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FGW announce May-December timetable changes

Train operator First Great Western is making changes to its timetable.

The changes further reflect customer feedback to the new timetable for the new First Great Western franchise that was launched on 10 December 2006.

In 2006, the three former franchises of the London and Thames Valley First Great Western Link, the rural and suburban Wessex trains services, and the former First Great Western long distance High Speed Train services, were brought together into the First Greater Western franchise. This now represents more than 1,500 train services a day.

Glenda Lamont, First Great Western’s Customer Service Director, says: “ This is the first opportunity to plan changes to the December 2006 timetable. Our customers know that every May the timetables are revised and reprinted, and this year we have obviously had to take on board the larger than usual customer feedback that stemmed from December’s timetable. Along with the changes we made in January and March 2007, these alterations in May, make up our services until the next annual revision in December.”

There will be changes to service timings and destinations on long distance and local and suburban services. These are designed to meet customer needs and ensure better punctuality. They feature more convenient timings, extensions to routes, and summer strengthening – including the first direct link from London Paddington to Newquay. Highlights include:

West Country high speed services
The 0544 Penzance to Paddington will depart Plymouth earlier at 0748 and will call additionally at Westbury, and leaving stations to Castle Cary, earlier.
The early London Paddington service from Exeter St David’s will now leave at 0547 and call at Tiverton Parkway at 0607.
The 0738 Paignton to Paddington will no longer call at Dawlish Warren but now calls at Tiverton Parkway.
The 1255 from Plymouth to London Paddington now starts at Penzance (for July and August only) and calls additionally at local stations throughout Cornwall. The 1305 London Paddington to Plymouth is extended to Penzance from 2 July until 31 August. A new direct daily train between London Paddington to Newquay will run for the same Summer period.

Several other services to and from the West country are retimed, and some are extended.
The 1803 from Paddington to Penzance now calls additionally at Par at 2205.
The 1836 from London Paddington to Exeter St Davids now calls at Hungerford.
The 1700 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads is now extended to Weston Super Mare.
The late night 2330 London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads service will be extended to Cardiff with a stop at Newport.
The 0743 from Penzance to Paddington will call additionally at St Germans at 0924 and 0933 at Saltash.
The early morning Hereford to Paddington service will start from Abergevenney at 0609, leaving Hereford at 0643.

Thames Valley
Early services at 0400 from Oxford to London Paddington are subject to slight change, whilst the 0546 Reading to London Paddington now starts from Oxford at 0506.
The 0725 Banbury to Paddington leaves Reading earlier and now calls at Langley, Iver and West Drayton.The 0752 from Oxford to London Paddington has been re-timed to depart Twyford at 0844 to provide an additional connection from Henley on Thames.Some Oxford services now feature High Speed Trains – with greater capacity than the previous Adelante trains - which will also add seat capacity at stations en route.
Maidenhead to Bourne End and Marlow services feature re-timings throughout the day to improve reliability.
Services to Gatwick and Redhill see changes – the 1005 Gatwick to Reading now calls additionally at Betchworth and Dorking West and will no longer call at Gomshall and Chilworth. The 2050 Reading to Gatwick now calls additionally at Chilworth, Gomshall, Dorking West and Betchworth.
The 2050 Worcester Shrub Hill to London Paddington will call at Didcot Parkway.
A late night service from London Paddington connects at Reading for a new service calling at all stations to Newbury, leaving Reading at 0019.

West changes
There is an additional service from Westbury to Salisbury at 0536 calling at Warminster. A Sunday morning service will depart Westbury at 0900 for Weymouth, this adds to the capacity on the route, in addition to the existing 0915 Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth service.
The changes include a new 1234 Bristol Temple Meads – Westbury service and a new Keynsham stop in the 0857 Brighton - Cardiff service. These changes will reduce midday gaps in the Keynsham service.
The 0535 Weymouth to Filton Abbey Wood now runs to Cardiff Central with stops at Patchway and Newport.
A number of changes occur on Devon and Cornwall local lines and these include:
Changes to assist commuters on the Gunnislake service, which is now extended to Newquay and calls additionally at Devonport, Saltash, St Germans, and stations to Newquay.
The 07.09 Paignton to Newton Abbot service will be extended to run through to Exeter Central, providing an extra service for customers in South Devon and restoring a link through to Exeter Central.
An additional service now runs from Paignton to Exeter St Davids at 0842.
There are changes to services from Penzance to Plymouth, Exmouth, Liskeard, Newquay and other local stations.
The 1802 from Cheltenham Spa, to Taunton will now depart from Bristol Temple Meads 1925 providing a later service for its users.

Full details of all changes will be found in the new timetable effective 20 May 2007. Copies of the new timetable are available from stations and at www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk

Last Updated: 1 May 2007