What is happening in the winter timetable?

The winter timetable starts on Monday 10 December. From then we plan to add around 200 extra weekday services into the Thameslink and Great Northern timetable, providing more capacity and greater connectivity through the day. This is made up of 30 peak and 170 off peak services.

Where can I find details of the changes?

You can search for your individual journey in online journey planners such as nationalrail.co.uk and those already include the amendments from Monday 10 December. Updated timetables are available to download from our websites and printed copies will be at stations from early November. We encourage you to check before you travel so you become aware of the additional services that may be suitable for you.

Are there changes to the Southern & Gatwick Express timetable?

On Southern, most services in the winter timetable remain unchanged with just some timing improvements for connectivity particularly on the East Coastway.

There are no changes to the current Gatwick Express timetable.

What are you doing for the weekend timetable?

The weekend timetable will continue in its current format for now, with more services planned by May 2019.

Our current simplified weekend timetable means engineering work alterations can be overlaid in a shorter than usual timeframe. There is every intention of returning to normal industry agreed timescales and both planning teams in Thameslink Railway and Network Rail continue to work to achieve this as quickly as possible.

When travelling at weekends we encourage you to check close to your time of travel to see the most up to date service plan.

When will you increase the weekend timetable?

We are planning to introduce additions to the weekend service in May 2019 and further increases at future timetable changes. Further details will be shared once the final timetables have been determined and agreed with industry partners.

Is it all going to go smoothly?

Unlike before, we have had the time to plan for this timetable in cooperation with Network Rail.

This means that we have been able to better optimise the use of our train crew.

In addition, most additional December services are in the off-peak and the new timetable does not involve operation over new infrastructure or change of timings to most existing services.

How is this going to affect the Christmas getaway?

Amended services will operate over the period from 23 December to 1 January inclusive. Victoria is shut for the Christmas period for Network Rail to carry out essential engineering work. Further information available here.

Why won’t the Winter Timetable deliver what was announced earlier in the year?

Industry leaders have agreed it would be sensible and prudent to complete the introduction of the May timetable before making any further changes. The May timetable that will effectively be delivered in December, will deliver 70% of the total capacity benefits of the Thameslink Project.

Will there be further timetable changes?

We have submitted our plans for the next timetable change in May 2019. Weekday improvements are mainly focussed on the Cambridge to Brighton corridor. These plans are subject to industry approval.

Why can’t you add another stop on a service – it will only take a minute or two longer?

If we add additional stops to a service we need to allow additional time. This may not be permitted under the industry timetable planning rules or may import a risk to the performance of the timetable as a whole which would lead to delays for passengers across the network.

There are so many inter-dependencies throughout the Thameslink Railway network that a delay can quickly spread so we need to make sure that any requests for additional stops go through the agreed industry validation process to confirm if they can be accommodated without impacting on performance.

Has Thameslink Railway got enough drivers?

Yes. There are currently approximately 1990 qualified drivers in Thameslink Railway to work the required 930 jobs per day. These jobs resource circa 3600 trains a day. This is the highest figure ever. In addition there are a further 268 trainee drivers undergoing training to expand our services in the future.

How long does it take to train a driver?

Driver training consists of classroom training which last six months. Thereafter training involves a minimum of 250 hours of driving time with an instructor on a 1:1 basis. Typically it will take a further 6-9 months to become a qualified driver.

Why don’t you have more trainees?

We are currently undertaking the largest training programme in the industry and have expanded the classroom facilities, simulators , trainers and instructors to accommodate this programme. Thameslink do not need any more trainees at this point.

Does this mean Thameslink will not have cancellations due to a ‘lack of a drivers’?

No. The Thameslink Railway resourcing team work very hard seven days a week to ensure there is a driver on every train. However, from time to time an increases in the levels of sickness or number of drivers temporarily unable to drive (e.g. following an incident) may lead to cancellations. During service disruption (e.g. a signalling fault) it is also likely that a delayed driver may not arrive on time to take his or her next train.

Why don’t you have spare drivers?

We do. A number of spare drivers are rostered each day at each depot to protect against late notice sickness or minor disruption.

Why don’t drivers work extra shifts?

Most do. In line with many Train Operating Companies we have a voluntary rest day working agreement where drivers can volunteer for additional duties which either avoid cancellations or provide additional resilience.

How do I claim additional compensation for the disruption that followed the introduction of the May 2018 timetable?

We know many passengers across the country were affected by the earlier disruption to rail services, including ours, following the introduction of the May timetable. As our way of saying sorry to our customers, additional industry compensation is being offered to qualifying Thameslink and Great Northern season and non-season ticket holders most severely affected between 20 May and 28 July 2018. More information is available here