December 2019 timetable recast

[whole diary]

[Zoe]

No more non-stop Reading to Exeter runs then.  Both the 1004 and 1204 to call at Reading, Taunton, Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes before Plymouth with the 1004 also calling at Tiverton Parkway.  I can understand the desire to have a consistent clockface timetable although leaving out Tiverton Parkway on the 1204 does seem a bit random when almost everything else will stop there.  The early morning departure to Plymouth remains fast though calling only at Reading, Taunton and Exeter as now.

In the up direction, apart from some early morning departures it seems everything will call at Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter, Tiverton Parway and Taunton, quite a few more stops compared to the Cornish Riviera when currently only calls at Exeter before running fast to Reading.

[CMRail]

Got some 22 minute runs to Reading.

[JayMac]

A special service has been introduced just for broadgage.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L97043/2019/12/22/advanced

Take a look at the catering info...

 

[stuving]

I see that the timing designation "HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))" has been removed. For IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) it now reads either "Diesel locomotive, trailing load 802 tonnes" or in a few cases "Electric locomotive, trailing load 802 tonnes". Which might be a logical distinction, but isn't in fact since this service to Taunton is an electric one (allegedly).

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y94144/2019/12/18/advanced

Now, why 802 tonnes?

[broadgage]

A special service has been introduced just for broadgage.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L97043/2019/12/22/advanced

Take a look at the catering info...

 

Presumably a typo ?

[grahame]

A special service has been introduced just for broadgage.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L97043/2019/12/22/advanced

Take a look at the catering info...

 

Presumably a typo ?

Seems reasonable. From https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/topic/trains/buffet-car - a buffet (on a train) is

the part of a train where you can buy something to eat and drink

So the case in point, it's a mobile trolley serving at seats as far as Chippenham, at which point the train gets too busy for it to go though and it become static, with the area immediately around it being "the part of a train where you can buy something to eat and drink".

[JayMac]

I see that the timing designation "HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units))" has been removed. For IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) it now reads either "Diesel locomotive, trailing load 802 tonnes" or in a few cases "Electric locomotive, trailing load 802 tonnes". Which might be a logical distinction, but isn't in fact since this service to Taunton is an electric one (allegedly).

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y94144/2019/12/18/advanced

Now, why 802 tonnes?

The designation appears to be diesel mostly to London (lots of IETs start off grid) and electric from. The 802 is probably reference to Class 80x. I expect this is a temporary fudge until data feeds and individual train running websites/apps are updated to reflect actual rolling stock.

[TaplowGreen]

A special service has been introduced just for broadgage.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L97043/2019/12/22/advanced

Take a look at the catering info...

 

Ah but will he be allowed to take his surfboard?

[JayMac]

It's a 'to London' service TG. Not much call for hanging 10 or shooting the tube on the Serpentine.

[TaplowGreen]

It's a 'to London' service TG. Not much call for hanging 10 or shooting the tube on the Serpentine.

It's part of his endless quest to be environmentally friendly - gets off at Paddington and paddles it along the Grand Union Canal.

[Zoe]

Also not great for travelling between the South Coast and Westcountry via Westbury with waits of around 45 minutes.  Not too bad in the opposite direction though.

[Plymboi]

Interesting Penzance to Cardiff Central services that are appearing. Roughly 2 hourly but no obvious pattern for them.

[Zoe]

I can only see three direct departures from Penzance to Cardiff Central (0640, 1050 and 1650).

[didcotdean]

Having had a chance this evening to look through the RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) data I know personally a few people who are not going to be impressed at the large drop in Bristol Parkway/Cardiff services stopping at Didcot as shown.

Apart from a handful at the ends of the day and a couple in the evening peak these have gone altogether. Of course journeys are possible changing at Swindon, but there hasn't been a timetable anything like this since the early 2000s. This certainly was not the impression given by the indicative IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) full service diagrams put out previously; indeed an early one of these had the Cardiff service stopping at Didcot and then non-stop to Paddington!

This stop has in effect been transferred to the second Bristol TM^▸ (Train Manager, or Ticket Machine, or Temple Meads (Bristol), depending on context) service making this two an hour through most of the day.

[broadgage]

A special service has been introduced just for broadgage.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L97043/2019/12/22/advanced

Take a look at the catering info...

 

Ah but will he be allowed to take his surfboard?

For the record, broadgage does not posses a surfboard, and is most unlikely to acquire one. Too old and fat. I also posses no "surf wear"
My concern at the prohibition on surfboards is on general environmental grounds, not self interest. Train travel should be encouraged in order to reduce the climate changing carbon emissions from flying and driving.
Prohibiting surfboards and discouraging cycles on the new trains will encourage driving.