Timetables changing – check before you travel

Train timetables are changing at Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express this spring and summer.

Passengers are being advised to check before travelling for changes from 17 May, as well as before school holidays, bank holiday weekends, and the normal programme of planned engineering work.

From 17 May, passengers will see several improvements (see editor’s notes) including:

• Additional services on the East Grinstead line, on the Southern network
• More punctual services across the network due to small tweaks to timing, based on feedback
• An extra fast evening commuter service from King’s Cross to Hitchin
• Better punctuality and fewer short notice platform alterations in the evening peak at East Croydon, thanks to small changes to the platforms trains are planned to use

John Whitehurst, Chief Operating Officer of parent company Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “These changes in May will improve punctuality and provide extra services for passengers. As the adjustments will vary route to route, we encourage people to check before they travel.”

Later, this summer, customers will also see a combination of additional trains running between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria to connect with early morning flights and more services during the middle of the day for some stations elsewhere for people going on days out. A small number of services will also be withdrawn on some routes where, because of the school holidays, the number of passengers falls.

Changes to train timetables can be viewed in online journey planners at the Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express websites.

ENDS

Editor’s notes

Key changes to Southern from 17 May

Network wide

There will be small timing changes to services across the Southern network to improve punctuality.

Services between East Grinstead and London Victoria – Wednesdays

To make it easier for people to travel during the middle of the day, services between East Grinstead and London Victoria will now be half-hourly during the middle of the day on Wednesdays. This follows the improvements made last December, which increase the off-peak service on Thursdays and Fridays.

Services between London Victoria, Gatwick Airport and Three bridges – all week

To provide a later last train and improve connections, the 00:08 Southern service from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport will be extended to Three Bridges.

Extra train for Cooden Beach Station – Monday to Friday

To improve connections at Cooden Beach, the 05:00 from Brighton to Ore will now call at Cooden Beach at 06:01 before continuing towards Ore.

Platform changes at East Croydon (Southern and Thameslink)

We will be making changes to the platforms at East Croydon that services are planned to use in the evening peak to improve the punctuality of services passing through this busy station and reduce the number of short-notice platform alternations.

This will mean that in the evening peak, between 16:00 and 19:00, Southern services from London Victoria towards Eastbourne/Ore, Littlehampton and Portsmouth Harbour will depart from Platform 2, rather than Platform 3.

Passengers who would usually make a same platform connection between Thameslink services towards Brighton and those Southern services towards the south coast at East Croydon will need to change platforms or make a same island platform connection at a station such as Haywards Heath.

Key changes to Thameslink from 17 May

Services between Sutton and St Albans – all week

Services towards Sutton depart Herne Hill Station one minute earlier – this is to improve the punctuality of services passing through the station and reduce conflicts with Southeastern services.

Services towards Gillingham – very early Monday mornings

On Sunday nights, after midnight and into the early hours of Monday mornings, the 00:46 service from Dartford to Gillingham will now start at 00:50 to enable connections from a Southeastern service that arrives at Dartford at 00:45.

East Croydon platform changes

See Southern changes above.

Key changes to Great Northern from 17 May

Services between London King’s Cross and Cambridge – weekdays

To provide an additional fast service in the evening peak for Hitchin users, the 18:54 London King’s Cross to Cambridge service will now stop additionally