First Great Western December 2007 Timetable Now Online

[whole diary]

[Lee]

The peak Keynsham HST^▸ (High Speed Train) services arent shown either.

[Lee]

Here is the view from Severn Tunnel Action Group :

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have finally put the draft timetable for our route on line, summary as follows

Mondays to Fridays

Nothing lost, 4 gained. There are a few changes to timing, but nothing to be concerned over.

First the 4 extra trains

0616 to Cardiff Central (from Bristol T.M.)
2216 to Cardiff Central (from Portsmouth Harbour)
1655 to Portsmouth Harbour (from Cardiff Central)
2332 to Bristol Temple Meads (from Cardiff Central)

The main change is our off peak stopping services now start/terminate at Taunton or Weston so apart from the 0655 and 0755 the only through services to Bath Spa are 1225 and 2124, likewise from Bath Spa the only through services are the 0715, 1715 and 1815 arrivals at STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station).

The 1225 from STJ still goes to Brighton but the 1700 return from Brighton now reverses at BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) and goes to Cheltenham Spa with a change at BTM into a Taunton Cardiff service.

Looking to the future 2008 December timetable the current Virgin Voyager service at 0725 and 1946 will in future go to/from Manchester Piccadilly as opposed to Newcastle.

When the weekend times become available we will have a look at those and get back to you all.

If any of these changes is likely to cause you considerable inconvenience, then please let us know. You can do this by e-mailing us at: info@saveseverntunnel.co.uk. Alternatively you can write to us care of Michelle in the ticket office.

[Lee]

Weston MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) John Penrose has hailed the new timetable as "a great result" (link below.)
http://thisissomerset.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=147472&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242195&contentPK=18634609&folderPk=113662&pNodeId=251478

[Jim]

Dunno who looked at the Timetable, but the 12.25 from STJ^▸ (Severn Tunnel Junction railway station) is a Taunton, the Brighton is from Malvern

Heres one tips if you like your 158's to commute on AM/PM but don;t like Cardiff-Pompey

The 09.00 Brighton - Great Malvern (which for some reason doesn't stop at Malvern Link) forms a Weymouth, 16.4X from Bristol TM^‡(resolve), and the 20.01 back, so should be a 158 turn

The 10.43 Great Malvern - Brighton is formed from the 07.23 Warminster - Great Malvern, so this should be 158.

[Shazz]

Looking to the future 2008 December timetable the current Virgin Voyager service at 0725 and 1946 will in future go to/from Manchester Piccadilly as opposed to Newcastle.

Still dont see the point in this, Cardiff already has an hourly service to Manc picadilly

[Timmer]

Looking to the future 2008 December timetable the current Virgin Voyager service at 0725 and 1946 will in future go to/from Manchester Piccadilly as opposed to Newcastle.

Still dont see the point in this, Cardiff already has an hourly service to Manc picadilly

And to Birmingham come to think of it so why run it unless it was going to Newcastle/Edinburgh

[paulsouthwales]

Looking to the future 2008 December timetable the current Virgin Voyager service at 0725 and 1946 will in future go to/from Manchester Piccadilly as opposed to Newcastle.

Still dont see the point in this, Cardiff already has an hourly service to Manc picadilly

i replied exactly about this during the current consultation period, i.e. cardiff - newcastle direct lost instead of cardiff - manc.  big disappointment as far as south wales passengers are concerned.  we have always had at least ONE direct service a day.  this was two hourly when princess started, and even with extensions to edinburgh and swansea.

got a reply back from AXC^» (Arriva Cross Country - about) tonight.  apparently they say the routing of the cardiff service to manchester is a DFT^▸ (Department for Transport) dictate!  yes we knew that, so what was the point in consulting customers?!

 

[John R]

I think it's historic. It has to run at that time ever since Wessex trains cut out a morning service that ran around the same time. So it's path between Cardiff and Bristol is fairly fixed. Then it becomes a departure from Bristol that is becoming a regular hourly Manchester slot. Really it's only serving local passengers for the first leg.

Another oddity of the train is that you can get off at Patchway, stroll to Parkway and still have time for a cup of tea before getting back on the same service.