May 2026 timetable

[cle]

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

Thanks, can't see any major changes. Basic 1x slot day trips still possible to Liverpool and Manchester. And Glasgow direct. Quite late returns though (nothing 4/5pm ish from the north). Not many North-Watford journeys possible.

Plenty of Trent Valley service, interestingly - as those same shoulder periods see more calls.

 

[Kite159]

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

I presume that's on Sundays?

 

[Mamorin]

Yes it is, my bad forgot to add that it was Sundays.

 

[bengolding]

Further to the separate mentions for Lumo West Coast serving Blackpool North, noticed that RTT is displaying reintroduced direct Avanti services to Blackpool from May.

9:40 Euston to Blackpool North now showing as stopping at Stafford instead of Crewe, return 12:52 from Blackpool North no longer stops at Milton Keynes which was the stopping pattern before these were removed from the December timetable change.

 

[bigmanaiq]

Didn’t realise they came out this early. Could someone please summarise the big changes if that’s okay?

 

[Fishandbananas]

Torn on this one as surely it will lead to less double sets on the Edinburgh-Plymouths.

At what point will Cross county have refurbished enough voyagers to have a noticeable increase in capacity? They have received 12 221's after all (60 extra cars)

 

[EMU303]

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.

It currently doesn’t need 4tph off peak weekdays.
Too add: I use the service and the only time I’ve ever seen it packed off peak was a mid morning service during the Edinburgh festival. So Scotrail could maybe look at that as part of their enhanced Festival service provision.

 

[Mamorin]

Ok so I have an update regarding Northern and Sunday services to Stoke.

Even though the Sunday service is timetabled to be a rail service whether it will be a Rail Service is down to getting an agreement with the unions on Sunday working.

So Northern services to Stoke could still be Rail Replacement buses in May.

 

[jonb]

It’s still slightly disappointing that for most of the day, GA’s provision at Romford continues to be the Southend Victoria services (with the exception of some early morning Colchester/Clacton starters). There’s always been quite a busy flow to/from Romford to Chelmsford/Colchester and sometimes connections at Shenfield don’t quite work, but understand this is linked to Beaulieu Park and clashes with the hourly freight path.

That aside, it’s pleasing to read some of the improvements to the Regional services, look forward to using some of those throughout the Summer months.

 

[cle]

Is the GA back up to its full utilization? I think Romford is always going to be tricky to path lots of calls given the frequency of fast services.

 

[jonb]

Is the GA back up to its full utilization? I think Romford is always going to be tricky to path lots of calls given the frequency of fast services.

On the GE side I believe nearly so, there are still a few services pre-covid which I remember that have never made a return.

Agreed with pathing at Romford, but it’s just a shame as having alternate services before worked quite well (xx:51 towards Colchester/xx:28 towards Southend). Now they are xx:07/xx:28, so not as well spread either.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

On the GE side I believe nearly so, there are still a few services pre-covid which I remember that have never made a return.

Agreed with pathing at Romford, but it’s just a shame as having alternate services before worked quite well (xx:51 towards Colchester/xx:28 towards Southend). Now they are xx:07/xx:28, so not as well spread either.

Does that mean the 720 fleet is now fully utilised?

 

[Llandudno]

Ok so I have an update regarding Northern and Sunday services to Stoke.

Even though the Sunday service is timetabled to be a rail service whether it will be a Rail Service is down to getting an agreement with the unions on Sunday working.

So Northern services to Stoke could still be Rail Replacement buses in May.

Not heard of any progress regarding an agreement on Sunday working…?

 

[td97]

Not heard of any progress regarding an agreement on Sunday working…?

Seemingly not

Northern Conductor deal

Does anyone have any insight as to what the current deal is looking like for Northern conductors? Is the sunday issue finally to be sorted? Is there any DCO/DOO involved?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[greataj]

Excellent regarding the Greater Anglia Cambridge service improvements, especially the additional early morning Stansted runs. I echo the sentiment others have said above about Greater Anglia in an ideal world taking on Peterborough-Norwich and Stansted services from EMR/XC, but understand the reasons as to why not.

What should happen in the meantime is XC should run their 0514 (1N40) Cambridge-Birmingham services to Peterborough with the 0735 (2K57) Cambridge-Stansted unit on the rear. That unit could then leave Peterborough around 06:30ish for Cambridge, continuing onto Stansted as the 0735 as is it is now. It's been talked of previously and I don't understand for the life of me why this hasn't been done - but that may be a topic more for speculative discussion.

I see no real changes with XC on this route other than that Sunday Cambridge-Stansted is back up to hourly again from their 0911 start - will wait to see if that actually happens however.

 

[D9006]

I presume that's on Sundays?

No sign of Wigan to Bolton on a Sunday or recast of use of 769s between Wigan and manchester , was talk of them being Wigan NW to Stalybridge x30 mins

 

[Sad Sprinter]

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

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 thought the Glasgow trains were routed that way?

 

[Kite159]

I thought the Glasgow trains were routed that way?

As in the TPE Glasgow to Manchester trains? They go mostly via Chorley & Bolton with a handful going via Wigan North Western & Eccles.

 

[Jan Mayen]

Could anyone direct me to a list of changes to Southern, Thameslink or Gatwick Express, please?

Many thanks

 

[Killingworth]

Users of Hope Valley services will be pleased to see the return of Northern's hourly Sunday stopping service in the timetable. Possibly delighted if the full service does actually run. Wishful thinking that something is soon to be agreed to allow crewing? Even when it does operate it can be very unreliable.

However, there is a very small crumb of good news for Edale visitors from EMR. Their 1R50 0942 Nottingham to Liverpool Lime Street is booked to stop there at 11.03 saving users from the East Midlands the need to change in Sheffield. (Curiously the timing allows 30 seconds at Dronfield, but not long enough for a public stop in a numbered platform.)

 

[louis97]

Curiously the timing allows 30 seconds at Dronfield, but not long enough for a public stop in a numbered platform.)

No trains at Dronfield have a platform number assigned, and the presence of times in the GBTT columns indicates it is a public stop.

 

[LowLevel]

Users of Hope Valley services will be pleased to see the return of Northern's hourly Sunday stopping service in the timetable. Possibly delighted if the full service does actually run. Wishful thinking that something is soon to be agreed to allow crewing? Even when it does operate it can be very unreliable.

However, there is a very small crumb of good news for Edale visitors from EMR. Their 1R50 0942 Nottingham to Liverpool Lime Street is booked to stop there at 11.03 saving users from the East Midlands the need to change in Sheffield. (Curiously the timing allows 30 seconds at Dronfield, but not long enough for a public stop in a numbered platform.)

The Dronfield stop is long standing on that particular train so I imagine it is still a public call.

As for Edale, you do get a lot of walkers on that train from the likes of Nottingham who change at Sheffield.

I will however be interested to see as it's a 6 car 170 and often full and standing how many get an unwanted trip to Stockport having fallen foul of the short platform with no easy way of returning.

 

[cle]

Excellent regarding the Greater Anglia Cambridge service improvements, especially the additional early morning Stansted runs. I echo the sentiment others have said above about Greater Anglia in an ideal world taking on Peterborough-Norwich and Stansted services from EMR/XC, but understand the reasons as to why not.

What should happen in the meantime is XC should run their 0514 (1N40) Cambridge-Birmingham services to Peterborough with the 0735 (2K57) Cambridge-Stansted unit on the rear. That unit could then leave Peterborough around 06:30ish for Cambridge, continuing onto Stansted as the 0735 as is it is now. It's been talked of previously and I don't understand for the life of me why this hasn't been done - but that may be a topic more for speculative discussion.

I see no real changes with XC on this route other than that Sunday Cambridge-Stansted is back up to hourly again from their 0911 start - will wait to see if that actually happens however.

It does come to about 10 new services in each peak centred on Cambridge (2-3 spread between the Stansted, Ipswich and Norwich routes, not sure if all journeys have a return) - the departure board at Cambridge will be quite full between 5-6pm! And frequency to North and South, and Ely, will be in a good place.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

On Mondays to Fridays, Hull Trains' eighth northbound train appears to be activated as a 10.44 London King's Cross to Hull, rather than being shown as a 'Q' path (runs as required) in the current timetable. I wonder if Hull has ever had more than nine daily direct trains from London at any point in its history?

There's no corresponding eighth southbound working from Hull to London.

 

[dk1]

It does come to about 10 new services in each peak centred on Cambridge (2-3 spread between the Stansted, Ipswich and Norwich routes, not sure if all journeys have a return) - the departure board at Cambridge will be quite full between 5-6pm! And frequency to North and South, and Ely, will be in a good place.

It certainly will and the new signalling will improve the flexibility too!

 

[MontyP]

On Mondays to Fridays, Hull Trains' eighth northbound train appears to be activated as a 10.44 London King's Cross to Hull, rather than being shown as a 'Q' path (runs as required) in the current timetable. I wonder if Hull has ever had more than nine daily direct trains from London at any point in its history?

There's no corresponding eighth southbound working from Hull to London.

That 1044 service has a very poor path - 17 mins of pathing allowances!

 

[elltrain3]

Couldn't see it mentioned but noticed the Crewe - Newarks are extended right through to Lincoln, a useful (and scenic) way of getting over to that area while avoiding the often packed Liverpool - Nowrich services.

Also noticed Varamis Rail's 4 Birmingham International - Mossend paths are retained and the 2 northbound runs now use a platform at Crewe (booked as non-stop). Is this just a pathing change?, or is there a plan for them to return properly and pickup at Crewe in the future?

 

[43055]

Couldn't see it mentioned but noticed the Crewe - Newarks are extended right through to Lincoln, a useful (and scenic) way of getting over to that area while avoiding the often packed Liverpool - Nowrich services.

Also noticed Varamis Rail's 4 Birmingham International - Mossend paths are retained and the 2 northbound runs now use a platform at Crewe (booked as non-stop). Is this just a pathing change?, or is there a plan for them to return properly and pickup at Crewe in the future?

The Crewe - Lincoln started in December along with the Matlock service going through to Cleethorpes rather than the Leicester service. It was possible through the larger East Coast Main Line recast.

 

[GilfachFargoed]

On Mondays to Fridays, Hull Trains' eighth northbound train appears to be activated as a 10.44 London King's Cross to Hull, rather than being shown as a 'Q' path (runs as required) in the current timetable. I wonder if Hull has ever had more than nine daily direct trains from London at any point in its history?

There's no corresponding eighth southbound working from Hull to London.

There don't seem to be any corresponding workings for the 10:44. Unless there are some later changes to the data I can only assume that the 05:53 from Beverley will be 10-cars from Hull and split at Kings Cross to form the 09:18 and 10:44 departures back down to Hull. That would leave 5-cars timed to sit in half a platform at KGX for nearly 2 hours, which would not be desperately efficient.

 

[Segedunum]

There don't seem to be any corresponding workings for the 10:44. Unless there are some later changes to the data I can only assume that the 05:53 from Beverley will be 10-cars from Hull and split at Kings Cross to form the 09:18 and 10:44 departures back down to Hull. That would leave 5-cars timed to sit in half a platform at KGX for nearly 2 hours, which would not be desperately efficient.

Lumo currently leaves a five-car set in Kings Cross for nearly three hours (15:45 to 18:42) on a weekday, so it wouldn't be the least efficient use of a half platform!