The December timetable change promises minor improvements for some – and a less frequent but hopefully more reliable service for others, as ANDY RODEN reports
The timetables change on 10 December, and for most operators it is a case of‘steady as she goes’with only minor changes to services. With various infrastructure upgrades in progress, major changes for most will wait until 2024 at the earliest.
TransPennine Express is making the biggest changes to timetables in a much-trailed bid to improve its reliability: the withdrawal of the Nova 3 sets comprising Class 68 locos and Mk 5a coaches will also have an impact, with some trains likely to be shorter than at present.
There is a reduction in frequency on the NorthTrans-Pennine route between Leeds and Manchester, with Class 185s and Class 802s doing the work currently undertaken by the Nova 3s. The hourly service groups are as follows: Newcastle to Liverpool Lime Street will be operated by the ‘802s’only, while Scarborough to York (with limited through workings to Leeds and Manchester) will involve both fleets. Saltburn to Manchester Airport remains a Class 185 duty, mostly in pairs, according toTPE. Hull to Manchester Piccadilly services will call …
