existing resources. The important thing is to get the management of those services with Greater Anglia.

In the medium term I'd be hoping for some new battery bimodes for the Stansted trains, releasing some class 755s for Norwich-Peterborough.

In the context of this discussion, the important thing is to recognise is that Greater Anglia is delivering positive change in May 2026. East Anglia, and Cambridge in particular, needs more of that, but we are unlikely to get it from Cross Country or East Midlands.

 

[dk1]

No, to begin with they would have to use the existing resources. The important thing is to get the management of those services with Greater Anglia.

In the medium term I'd be hoping for some new battery bimodes for the Stansted trains, releasing some class 755s for Norwich-Peterborough.

In the context of this discussion, the important thing is to recognise is that Greater Anglia is delivering positive change in May 2026. East Anglia, and Cambridge in particular, needs more of that, but we are unlikely to get it from Cross Country or East Midlands.

I think most of this needs to be in the Speculative Discussion section

 

[Magdalia]

I think most of this needs to be in the Speculative Discussion section

You're right. I was trying to answer the question then steer back to the May 2026 timetable, where what Greater Anglia are doing is worthy of celebration.

 

[splashoutradio]

With apologies to the nice folk of the South East (I will get round to compiling these tables one day), and issued with the usual caveats, very early editions of RailwayData timetables for Summer 2026 are available at: https://www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/May26/

As will all sites using May 26 timetable data, some trains are likely missing and changes before the start date should be expected. Please don't take them as gospel, especially at this early stage.

 

[jamess]

TFW have retimed the arrival time at Crewe, of the 0531 Departure from Shrewsbury.

It now connects into the 0629 TFW to Manchester and 0631 Avanti to Euston

 

[NCT]

Scotrail changes are now up, only thing I've noticed is that the Glasgow-Edinburgh every 15 minute service on a Saturday doesn't start until 10:15, 2 hours later than currently, however it also seems to stay every 15 minutes slightly later into the evening until 18:15

And still no 4tph off-peak on weekdays ...

And it seems they've completely given up on 42 minutes. Even when trains are operating to the pre-Covid stopping patterns, I've never seen a timetable where E&G trains aren't awash with pathing times.

 

[Russel]

Assuming XC have sufficient staff to operate them…?

This is my concern also, if they can deliver it, then good on them.

And still no 4tph off-peak on weekdays ...

And it seems they've completely given up on 42 minutes. Even when trains are operating to the pre-Covid stopping patterns, I've never seen a timetable where E&G trains aren't awash with pathing times.

I'd rather they keep the pathing time if it keeps things punctual.

 

[NCT]

I'd rather they keep the pathing time if it keeps things punctual.

Pathing time isn't performance buffer. Pathing time is time required to not run into the train in front or crossing your path in front. Pathing times suggests structural problems with the timetable.

 

[The Planner]

Pathing time isn't performance buffer. Pathing time is time required to not run into the train in front or crossing your path in front. Pathing times suggests structural problems with the timetable.

It doesn't, its often unavoidable.

 

[Toby268]

Avantis services to Blackpool removed from the Dec TT are back in from may. Departing Euston at 0940, some flexing appears to have been done to address the performance issues that led to them being removed. It no longer calls at Crewe and instead calls at Stafford. On the 1252 return journey, the calls at Milton Keynes and Watford have also been removed. Instead running fast from Nuneaton to Euston.

 

[cle]

How does Watford Junction fare on its sporadic, broader Avanti peak and late calls?

Aside from the Birmingham service?

 

[SeanM1997]

How does Watford Junction fare on its sporadic, broader Avanti peak and late calls?

Aside from the Birmingham service?

All southbound are drop off only and northbound pick up only

Realtime Trains | Departures from Watford Junction all day on 04/06/2026

Train information at Watford Junction all day on 04/06/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Mamorin]

Northern have reinstated the Sunday rail service between Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke on Trent, after well over a year with Rail Replacent buses.

Edit:Added this is about the Sunday service.