December Timetables

[whole diary]

[Timmer]

If you want to view the forthcoming December timetable in tabular format, I can highly recommend the excellent Railway Data website which now has these available.

http://www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec21/

Produced using data from Network Rail, the timetables are regularly updated between now and December.

[grahame]

If you want to view the forthcoming December timetable in tabular format, I can highly recommend the excellent Railway Data website which now has these available.

http://www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec21/

Produced using data from Network Rail, the timetables are regularly updated between now and December.

Wow - those are good.  A heartstopper just for a moment though as it looked like TransWilts was turning round at Chippenham - until I noticed that the Swindon line in the table is for onward departure.

[dannywith]

Thanks for the kind words, Timmer. And thanks for the heads up, Grahame. As you rightly pointed out, Swindon should show arrival times and not departure times. I've updated the table and (fingers crossed) all should display correctly.

[grahame]

Thanks for the kind words, Timmer. And thanks for the heads up, Grahame. As you rightly pointed out, Swindon should show arrival times and not departure times. I've updated the table and (fingers crossed) all should display correctly.

Looks good, Danny, and welcome to the forum.  I am a notorious pedant - if any member notices anything else like this, should we "private message" you now that you're here?

From ((here)) ...

[Timmer]

Thanks for the kind words, Timmer. And thanks for the heads up, Grahame. As you rightly pointed out, Swindon should show arrival times and not departure times. I've updated the table and (fingers crossed) all should display correctly.

My pleasure Danny and welcome to the forum from me too.

I discovered your website a couple of years back and being a bit of a timetable geek, really appreciate the work you’ve put into it. As well as the National Rail timetables, I really like the London Underground timetables too.

[DaveHarries]

From what I have seen:
- The local stoppers that currently run between Weston-super-Mare and Filton Abbeywood will now run between Weston-super-Mare and Avonmouth / Severn Beach on Mondays to Saturdays meaning that the Severn Beach route will have a service of 2tph each way for much of the day. I am looking forward to this: although I will have to get an earlier train to work from SML (0754 instead of 0805) I stand a better chance of getting in on time. The Sunday service is also improved: the first train from Bristol TM^‡(resolve) looks set to be 0854, the last one from Severn Beach at 1935 and from Avonmouth at 2128.

- The Melksham line not looking too bad. RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for December 13th shows a total of 17 departures for Mondays to Saturdays (different times on Saturdays) and a total of 14 departures on Sundays. I think some of the gaps between trains are a bit long though.

- More local stoppers between Penzance and Bristol Temple Meads, in some cases by extension of services to / from other locations. For example, on Mondays to Fridays, the 1550 Penzance - Exeter St. Davids extends to Gloucester. The total number of trains between Cardiff Central and Penzance is increased from 7 to 13 on Mondays to Fridays and from 4 to 13 on Saturdays. There will also now be 8 in total on Sundays. This will be useful for when I get sent to the southwest as part of my working day: less hanging around in Plymouth waiting for the next northbound XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service.

- Commencement of services Exeter Central - Okehampton. One every two hours for this year with the prospect of hourly services next year.
Mondays to Fridays: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OKE/2021-12-17 (same times for Saturdays)
Sundays: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:OKE/2021-12-19/0000-2359

- Services between Paignton, Exeter St. Davids and Exmouth remains at 2tph Mondays to Fridays, although the 2112 Paignton to Exeter SD is replaced by a 2110 Paignton - Bristol Temple Meads. Also on those days train 2F32 (2040 Exeter SD - Exmouth) starts back from Paignton at 1947 in place of the 1950 Paignton - Exeter SD.

Things are looking good. I know this may well prove to be subject to change but I very much hope it comes off.

Dave

[didcotdean]

The Didcot-Paddington locals are back up to 2 an hour off-peak in this timetable.

[grahame]

From what I have seen:

- The Melksham line not looking too bad. RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) for December 13th shows a total of 17 departures for Mondays to Saturdays (different times on Saturdays) and a total of 14 departures on Sundays. I think some of the gaps between trains are a bit long though.

No losses on the timetable - thank goodness, because it's thin already - "some of the gaps ...".  Far more important is to be able to reliably run the timetable.

Things are looking good. I know this may well prove to be subject to change but I very much hope it comes off.

What you have quoted indeed looks good. Not so brilliant here in Wiltshire, where services are lost at at Bradford-on-Avon, Trowbridge, Westbury, Dilton Marsh, Warminster and Salisbury.   I don't think there are any changes at Avoncliff, Melksham, Pewsey or Tisbury.  I heard of an extra late train from Bristol to Chippenham and Swindon on Friday evenings and perhaps Saturdays.  Been sought for years, but can't see it on any of the timetables yet, though.

[DaveHarries]

I don't think there are any changes at Avoncliff, Melksham, Pewsey or Tisbury.  I heard of an extra late train from Bristol to Chippenham and Swindon on Friday evenings and perhaps Saturdays.  Been sought for years, but can't see it on any of the timetables yet, though.

I think there might be one or two changes at Tisbury with formations but nothing otherwise.

A look at SWR^» (South Western Railway - about)'s schedule for Yeovil Pen Mill on Mondays to Fridays gives a slight increase in the total number of SWR workings from 18 to 19 on Mondays to Fridays, from 0 to 1 on Saturdays and from 1 to 3 on Sundays. However whereas some of these trains arriving at Yeovil Pen Mill from Westbury currently return to Salisbury via. Yeovil Junction (and vice-versa) the new TT provides for some to return back the way they came.

Mondays to Fridays: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:YVP/2021-12-14/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=SW

This means that although 1O86 (2225 from Bristol Temple Meads (2307 from Westbury) to Salisbury) appears to be lost on the new timetable there is, partly in lieu, train 1O58 (2152 from Yeovil Junction to Salisbury, via. Westbury (2312)) instead. I admit to being a bit surprised at the loss of those SWR workings from Bristol: I used to see quite a few people on them when using them myself. Perhaps those people were only going as far as Salisbury although I did one morning use one to get to Andover on a work errand.

Dave

[IndustryInsider]

It looks like the majority of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services that were removed following the pandemic are returning according to RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website).

Back to 2tph between Cardiff and London.
Back to 1tph between Cheltenham and Paddington.
Back to through services 1tph between Bedwyn and Paddington.
Back up to 2tph Didcot to Paddington stoppers (as mentioned). 
Back up to 3tph Slough to Windsor.

Perhaps that will change once official details are published though, as many more IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train) will be needed?  And of course the cloud of Covid-19 still hangs in the air, especially over winter.

However availability has been good the last couple of weeks with the correct number of sets and carriages being provided by Hitachi AIUI^▸ (as I understand it) on several days when there have been few, if any, IET worked cancellations.

[Zoe]

One change I note is that the the first direct service of the day from stations on the Berks & Hants to Plymouth 1C85 (1436 from Paddington) will run to Paignton instead (arriving at 1744).  It will then form 1A98 departing from Paignton at 1902 (instead of the 1857 from Plymouth) and calling at Torquay, Torre, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish and Dawlish Warren where it is overtaken by 2U32 Penzance to Cardiff Central (not sure I've ever seen an intercity service to London getting overtaken by a regional service at Dawlish Warren before).  After reaching Exeter it then runs as previously to Paddington.

[DaveHarries]

Another change I have come across.

Train 1C25 (0658 Cardiff Central - Bristol Temple Meads, Mondays to Fridays), operated by CrossCountry, will be replaced by a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) service, numbered 2C50, which will run to the same schedule but using a Stoke Gifford-based Class 800.

Dave

[dannywith]

Looks good, Danny, and welcome to the forum.  I am a notorious pedant - if any member notices anything else like this, should we "private message" you now that you're here?
From ((here)) ...

Whatever's best for you, Grahame. Private message or one of the ways listed on the website, feedback is always welcome.

I discovered your website a couple of years back and being a bit of a timetable geek, really appreciate the work you’ve put into it. As well as the National Rail timetables, I really like the London Underground timetables too.

Thanks again for your kind comments. If you ever want a custom timetable compiling, let me know.

[jamestheredengine]

1L38, the last eastbound from Swansea on weekdays at an already miserably early 2122, seems to have disappeared. Not good.

[DaveHarries]

1L38, the last eastbound from Swansea on weekdays at an already miserably early 2122, seems to have disappeared. Not good.

Saw that at Cardiff Central last night before I boarded 2C96: there were not many people on it.

Dave