Meltdown Monday for rail passengers

Biggest change to train timetables in a generation

COMMUTERS could face chaos on the railways today with the biggest change to timetables in decades.

More than 100,000 services will be ‘retimed’, affecting millions of passengers.

The biggest upheaval will be across the Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern networks run by GTR, accounting for one in four UK rail journeys.

Services in and out of Manchester and Hull will also see a major overhaul. Operators say the changes will create space for 50,000 more passengers travelling into London in the morning rush, with almost 400 extra services, some longer trains and many more stations getting direct access to the capital.

But some commuters will have access to fewer fast services, which may force them to leave home earlier in the morning.

GTR has even told staff not to take extra time to help people with disabilities on to trains if it means delaying the departure. In Hertfordshire, the seven peak-time services from Royston to London are being cut to three. And fast trains that used to take passengers from Letchworth to central London in 30 minutes will no longer stop at the station. Slower trains take 55 minutes.

East Midlands Trains to St Pancras will not call at Bedford or Luton at peak times. Redhill, Surrey, is losing fast services to London Victoria, leaving travellers with a stopping train that takes 40 per cent longer. Brighton gets a new throughservice to Cambridge, more destinations and more trains. But it will have fewer trains to Clapham Junction on the line into Victoria.

Anthony Smith, of passenger group Transport Focus, warned of huge disruption, saying: ‘Many passengers have built their lives around current timetables … longer journey times, fewer trains or having to catch an earlier peak fare train will hurt … the fairness of the overall timetable needs to be kept under close review.’

Steve Chambers, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: ‘Many will find their normal trains have changed and could be left stranded.’ Until

‘Could be left stranded’

today, commuters on the early evening train from King’s Cross to Hull could link up with a further train to Scarborough.

But Northern has brought forward its departure, so travellers face a 90-minute wait.

GTR said: ‘We strongly refute the claim that this is a serious downgrading, and are confident it brings a radical overall improvement in services.’

The firm said it places a priority on making services accessible to all but cannot hold trains if people arrive without enough time to board.

Paul Plummer, of the Rail Delivery Group representing train firms, said it was ‘the biggest timetable change in a generation’ giving space for tens of thousands more passengers. But he admitted ‘there may be some teething problems’.