Temporary Timetable Changes
Normally, the timetable for any particular day is confirmed 12 weeks in advance. For a temporary period Network Rail isn’t able to do this, instead confirming timetables approximately 6 weeks in advance. This means that for some routes online journey planners, including National Rail Enquiries, will not be completely accurate until approximately 6 weeks before travel.
What does this mean for customers?
For the overwhelming majority of customers there is no impact, particularly if they travel Mondays to Fridays other than in the late evening.
Timetables
Where engineering work is taking place, details about the train times and schedules for any replacement buses will not be available until approximately 6 weeks before. Be aware that the normal timetable will show in journey planners up until this point. Where we are aware that the timetable is not yet correct, the National Rail Enquiries journey planner will show a yellow warning triangle against the trains concerned.
Advance tickets
Customers are advised to try and book as normal. Advance tickets for many routes will still go on sale 12 weeks in advance, but where they don’t will be available from approximately 6 weeks before the date of travel. Many train companies let customers sign up through their website to receive an email when Advance tickets go on sale. National Rail Enquiries also has information about the latest availability of Advance tickets, which can be found here.
Where it is not possible to book tickets 12 weeks in advance as usual, train operators will still offer the same range of discounted Advance tickets – they will just go on sale later.
If customers buy a ticket on a train that is subsequently cancelled, rescheduled, or where a seat reservation will not be honoured, they can decide not to travel and have a full refund with no administration fee.
Where Advance tickets have not yet gone on sale, customers can still buy Anytime, Off‐Peak and Super Off‐Peak tickets where they are available. If customers buy one of these and later discover a cheaper Advance ticket on sale for the same journey, they should book the Advance ticket and ask for a refund on the original ticket – there will be no admin fee.
Latest information – by train company
Please find below an overview for each train company of whether the timetable showing in journey planners in the coming weeks is accurate:
Avanti West Coast
Saturday:
1 October
Sunday:
2 October
Monday to Friday:
7 October
Notes:
Avanti West Coast are running a reduced timetable for weekend services on 13 - 14 / 20 - 21 August, and on the 3 / 4 / 10 September. More information on this can be found here.
Engineering work is not currently showing correctly on Sunday 4 September.
c2c
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
The journey planner is still showing incorrectly for 25 September, you can check for engineering work here.
Caledonian Sleeper
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
You can check for engineering work here.
Chiltern Railways
Saturday:
29 October
Sunday:
30 October
Monday to Friday:
28 October
Notes and exceptions:
The journey planner is still showing incorrectly for 20 / 21 August, and also for 17 / 18 September. You can check for engineering work here.
CrossCountry
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
East Midlands Railway
Saturday:
17 September
Sunday:
18 September
Monday to Friday:
23 September
Notes and exceptions:
Some overnight midweek engineering work may not show correctly in the journey planner. Where this is the case, a warning message will appear on your journey. You can also check for engineering work here.
Elizabeth line
Saturday:
22 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
28 October
Notes and exceptions:
Gatwick Express
Saturday:
10 September
Sunday:
11 September
Monday to Friday:
16 September
Notes and exceptions:
Grand Central
Saturday:
15 October
Sunday:
16 October
Monday to Friday:
21 October
Notes:
Great Northern
Saturday:
10 September
Sunday:
11 September
Monday to Friday:
16 September
Notes and exceptions:
Alterations because of engineering work on Mondays to Fridays may not be shown until 12:00 on the day before the timetable operates
Great Western Railway
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
Some midweek overnight engineering work may not show correctly in the journey planner. Where this is the case, a warning message will appear on your journey in the journey planner.
You can also check for engineering work here.
Greater Anglia
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes and exceptions:
You can check for engineering work here.
Heathrow Express
Saturday:
29 October
Sunday:
30 October
Monday to Friday:
4 November
Notes and exceptions:
Hull Trains
Saturday:
22 October
Sunday:
23 October
Monday to Friday:
28 October
Notes:
The journey planner is still showing incorrectly for 23 / 24 July due to industrial action. Further information regarding the industrial action can be found here.
Island Line
Saturday:
29 October
Sunday:
30 October
Monday to Friday:
4 November
Notes and exceptions:
LNER
Saturday:
17 September
Sunday:
18 September
Monday to Friday:
30 September
Notes:
You can check for engineering work here.
London Northwestern Railway
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
Engineering work is not currently showing correctly for 21 August, you can check for more details here.
London Overground
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
Engineering work is not currently showing correctly for 10 September, you can check for more details here.
Lumo
Saturday:
10 September
Sunday:
11 September
Monday to Friday:
16 September
Notes:
You can check for engineering work here.
Merseyrail
Saturday:
29 October
Sunday:
30 October
Monday to Friday:
4 November
Notes:
Northern
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
ScotRail
Saturday:
3 September
Sunday:
4 September
Monday to Friday:
9 September
Notes:
South Western Railway
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
25 September
Monday to Friday:
21 October
Notes and exceptions:
Southeastern
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes and exceptions:
Southern
Saturday:
10 September
Sunday:
11 September
Monday to Friday:
16 September
Notes and exceptions:
Alterations because of engineering work on Mondays to Fridays may not be shown until 12:00 on the day before the timetable operates
Stansted Express
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes and exceptions:
You can check for engineering work here.
Thameslink
Saturday:
24 September
Sunday:
25 September
Monday to Friday:
30 September
Notes and exceptions:
The journey planner is still showing incorrectly for 21 - 28 August, you can check for engineering work here.
Alterations because of engineering work on Mondays to Fridays may not be shown until 12:00 on the day before the timetable operates
TransPennine Express
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
Engineering work is not showing correctly for 3 / 4 / 11 September
Transport for Wales
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
Engineering work is not showing correctly for 17 - 18 September.
West Midlands Railway
Saturday:
8 October
Sunday:
9 October
Monday to Friday:
14 October
Notes:
Last updated: 01 December 2021