Accelerated services and additional stops in north feature in Virgin CrossCountry’s December timetable

Accelerated Thames Valley services and additional stops in the north-west and north-east feature in Virgin CrossCountry’s new timetable which begins on 10 December.

Northbound Thames Valley departures will leave Reading five minutes later at ten and 40 minutes past each hour but regain present timings north of Banbury, accelerating journey times.

In the north-west the 08:52 service from Edinburgh to Bournemouth will call additionally at Wigan North Western, the 12:52 from Edinburgh to Bournemouth at Warrington Bank Quay and the 13:50 from Glasgow to Manchester at Penrith North Lakes.

In the north-east, four more stops each day will be made at Morpeth, building on the success of Virgin CrossCountry calls at the station introduced last year. Also, Britain’s longest distance through train, the 08:30 from Penzance to Dundee, will call additionally at Darlington and meet aspirations of the local authority.

In the south-west, the 18:25 train from Plymouth to Leeds will call additionally at Tiverton Parkway, and the 15:22 service from Newcastle to Bristol Temple Meads will be extended to arrive at Weston-super-Mare at 20:44.

Some changes are being made to better integrate with the new timetable of First Great Western. A revised calling pattern will serve Weston-super-Mare with two weekday trains to and from Newcastle.

The southbound call at Gloucester will now be made by the 14:21 train from Newcastle to Cardiff which will call additionally at Filton Abbey Wood, Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction.

A revised early morning train will leave Plymouth for Penzance at 06:25 and the running of the present 07:05 Plymouth to Penzance service will be taken over by First Great Western.