Great Western Coffee Shop

Hello there, I understand there is a big shakeup of GWRs timetable from December 15th. My question is, I will be travelling 2nd Jan 2020 from Penzance to Gatwick Airport and returning on the 7th Jan. When do you think the best time to book to get the best deals will be please, and when do they normally publish new timetables?

Many thanks in advance for your help

Philip

I keep hearing and reading about these big changes.
But not sure anything has changed for my daily commute between Weston and Temple Meads?

Where should I look for details?

Realtime trains in will give you a detailed, but not yet entirely accurate, overview of what you can expect in December:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced

As for tickets, generally, booking as soon as they are released for sale is usually best in terms of price - the exact date varies, especially around the timetable change, but 12 weeks ahead is usually the maximum - all I can suggest is that you check each day, with the National Rail website giving information as to how far ahead they've been released at https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/44703.aspx - they used to have a notification system as well IIRC?

Advance tickets are already available for your dates (GWR only)

For a while now, GWR has offered an extended booking horizon (weekdays only) on its high speed routes. Currently booking until 13th Feb (weekdays) but there are some exceptions.

More info here: https://www.gwr.com/plan-journey/tickets-railcards-and-season-tickets/booking-tickets-in-advance

Perhaps just a minor consideration in the new GWR Timetable but has provision be made in it for the new Bristol Portway station on the Severn Beach Line?  It's supposedly going to open within it's period of cover.

Don't be silly, this is Bristol your talking about !

Just to expand on that ;-

MetroBus - 2 Years late and £30 million over budget of £200 million.

Temple Gate Roadworks - nearly 1 year late and nearly £7 million over budget of nearly £11 million.

Bristol Portway Parkway - probably starting on last week of December 2019 timetable, months late and probably will be  a last minute rush to get completed in time for the start of the December 2021 timetable and that's not to mention the overspend.

Portishead line reopening - still faffing around after nearly two decades of talking, consultations, reports which led to yet more talking. more consulting and more reports which led to further talking, further consulting and further reports which might lead to some dignatory cutting the white ribbon to declare Portisheads new railway station open in 2029 if we are lucky.

If you could get Boris Johnson to make a speech on that he'd say it was a fantastic success...

I'll take that as a "no" then!   ;D