December 2009 Timetable

[whole diary]

[devon_metro]

Can now be found in online journey planners.

It seems a lot of slack has been cut! Swansea - Paddington in 2 hours 56 mins on the 1528 from Swansea for example!

0558 Swansea - Paddington fast from Swindon - Paddington etc.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, devon_metro! 

Interestingly, the new timetable is not yet available on the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website, at http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/BuyTickets.aspx 

[Mookiemoo]

No slack removal on the Cotswolds I see.

Only saving grace is that none has been added!

[Btline]

It seems a lot of slack has been cut! Swansea - Paddington in 2 hours 56 mins on the 1528 from Swansea for example!

Good to see. Hopefully FGW^▸ (First Great Western) will be able to tighten up its operations to prevent delays.

0558 Swansea - Paddington fast from Swindon - Paddington etc.

Good a peak service with fewer stops. FGW are learning!

[paul7575]

XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) haven't caught up with the fact that Southampton Tunnel is closed weekends from 5/6 December onwards, which leads to the planners showing the ridiculous situation of changing out of an SWT^▸ (South West Trains) service at Southampton Parkway and going forward in a XC service...

Paul

[devon_metro]

I've noticed one anomaly. Whilst they seem to be cutting slack in most places, the 0600 Plymouth - Paddington is to be no longer. Soon, it will be 7 minutes slower and call at nowhere additionally. Most odd.

[Btline]

Note that the timetables have yet to be confirmed! TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) are signing them off later this week, so changes could still happen.

[willc]

Can now be found in online journey planners.

It seems a lot of slack has been cut! Swansea - Paddington in 2 hours 56 mins on the 1528 from Swansea for example!

0558 Swansea - Paddington fast from Swindon - Paddington etc.

By "journey planners" do you mean the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) site, because I can't find the December times anywhere else?

Forgive me for asking, but in what way is this cutting slack? If you care to consult the current timetable, the first train mentioned now leaves at 15.29 and gets in at 18.24, ie 2 hr 55min, so your cut in slack would be... a one-minute increase in the journey time.

And the other one may cut nine minutes, but loses a Reading stop at 8.33 - it might stop a few more commuters cramming on to get to London but is it wise to drop a call there at that time of the morning? I suspect there might be a few people from South Wales doing business in Reading who are less than impressed.

And someone else's trains will presumably be making Didcot and Reading calls to maintain the current frequency, so I don't think they will be quite as pleased as some of you seem to be.

[Btline]

And the other one may cut nine minutes, but loses a Reading stop at 8.33 - it might stop a few more commuters cramming on to get to London but is it wise to drop a call there at that time of the morning? I suspect there might be a few people from South Wales doing business in Reading who are less than impressed.

And someone else's trains will presumably be making Reading calls to maintain the current frequency, so I don't think they will be quite as pleased as some of you seem to be.

I also raised an eyebrow at the cut of a Reading stop. Why not make it a set down only stop instead. Cutting a Swindon (or equivalent) stop would be better.

Hmm what else can call additionally at Reading? I hope no Cotswold commuter trains are routes via Didcot!

[Mookiemoo]

And the other one may cut nine minutes, but loses a Reading stop at 8.33 - it might stop a few more commuters cramming on to get to London but is it wise to drop a call there at that time of the morning? I suspect there might be a few people from South Wales doing business in Reading who are less than impressed.

And someone else's trains will presumably be making Reading calls to maintain the current frequency, so I don't think they will be quite as pleased as some of you seem to be.

I also raised an eyebrow at the cut of a Reading stop. Why not make it a set down only stop instead. Cutting a Swindon (or equivalent) stop would be better.

Hmm what else can call additionally at

 Reading? I hope no Cotswold commuter trains are routes via Didcot!


For Gods sake!

The Cathedrals used to be none stop - oxf - pad

Reading is not a religious moment

[Btline]

Reading is a major commuter destination (like yourself once ). It is also the biggest interchange outside London.

However, I still agree with the stop cuts!

[Zoe]

It is also the biggest interchange outside London.

Have you never heard of Birmingham New Street?

[Mookiemoo]

Reading is a major commuter destination (like yourself once ). It is also the biggest interchange outside London.

However, I still agree with the stop cuts!

Yeah yeah - and I've just done five months in slough and as of 1st october will be doing 14 months in Wokingham so I know all about Reading .....

The point I'm making is not EVERYTHING has to stop there

[willc]

Reading is a major commuter destination (like yourself once ). It is also the biggest interchange outside London.

However, I still agree with the stop cuts!

Yeah yeah - and I've just done five months in slough and as of 1st october will be doing 14 months in Wokingham so I know all about Reading .....

The point I'm making is not EVERYTHING has to stop there

No, but I expect that if a train you needed to catch to get you home skipped a Reading stop, then we would be hearing all about it.

And I can still remember, so insane was it, what was involved getting from Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh one time in the late 1990s when the evening train skipped Reading - either set out much earlier on an all-stations stopper to Oxford, or catch a Bristol service to Didcot, then get off and await the arrival of an Oxford-bound HST^▸ (High Speed Train) which called at Didcot and Oxford only, then change again at Oxford.

[Mookiemoo]

Reading is a major commuter destination (like yourself once ). It is also the biggest interchange outside London.

However, I still agree with the stop cuts!

Yeah yeah - and I've just done five months in slough and as of 1st october will be doing 14 months in Wokingham so I know all about Reading .....

The point I'm making is not EVERYTHING has to stop there

No, but I expect that if a train you needed to catch to get you home skipped a Reading stop, then we would be hearing all about it.

And I can still remember, so insane was it, what was involved getting from Reading to Moreton-in-Marsh one time in the late 1990s when the evening train skipped Reading - either set out much earlier on an all-stations stopper to Oxford, or catch a Bristol service to Didcot, then get off and await the arrival of an Oxford-bound HST^▸ (High Speed Train) which called at Didcot and Oxford only, then change again at Oxford.

Not if it were in the timetable

Just as I put with, at the ideal times I needed to travel, there were more Maidenhead fast to Paddington with no slough stop than there were slough fast!