May timetable

[whole diary]

[Steve Bray]

I know that some us get very impatient waiting for news of timetable changes, but has the May North Downs timetable been 100% finalised?

There seem to be one or two omissions, notably the 0634 from Reading to Gatwick and the 0728 from Redhill to Reading, as well as some late evening trains

[grahame]

I know that some us get very impatient waiting for news of timetable changes, but has the May North Downs timetable been 100% finalised?

There seem to be one or two omissions, notably the 0634 from Reading to Gatwick and the 0728 from Redhill to Reading, as well as some late evening trains

There's an 06:32 Reading to Gatwick (arrive 07:50), and an 07:28 Redhill to Reading (arrive 09:00) as far as  I can see - the 06:32 being a fast train and the 07:28 a stopper.

[Steve Bray]

Thanks.

That is reassuring, although I am not seeing these times on the usual sites, National Rail, Open Trains etc, hence my query.

[grahame]

Thanks.

That is reassuring, although I am not seeing these times on the usual sites, National Rail, Open Trains etc, hence my query.

Understood.  Bit slow coming through there I suspect - see personal message.

[stuving]

Incidentally, the current (interim) franchise originally required GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to publish new timetable booklets at least four weeks ahead of the change date. That was reduced to two weeks very soon after (May 2015). For information on their web site, the requirement is still for four weeks - by my reckoning, that's yesterday, and where are they?

[Timmer]

Incidentally, the current (interim) franchise originally required GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) to publish new timetable booklets at least four weeks ahead of the change date. That was reduced to two weeks very soon after (May 2015). For information on their web site, the requirement is still for four weeks - by my reckoning, that's yesterday, and where are they?

Well they failed that at the December tt change. But to be fair they had redone a number of their tt’s.

[stuving]

Earlier in the year, it was noted on another thread that the times in OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) for today's new timetable had been moved to roughly where they would be for the 3 tph (2 Gatwick _+ 1 Redhill) service, though still with only 2 tph running as before. In the event, the times have only been shifted by the odd minute or two. I guess the most likely reason is to fit with the new GTR masterplan timetable at the far end, and the small timing changes of SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) services may be part of the same effect.

[bobm]

This extract from a station poster may help.

[FenMan]

That list of timetable changes has been changed. The 0903 departure from Gatwick is not stopping at North Camp or Blackwater, thus creating a one hour gap in services to Reading at a rather important time of day.

It also means there are no services from Farnborough North to Blackwater between 0833 and 1032.

As a user of both stations, this is frustrating.

[stuving]

That list of timetable changes has been changed. The 0903 departure from Gatwick is not stopping at North Camp or Blackwater, thus creating a one hour gap in services to Reading at a rather important time of day.

It also means there are no services from Farnborough North to Blackwater between 0833 and 1032.

As a user of both stations, this is frustrating.

Those are two distinct changes. The first drops two added calls on a train (9:44 from Guildford) that used to not even stop at Wokingham, but now does. The gap is however longer due to the retiming of the train that used to run before it, and is now 9:48 from Guildford. The timetable made that all stops and with a longer gap before it, but now it doesn't stop at North camp or Blackwater. That is seriously odd - both are stops on all other trains except that 9:44, but why drop just two calls that the semifasts make from a stopping service?

Is this hour - after 9:00 - rather important? Certainly its timetable on this line has always been rather odd. There is an extra (third) train, but somehow the service is worse than before or after it. This time, those two trains seem to be the only example of the 'leapfrog at Guildford' feature that we expect to happen all day in future.  Maybe they are trying it out to see how the timings work.

[Fourbee]

I guess the most likely reason is to fit with the new GTR masterplan timetable at the far end, and the small timing changes of SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) services may be part of the same effect.

It looks like the Gatwick departures are nearly all at **00 which has made the penultimate departure to Reading a bit lop-sided further down the line than it used to be.

That list of timetable changes has been changed. The 0903 departure from Gatwick is not stopping at North Camp or Blackwater, thus creating a one hour gap in services to Reading at a rather important time of day.

It also means there are no services from Farnborough North to Blackwater between 0833 and 1032.

As a user of both stations, this is frustrating.

I agree and hopefully it's not the thin end of the wedge. Skip-stopping when it was introduced East of Guildford removed a lot of journey opportunities to/from smaller stations entirely. I realise there are a lot of operational constraints on this line - I did read a proposal regarding a road overbridge at Ash recently which would solve one problem going towards 3 tph. I know it's not that practical or cost effective ticketing wise but catching the 0846 and changing at North Camp or the 1004 and changing at Sandhurst and coming back are other 'possibilities' to get to Blackwater in the err.. new blackout.

Is this hour - after 9:00 - rather important? Certainly its timetable on this line has always been rather odd. There is an extra (third) train, but somehow the service is worse than before or after it. This time, those two trains seem to be the only example of the 'leapfrog at Guildford' feature that we expect to happen all day in future.  Maybe they are trying it out to see how the timings work.

It also looks like platform 6 is being used/tested at Guildford for semi-fast Reading departures in general with the next SWR Ascot service being switched to platform 8. The Redhill train is due to depart 4 minutes after that **44 Reading train leaves, so late running potentially causes problems waiting for a platform now.

I also noticed the last train from Reading to Gatwick cancelled the other day. GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) should avoid doing that if at all possible (indeed any TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) should endevour to run the last train or make alternative provision). Also, in the case of the North Downs, the last trains are not all stations so you could make an argument for running at least the last 2.

I hope the drivers keep on top of these irregular calling patterns!

[bobm]

I hope the drivers keep on top of these irregular calling patterns!

They could always opt for this hi-tech reminder used elsewhere 

[IndustryInsider]

I hope the drivers keep on top of these irregular calling patterns!

They could always opt for this hi-tech reminder used elsewhere 

It continues to amaze me that despite the detailed analysis of every 'stop short', 'fail to call' or 'station overrun' a driver is involved in, the powers that be seem very slow to try to develop technology to try to reduce these incidents.  All you get are posters such as that one and other very lo-tech solutions.

[FenMan]

A slightly tardy update.

The morning one-hour service gap at North Camp and Blackwater was rectified on 1 August:

2V54 ex-Redhill at 0851 now calls at North Camp (1001) and Blackwater (1009).

Farnborough North passengers are still cursing the removal of their call on 1O79 ex-Reading at 1732 however. A friend who holds a season ticket sent in a complaint and received a quite detailed explanation, not to mention a three-figure sum of rail vouchers!