Great Western Coffee Shop

New timetable means earlier and more frequent services for Devon and Cornwall

The Department for Transport has today agreed to the first significant redesign of First Great Western^s mainline timetable in Devon and Cornwall for over a decade.

Subject to approval by Network Rail, the new timetable will operate from December this year.

Benefits by region

Locations along the Berks & Hants Line (Somerset / Wiltshire)

Key changes
Lunchtime service to London (currently 11.06 Paignton) becomes approx. 20min faster for journeys from Taunton / Castle Cary / Westbury / Pewsey
Local Turbo services will replace two High Speed Train calls at Bedwyn each day.
New 11.33 service from London Paddington provides a 15-20min faster journey to Westbury and Taunton than the 12.18 service from London Paddington that it replaces.
12.44 Pewsey call in 11.33 service provide connection into Penzance service at Exeter, giving faster journey times to West than at present.
To allow this package of improvements to happen the 12.03 lunch time HST call at Pewsey going towards the West of England will be replaced with 12.44 call
New standard pattern local Turbo services at Bedwyn in both directions (12.18 from Paddington and 13.39 to Paddington)

Kennet Valley (Berkshire)

Faster lunchtime service from the West of England to Newbury and from Newbury to Paddington.
To allow this package of improvements to take place, High Speed Train calls at Hungerford , Thatcham and Theale  will be removed,  but with alternative standard pattern local Turbo train service provided
New standard pattern 1218 Paddington ^ Bedwyn & 1339 Bedwyn ^ Paddington services, giving a more regular service, with Kintbury gain one additional call in each direction, filling a 2hr service gap