UK national timetable changes are due to take effect on Sunday 17 May. They aim to bring more capacity, better connections and selected service improvements across England. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

UK rail timetable update starts on 17 May
Photo: Department for Transport. UK rail timetable update starts on 17 May

The update is part of the regular timetable change carried out twice a year. It will apply to the eight train operators currently in public ownership: c2c, Greater Anglia, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and WM Trains. WM Trains operates London Northern Western and West Midlands Railway services.

UK national timetable changes and public operators

In practice, most services will see small timing changes. Selected routes will also have additions, re-timings and service extensions. At the same time, the eight publicly owned operators have used a more co-ordinated planning approach. The aim is to deliver tangible passenger improvements. These include extra seats at peak times, reliability improvements, stronger connections and better support for early-morning and late-night journeys.

The timetable updates include the following changes:

Separately, c2c weekday commuter services to and from London Fenchurch Street will be re-timed slightly. Saturday services will remain unchanged. Sunday services will see one change.

In addition, Greater Anglia will add more frequent trains, earlier first services and later final departures. Stowmarket is among the locations expected to benefit. Routes across East Anglia are also expected to benefit, including Norwich–Cambridge, Ipswich–Cambridge, Norwich–Lowestoft, Norwich–Great Yarmouth and Norwich–Sheringham.

Meanwhile, Northern changes are intended to improve punctuality and reflect customer feedback. They include more direct Sunday services between Newcastle and Whitby. They also include adjusted stopping patterns on Sheffield–Lincoln trains and minor changes across the North West. Those changes are designed to improve performance and resilience.

Capacity, connectivity and service changes

Also, Southeastern passengers in south-east London, Kent and East Sussex are expected to benefit. The changes cover more frequent services, better connections and extra capacity. The update includes the restoration of peak-time services to London Blackfriars via the Medway towns. It also includes additional weekday trains between Charing Cross and Maidstone East. Enhanced High Speed services between Canterbury West and St Pancras are included as well.

South Western Railway services between London Waterloo and Reading will be adjusted slightly. Trains will leave Waterloo a little earlier. They will also make additional stops at Vauxhall and arrive later into London. Several suburban and late-evening services will also be extended or re-timed.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy said:

Our mission for Great British Railways is to put passengers first, and as we move towards GBR this change is yet another way we’re working to make journeys better.

The extra capacity and services will not only improve travel for people, but help to boost the local economy and jobs, as at Manchester airport. I’m especially excited to see the iconic Flying Scotsman named services back – a great example of how GBR is bringing our proud rail heritage into the 21st century.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Rail supplier news: deals, safety and monitoring