May 2013 Timetables

[whole diary]

[bobm]

These are starting to appear on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Website

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Train-times-and-tickets/Train-times/New-timetables-from-May-2013

[johoare]

Thanks Bobm.. Then I'll have the usual trouble finding one timetable with all Maidenhead trains in one place.. I think it's the London Paddington, Reading and Maidenhead to Marlow one.. Which I always find a little strange...

[Plymboi]

There are some more exter terminating paddington services. Hmmmm

[Southern Stag]

AFAIAA the only additional service terminating at Exeter is the normal Summer Fridays only 1436 London Paddington-Exeter and 1820 return. The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to run this service is, as it was last year, being sourced by running the 1551 London Paddington-Worcester and 1849 return as 180 on Fridays in the high summer. Does anyone have any experience as to how busy it was last year when it was a 180? As a consequence of the additional 180 required for that service it appears that the 1221 London Paddington-Great Malvern will be a Turbo. This goes on to form the halts train so has to be a 2-car, so is the 1221 London-Great Malvern really going to be booked a 2-car throughout on Fridays in the Summer? Hopefully another set will be attached as far as Oxford or that could be a little cosy.

[Chris from Nailsea]

There are some more exter terminating paddington services. Hmmmm

Daleks, possibly? 

[IndustryInsider]

AFAIAA the only additional service terminating at Exeter is the normal Summer Fridays only 1436 London Paddington-Exeter and 1820 return. The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to run this service is, as it was last year, being sourced by running the 1551 London Paddington-Worcester and 1849 return as 180 on Fridays in the high summer. Does anyone have any experience as to how busy it was last year when it was a 180? As a consequence of the additional 180 required for that service it appears that the 1221 London Paddington-Great Malvern will be a Turbo. This goes on to form the halts train so has to be a 2-car, so is the 1221 London-Great Malvern really going to be booked a 2-car throughout on Fridays in the Summer? Hopefully another set will be attached as far as Oxford or that could be a little cosy.

The 15:51 was very busy last summer when it was a Class 180.  So much so, that I remember one of our posters saying he preferred it being a Turbo - which it was on a couple of occasions!  I predict there will be people standing from London as far as Moreton-In-Marsh at least.  Pretty poor form, but it just goes to show how the utilisation of stock is at breaking point.

The 12:21 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-GMV will also be packed between Paddington and Oxford if it does only get formed with a 2-car.  There is no excuse for not providing extra carriages at that time of day (another 2-car, or 3-car that detaches at Oxford would be fine) - so hopefully they will do exactly that.  It's a shame that 180 reliability isn't good enough that all 5 units could be rostered out on those affected Friday's!

[IanL]

AFAIAA the only additional service terminating at Exeter is the normal Summer Fridays only 1436 London Paddington-Exeter and 1820 return. The HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to run this service is, as it was last year, being sourced by running the 1551 London Paddington-Worcester and 1849 return as 180 on Fridays in the high summer. Does anyone have any experience as to how busy it was last year when it was a 180? As a consequence of the additional 180 required for that service it appears that the 1221 London Paddington-Great Malvern will be a Turbo. This goes on to form the halts train so has to be a 2-car, so is the 1221 London-Great Malvern really going to be booked a 2-car throughout on Fridays in the Summer? Hopefully another set will be attached as far as Oxford or that could be a little cosy.

The 15:51 was very busy last summer when it was a Class 180.  So much so, that I remember one of our posters saying he preferred it being a Turbo - which it was on a couple of occasions!  I predict there will be people standing from London as far as Moreton-In-Marsh at least.  Pretty poor form, but it just goes to show how the utilisation of stock is at breaking point.

The 12:21 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-GMV will also be packed between Paddington and Oxford if it does only get formed with a 2-car.  There is no excuse for not providing extra carriages at that time of day (another 2-car, or 3-car that detaches at Oxford would be fine) - so hopefully they will do exactly that.  It's a shame that 180 reliability isn't good enough that all 5 units could be rostered out on those affected Friday's!

I may have commented on the 1551, certainly one to avoid if I can.

[Steve Bray]

The 0517 from Great Malvern to Paddington will now start from Hereford at 0450.

[IndustryInsider]

The 0517 from Great Malvern to Paddington will now start from Hereford at 0450.

Makes sense given that it runs ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) from Hereford at 04:50 now with all the crew on board, there's not likely to be many takers but it could be useful. 

There are other ECS moves that could quite legitimately turn into passenger trains with little or no fuss.  For example the empty Turbo that runs from Oxford at 05:08 to Moreton-In-Marsh to form the 05:45 MIM-WOF could easily run as a passenger train from Oxford.  There's no need (and no demand) to stop it anywhere en-route until Moreton, but having a train that early from Oxford would open up all sorts of journey opportunities including an earlier arrival at Birmingham New Street (changing at Shrub Hill) of 07:06 rather than the current 07:48 - though I'm not sure if that's a permitted route.  True, not many people would use it, but if the train is running anyway...

[swrural]

Cracked record coming.

What is the use of publishing a timetable that goes up to December if you cannot book a ******* ticket now, even in August, let alone in December?

Grr.

[Southern Stag]

Because it's still subject to change in the case of engineering work.

[swrural]

So are airlines.  I am finished on this one.  I don't accept the reasoning.  I am trying to buy an advance ticket not schedule the precise times of departure  'and I am unanimous about that' (with thanks to Mrs Slocombe). 

[ChrisB]

Not the same - airlines are allowed to change their flight times (and likely to be only 1 or 2 services a day!) via their T&Cs. You are effectively buying a ticket to fly on a sety day, rather than a set time.

On the trains, there are likely to be at least hourly services, or more frequent, and you're buying a ticket to depart at a set time (and probably arrive at a different set time) on any given day.

And in any case, the company can set whatever T&Cs it wishes. You are the consumer who has to agree with these before purchasing.

[brompton rail]

What you have been waiting for (or perhaps not)
GB^▸ (Great Britain) Summer timetable has been posted on Network Rail's website ... you need to look for the bottom two entries.

Link
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/3828.aspx

Good luck finding the errors etc!

TSO^▸ (The Stationary Office (now OPSI)) (The Stationery Office) have the printed book (or door stop) listed as being published on Monday. 

Finally ... the Fares CD^▸ (Capital Delivery) - NFM^▸ (National Fares Manual) 15 is also available from TSO now (mine was ordered teatime Thursday and arrived Friday morning's post)

[bobm]

The other night I asked at the ticket office at Reading when the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) book of all their timetables would be out and was told "by the end of the month".  When I pointed out it is due to start on the 19th I was then told "Should be next week sir".........