Temporary Timetable Changes
With the reintroduction of lockdown, train companies have worked with government to plan amended timetables, focussing on morning and evening peak travel times so that those who need to take essential journeys can get to where they need to and have the space to maintain social distancing. The new changes to timetables have been made in such a way that rail services can be restored as quickly as possible when restrictions are eased.
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:
10 April
Sunday:
11 April
Monday to Friday:
16 April
Notes:
The confirmed timetable for weekends will be available a few days prior to travel
c2c
Saturday:
10 April
Sunday:
4 April
Monday to Friday:
9 April
Notes:
Caledonian Sleeper
Saturday:
24 April
Sunday:
18 April
Monday to Friday:
23 April
Chiltern Railways
Saturday:
10 April
Sunday:
11 April
Monday to Friday:
9 April
Notes and exceptions:
CrossCountry
Saturday:
15 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
East Midlands Railway
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Gatwick Express
The Gatwick Express service is suspended until further notice.
Grand Central
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
.
Great Northern
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
Great Western Railway
Saturday:
1 May
Sunday:
2 May
Monday to Friday:
7 May
Greater Anglia
Saturday:
10 April
Sunday:
11 April
Monday to Friday:
16 April
Notes and exceptions:
Heathrow Express
Saturday:
15 May
Sunday:
16 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Hull Trains
Hull Trains services have been withdrawn until Sunday 11 April.
Island Line
Saturday:
15 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
LNER
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Additional information
Reservations are closed on 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 May
London Northwestern Railway
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
London Overground
Saturday:
1 May
Sunday:
2 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
Some trains on Sunday 25 April are showing incorrectly as a result of engineering work.
Merseyrail
Saturday:
15 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Northern
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
ScotRail
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
South Western Railway
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
Southeastern
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes:
Some weekend changes may still not yet be confirmed, please check your journey details from Friday onwards.
Southern
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
Trains are not showing correctly in the journey planners late night / early morning from Monday 3 to Friday 7 May and Monday 10 to Friday 14 May because of engineering work
Stansted Express
Saturday:
3 April
Sunday:
4 April
Monday to Friday:
9 April
Notes and exceptions:
TfL Rail
Saturday:
19 June
Sunday:
20 June
Monday to Friday:
25 June May
Notes and exceptions:
Thameslink
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
2 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Notes and exceptions:
TransPennine Express
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Transport for Wales
Saturday:
24 April
Sunday:
25 April
Monday to Friday:
30 April
West Midlands Railway
Saturday:
8 May
Sunday:
9 May
Monday to Friday:
14 May
Last updated: 31 March 2021