West Coast's Full Timetable

Chasing trains
Originally uploaded by MackenzieBlu

Good news for travelling using West Coast services from Euston and Southern's West London Line as Network rail have announced today that as from monday the full West Coast timetable will be in operation. This comes after Southern's ex Brighton - Watford Junction service was due to be changed in december's timetable change to become Milton Keynes - East Croydon. Due to Virginn West Coast invoking its protected access for the West Coast Main Line (WCML) as part if that lines £9bn upgrade. This lead to the ORR (Office of Rail Regulation) getting invloved in wording in West Coast track access right which saw it having to define what "calls at" and "starts or terminates" actually mean in a legal sense when applied to the railways. Finally the matter has been sorted and now the following enhancements can be made

Virgin Trains - 16 extra services a day

London Midland - 6 extra services a day

Southern - Extending all 32 services from Watford Junction to Milton Keynes

Chris Burchell, managing director of Southern said: "I’m very pleased we can now put in place the final pieces of our timetable. Southern’s hourly service will provide direct trains for people travelling between towns along the West Coast main line and locations in west and south London, including Wembley, Shepherd’s Bush and Kensington Olympia. With connections to many other destinations at Clapham Junction and East Croydon I am sure these trains will prove very popular."

Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s director of operations and customer service said: "Passengers have already seen the massive benefits that the £9bn investment in the west coast route has delivered with much more frequent, faster trains. With the new timetable now bedded in, we can introduce the final few services that complete the picture of improved services along the West Coast main line."