Virgin West Coast's 2009 timetable
31 October 2008
The Virgin High Frequency service begins in December. Here the 12.46 Virgin Trains service from Euston to Lancaster passes Carpenders Park at speed on 11 August 2008, formed of Class 390 Pendolino No 390034. On the slow line, Class 508/3 No 508301 approaches as the 12.37 London Overground local service from Euston to Watford Junction.Brian Morrison
This commentary gives an overview of Virgin West Coast's timetable plans for 2009, which follow the principles outlined in the Department for Transport¹s May 2006 Progress Report on the West Coast Main Line. The finer detail is being worked through, and the company says it will share that at the earliest opportunity. Details of the phased introduction plans will be found in the news pages of the November 2008 issue of Modern Railways. The commentary here is specifically about the weekday service on the West Coast route. The timetable itself is just one part of the picture for 2009. There are other other strands of activity, including more than 4,000 more parking spaces at Virgin stations. The majority of these are planned to be ready for the start of the new timetable.
Euston Preston / Carlisle / Glasgow / Edinburgh
- 13 Glasgow to Euston services and 13 Euston to Glasgow services operate. No Euston to Edinburgh service operates in either direction.
- The typical end-to-end journey time will be 4hrs 26 mins.
- The fastest train of the day is the 1630 Euston Glasgow which completes the journey in 4hrs 10 mins. It is planned that this service will call at Preston only.
- An hourly service will operate throughout the day between London Euston and Preston with some additional services in the peaks. The fastest journey time is 2hrs.
- Trains depart from London Euston at xx30 past each hour with additional Euston Glasgow trains in the evening peak at 1657 and 1757.
- The 1030,1230 and 1430 services from London Euston terminate at Lancaster.
- The majority of services run non stop between London Euston and Warrington Bank Quay, then call at Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme or Penrith (generally alternate services call at one or the other), Carlisle then Glasgow Central.
- The 1430 Euston Lancaster and 1737 Lancaster Euston to be operated by class 221 Voyagers.
- Two northbound and one southbound service to call at Lockerbie.
- In the morning peak there is an 0535 departure from Lancaster (Class 221 Super Voyager) which couples to the 0447 Holyhead Euston at Crewe.
- This is followed by a 0430 Glasgow Euston service calling at Carlisle, Penrith, Oxenholme, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan and Warrington, then non stop to Euston.
Euston Birmingham Wolverhampton
- A 20 minute frequency throughout the day between Euston and Birmingham, with one train an hour running through to Wolverhampton.
- Typical off peak journey times are 1hr 22 mins from Birmingham New Street to London Euston and 1hr 47 mins from Wolverhampton to London Euston.
- A fast 0704 Wolverhampton to London Euston service is to operate calling at Sandwell and Dudley and Birmingham New St only. This service will run express from Birmingham New St to London Euston in 1hr 12 mins.
- A fast 0741 Birmingham International to London Euston service also operates calling at Coventry only.
- Off peak all services call at Birmingham International and Coventry - with services calling at either Rugby, Milton Keynes Central and Watford Junction to give Birmingham New Street a clockface hourly service to each.
- The 0510 and 0530 Birmingham Euston and 2223 and 2343 Euston Wolverhampton to be operated by class 221 Voyagers to avoid diesel hauling when services are diverted via Nuneaton.
- The 0510 Birmingham New St to London Euston and 2343 Euston Birmingham services to be routed via Nuneaton.
Euston to Chester / Holyhead
- All services to be operated by class 221 Voyagers. An hourly service operates throughout the day between Euston and Chester calling at Milton Keynes Central and Crewe only. Typical journey times between London Euston and Chester are 2hrs.
- Holyhead services are generally formed of 2 x Voyagers between London Euston and Chester where the 1st set goes forward to Holyhead.
- Through services to / from North Wales operate at the following times:
- 447 Holyhead to London Euston
- 0550 Holyhead to London Euston
- 0650 Holyhead to London Euston
- 0850 Holyhead to London Euston
- 1217 Bangor to London Euston
- 1350 Holyhead to London Euston
- 2017 Bangor to Birmingham New St
- 0530 Birmingham New St to Holyhead
- 0810 London Euston to Bangor
- 0910 London Euston to Holyhead
- 1610 London Euston to Bangor
- 1710 London Euston to Holyhead
- 1810 London Euston to Holyhead
- 1910 London Euston to Holyhead
Euston to Manchester
- Services operate every 20 mins throughout the day.
- The xx00 ex London Euston services call at Stoke, Macclesfield and Stockport.
- The xx20 ex London Euston services call at Milton Keynes Central, Stoke and Stockport.
- The xx40 ex London Euston services call at Crewe, Wilmslow and Stockport.
- The xx15 ex Manchester Picc services call at Stockport, Stoke and Milton Keynes Central.
- The xx35 ex Manchester Picc services call at Stockport, Macclesfield and Stoke.
- The xx55 ex Manchester Picc services call at Stockport, Wilmslow and Crewe.
- Typical journey times are 2hrs 5 mins from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly with the fastest train completing the journey in 1hr 58 mins.
- The fast 'headline' train from Manchester will be the 0700 departure which will call at Stockport only.
Euston to Liverpool
- Services to operate hourly throughout the day at xx07 from Euston and at xx48 from Liverpool. Additional trains operate at 1733 and 1833 from London Euston to Liverpool Lime Street and at 0527, 0605 and 0700 from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston.
- A new earlier train will operate from Euston to Liverpool Lime St at 0535 and the last train will be at 2107.
- A new late train will operate from Liverpool Lime St to London Euston departing at 2048 calling at Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford, Lichfield, Tamworth, Nuneaton, Rugby, Milton Keynes and Watford.
- Typical journey times are 2hrs 7 mins from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston with the fastest train taking 2hrs 1 min. The fast 'headline' train from Liverpool will be the 0700 departure which will call at Runcorn only.
- The standard calling pattern is at Stafford and Runcorn only.
Birmingham Glasgow / Edinburgh
- As part of the revised franchise mapping, Virgin West Coast will take over the operation of the hourly Birmingham Scotland via Preston services as follows. All trains to be worked by 221 Voyagers.
- Trains will operate hourly from Birmingham to Carlisle (departing at xx20 past each hour), continuing forward to either Edinburgh or Glasgow. All services will call at Wolverhampton, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, (then either Oxenholme or Penrith) and Carlisle.
- Southbound services depart from Edinburgh at 2 hourly intervals departing xx52 and from Glasgow Central at 2 hourly intervals at xx00
- In addition a 0557 Crewe Glasgow Central and a 2010 Glasgow Central Crewe will operate.
- Intermediate stations between Preston and Carlisle, and also Lockerbie will be served by Manchester Airport Glasgow / Edinburgh services operated by First TransPennine Express. An evening peak Virgin Trains departure from Glasgow Central will call at Lockerbie.
2009 Timetable Commentary
Further Information
Trent Valley
- Virgin West Coast services will call at Lichfield, Tamworth and Nuneaton only during the morning and evening peaks, and during the evening when Trent Valley local services do not operate.
- In between, an hourly London Euston to Crewe 'West Midlands Franchise' class 350 'Desiro' stopping service will operate.
- Nuneaton is served by 'Desiros' only during the off peak.
- Nuneaton calling VWC trains are:
- 04.55 Manchester Picc London Euston
- 05.55 Manchester Picc London Euston
- 04.47 Holyhead London Euston
- 07.35 Manchester Picc London Euston
- 19.48 Liverpool Lime St London Euston
- 20.48 Liverpool Lime St London Euston
- 17.10 London Euston Holyhead
- 18.10 London Euston Holyhead
- 19.07 London Euston Liverpool Lime St
- 20.07 London Euston Liverpool Lime St
- 21.07 London Euston Liverpool Lime St
- 22.00 London Euston Manchester Picc
Lichfield and Tamworth calling VWC trains are:
- 05.34 Preston London Euston
- 06.05 Liverpool Lime St London Euston
- 20.48 Liverpool Lime St London Euston
- 16.57 London Euston Glasgow Central
- 17.57 London Euston Glasgow Central
- 20.30 London Euston Preston
- 22:00 London Euston Manchester Picc
Crewe
- London Euston to Glasgow Central and Liverpool Lime Street services no longer call at Crewe. However, Crewe is still served by two trains an hour to/from London Euston (these being a Manchester and the Chester service).
- Customers from Crewe to Glasgow Central to travel by Virgin West Coast Birmingham Glasgow services. Customers from Nuneaton and Stafford to Crewe and from Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street to travel by 'West Midlands Franchise' services.
Copyright © 2008 Modern Railways Magazine