Timetable Books

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

Less than a year ago, you could pick up timetable book E - which included all the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) services I used: Portsmouth, Severn Beach Line and Weymouth.  All in one handy book which fitted nicely into my laptop bag.

Then they put them in separate books, which was fair enough as you only picked up the books you needed.

But now they've put Cardiff to Portsmouth in a pocket timetable.  The only problem is that is is far too large to be practical.

The old book:


The new pocket timetable, next to a 12" ruler:


When open, the whole timetable is 77cm (30 inches) long.  Try using this whilst on a train.  Its longer than the table (if you're lucky enough to get one).  I got some very strange looks whilst attempting to utilise this timetable whilst stood in the Ticket Hall at Temple Meads yesterday.  You can't even partially unfold it as the way it is folded makes it impossible to actually read the full timetable for one train.

Perhaps this is an attempt to force us into printing our own timetables at home?

Strangely, the Cardiff to Bristol timetable still comes in a book format.

[devon_metro]

Agreed, I can't stand pocket timetables! Give me a heavy book will all times in one place anyday. The "colleague handbook" is a good publication, what with Paddington station plan, shame it's only available to staff and SX

[Ollie]

Agreed, I can't stand pocket timetables! Give me a heavy book will all times in one place anyday. The "colleague handbook" is a good publication, what with Paddington station plan, shame it's only available to staff and SX

The colleague guide is the same as the timetable book that you can buy now.
Although it has an insert with the colleague guide that explains some changes and includes the weekday working for Paddington.

[Timmer]

I too was disappointed that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) turned the Cardiff-Portsmouth timetable booklet into a pocket timetable and hope that FGW get some feedback and turn it back into a booklet format for the May TT change.

As Ollie says you can purchase the FGW complete timetable book from mainline stations which is well layed out and contains lots of additional information not found in pocket timetables.

[Btline]

Why are we calling mini timetables pocket timetables?

The origianl timetable bookLETS (not books), were pocket timetables.

I would prefer a return to the pocket timetable format, with mini timetables for individual routes.

[thetrout]

Or you could lease a friends photographic memory when needing to know train times... My friends think it's very handy (and also rather sad) that I can tell them which train they want, arrival and departure times and occasionally type of train used...

Also would you say that i've gone a step too far if I can remember the exact prices for the tickets almost all journeys I make...??! I will say though, when asking for a ticket the Guard isn't expecting... some of them find it very helpful that you know the price and type of ticket you require...

[moonrakerz]

I too was disappointed that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) turned the Cardiff-Portsmouth timetable booklet into a pocket timetable

I would love the Cardiff-Portsmouth/Weymouth timetable station poster to be made as a pocket timetable

Um ................ Er .........................

[Timmer]

I too was disappointed that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) turned the Cardiff-Portsmouth timetable booklet into a pocket timetable

I would love the Cardiff-Portsmouth/Weymouth timetable station poster to be made as a pocket timetable

Um ................ Er .........................

Well caught moonrakerz. I think Btline has made a good point on what is a pocket timetable and what is a mini timetable so I will clarify what I meant based on using these two terms:
I too was disappointed that FGW turned the Cardiff-Portsmouth pocket timetable into a mini timetable.

[willc]

Well, just try putting one of what you suggest is a 'pocket' timetable into a pocket then. They tend to stick out of pockets in my experience, unlike what I, and others, consider to be a pocket timetable. And, insane though it is, folded up that Portsmouth-Cardiff one will fit into a pocket.

I have never in my life heard anyone talk about a mini timetable - except in this thread.

And you had better get used to pocket timetables - they are a lot cheaper to produce than the booklets and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) is, as someone put it to me recently, 'hell bent' on reducing costs across the board.

[JayMac]

Pocket timetables fit perfectly in my jacket pocket.

[Btline]

But I'm not stating opinion - the old A, B, C etc "books" (FGW^▸ (First Great Western) called booklets books for some reason) are "pocket" timetables - fact. Designed to fit into jacket pockets.

The new ones are "mini" timetables.

[moonrakerz]

Well caught moonrakerz. I think Btline has made a good point on what is a pocket timetable and what is a mini timetable so I will clarify what I meant based on using these two terms:
I too was disappointed that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) turned the Cardiff-Portsmouth pocket timetable into a mini timetable.

I agree, personally I thought that pocket timetable/book(let) E was absolutely perfect.

[JayMac]

I have never in my life heard anyone talk about a mini timetable - except in this thread.

From FGW^▸ (First Great Western):

We have revamped our timetable range to provide you with a more concise and convenient source of train times information.

Your feedback told us that you wanted more mini timetables and that you wanted us to try to make them less complicated to read.......

[ChrisB]

The Customer Panel reps are meeting with FGW^▸ (First Great Western) in early February to discuss the May TT production - so I'll take this request forward. Thanks for the feedback.....

[devon_metro]

Thanks for that, maybe they could produce a small circulation of books B & E as these in my opinion were the most useful!