National rail timetable changes aim to bring increased capacity, improved connectivity and targeted service enhancements across England when they launch on Sunday 17 May.
The changes form part of a regular twice-yearly timetable update, and will apply to all eight train operators in public ownership – c2c, Greater Anglia, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and WM Trains (who operate London Northern Western and West Midlands Railway services).
The timetable changes will take effect on Sunday 17 May
© Department for Transport
The majority of services will see minor adjustments to scheduling, however, behind the scenes, a newly co-ordinated approach by the eight publicly owned train operators has been developed to deliver tangible improvements for passengers, including the addition of seats during peak periods, reliability improvements, connectivity strengthening and more support for early-morning and late-night travel.
Improvements across timetables will include:
- c2c – Small weekday re-timing on commuter services to and from London Fenchurch Street, with no changes to Saturday and one change to Sunday services
- Greater Anglia – More frequent services, earlier first trains and later last departures, with key improvements set to benefit Stowmarket and routes across East Anglia, including Norwich–Cambridge, Ipswich–Cambridge, Norwich–Lowestoft, Norwich–Great Yarmouth and Norwich–Sheringham
- Northern – Targeted changes to improve punctuality and reflect customer feedback, including more direct Sunday services between Newcastle and Whitby, improved stopping patterns on Sheffield–Lincoln services, and minor changes across the North West designed to improve performance and resilience
- Southeastern – Passengers in south‑east London, Kent and East Sussex will benefit from more frequent services, improved connections and extra capacity, whilst the restoration of peak‑time services to London Blackfriars via the Medway towns, additional weekday trains between Charing Cross and Maidstone East, and enhanced High Speed services between Canterbury West and St Pancras will aim to provide more choice
- South Western Railway – Services between London Waterloo and Reading will be subject to minor changes, with trains departing slightly earlier from Waterloo, making additional stops at Vauxhall and arriving later into London, whilst a number of late-evening and suburban services are 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.