Cotswold Line timetable changes from December 2015

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

Not sure why I didn't pick up on this one before (and I don't think anyone else has mentioned it) but there's some quite radical changes this December which tick a couple of boxes regarding problems with the existing timetable.  Most notably the 15:52 Paddington to Worcester is to become a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) again (only running as far as Moreton).  There's also an additional 15:22 Paddington to Great Malvern service (Class 180) extending the current 15:22 Paddington to Oxford service, and the 16:22 Paddington to Oxford service will now form the 'Halts' train through to Great Malvern, again a Class 180.

I can see the 15:22/16:22 from Paddington becoming a bit of a squeeze at least as far as Slough, but having a full length 15:52 and the extra 15:22 should remove Cotswold Line crowding at a stroke and hopefully spread out the number of passengers, and the Chiltern service from Marylebone to Oxford Parkway, which will be up and running by then, will add further London to Oxford capacity.

Also, something we've mentioned many times on here in the past, and that is a later service at weekends, and I'm slightly surprised (but delighted) that the 23:18 Paddington to Oxford service will extend through to Moreton-In-Marsh (calling at the usual stops) on Friday evenings.

There are several other alterations including another HST replacing a Class 180 in the early afternoon from Paddington, and several return journeys altered as a result of the changes: http://www.clpg.org.uk/content.php?pagename=News-Page

Great news for Cotswold Line passengers!

[Steve Bray]

That is good news. The best news in my opinion is probably the extension of the 1522 from Paddington to Great Malvern. For many years in the 70's and 80's there was a 1500 Paddington/Hereford (or variations 1452 and 1507 I think). And it means that there'll be no ticket restrictions on the 1522.

Nice for the halts to have a direct service back from Paddington; its just a shame that somewhere like Ascott u Wychwood cannot have a mid-morning service to Oxford/London.

I don't suppose the rather nonsensical mid-afternoon flurry of services from Worcester to Oxford/Paddington has been changed?       

[ChrisB]

Not by very much - all HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train)/180s are still required back in London as early as possible in the peak...

[charles_uk]

Good news for me too but I know several who travel beyond Moreton-in-Marsh who are not so happy. The 1552 departs Oxford at 1649 which fits in well with finishing work. A 1622 departure is too early which means they are now going to have to wait an extra 35 minutes. But any change is going to adversely affect some and it does seem there will be far more winners than losers.

[ellendune]

The 1552 departs Oxford at 1649 which fits in well with finishing work. A 1622 departure is too early which means they are now going to have to wait an extra 35 minutes. But any change is going to adversely affect some and it does seem there will be far more winners than losers.

I don't know what you regard as normal finishing time but I would guess that for most 35 minutes later would be much more useful.

[charles_uk]

The 1552 departs Oxford at 1649 which fits in well with finishing work. A 1622 departure is too early which means they are now going to have to wait an extra 35 minutes. But any change is going to adversely affect some and it does seem there will be far more winners than losers.

I don't know what you regard as normal finishing time but I would guess that for most 35 minutes later would be much more useful.

There's already a train about 35 minutes later (though there are some minor tweaks regarding timings there) for those who leave later. It's those who leave earlier and travel beyond Moreton who are not so thrilled by these proposals. But, as I said, any change will have some losers. I'm not one of them, though, and more than happy with this!

[Btline]

I've just had a look through the timetable, and - what a surprise - journey times extended for Worcester again!

The 16.22 now takes a whopping 2 hours 49 minutes (arr 19.11). Is that a record? For a journey that should take no longer than 2 hours?

I mean you could get the 16.15 Chiltern to Warwick Parkway (arr 17.31), drive home (45 - 60 mins) and cook your tea before the even limbs into Shrub Hill at 18.57, let alone you get home.

I know it's the halts train, but do they seriously think this is going to increase usage of the line?

[IndustryInsider]

The 16.22 now takes a whopping 2 hours 49 minutes (arr 19.11). Is that a record? For a journey that should take no longer than 2 hours?

It takes the same amount of time from December as it does currently, except that it'll become a through train rather than involving a change at Oxford.  It arrives at Worcester Shrub Hill at 18:57 (again as it does now), but has a long layover there due to the antiquated track and signalling layout meaning there's no path for over ten minutes.

Before the redoubling it used to arrive WOS^» (Worcester Shrub Hill - next trains) at 19:11 and WOF at 19:17, so to answer your question it's rather quicker than it used to be back in 2012 when it involved a change at Oxford, then a Turbo onwards, rather than a direct Adelante service as it will become in December.

[ChrisB]

oooh, more exaggeration from esteemed member @BTLine.

[IndustryInsider]

He'll probably go quiet for a few months again now.  He tends to drop his bombs and then retreat... 

[charles_uk]

Waiting for the 1552 Paddington to Worcester Shrub Hill at Oxford today, and seeing that the 1520 Worcester Shrub Hill to Paddington due on platform 1 was running about 15 minutes later, it occurred to me that GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) are planning to run things very tight indeed over the single track after the December changes. Any slight delay is going to affect all the immediately following services. I'm wondering how often we might see the 1552 terminated at Oxford in such circumstances.

[IndustryInsider]

The new timetable seems to have settled in pretty well and is a vast improvement on the old one.

The 15:22 Paddington to Great Malvern is still quite a snug fit with the odd standing passenger, but nothing like the old crush that used to be the case when it was the 15:51.  That train, now being a HST^▸ (High Speed Train) has plenty of seats on board from Oxford presenting a much more pleasant environment than the old train which often had standees from Paddington as far as Moreton-In-Marsh.

The 16:22 PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)-GMV is now a bit of a squeeze, especially between Paddington and Slough.  Perhaps it would be sensible to remove the Slough stop on that train and reinstate it on the 15:52 which being a HST could now easily cope again?  You could then remove the rather pointless 15:40 PAD-MAI^▸ (Maidenhead station) which is very underused 6-car Turbo which could perhaps be put to better use?  Though they have to be back at Paddington in time to form the 17:45 PAD-RDG^‡(resolve) stopper.

Another minor change is that the 17:22 PAD-HFD^» (Hereford - next trains), which often got delayed at Oxford by the preceding stopper arrival at 18:15, now has a clear run (the stopper is recessed at Didcot), so is far more punctual.

The one train I haven't had chance to observe is the new late one to Moreton-In-Marsh on Friday evenings.  Does anyone know how well used it is?

[ChrisB]

Well loaded (40+) to at least Charlbury the only time I checked