New Rail Timetables
From Kez Armitage
Friday, 25 November 2016
So goodbye, those lovely pocket sized timetables that Metro used to produce! Farewell that lovely composite "West Yorkshire Train Times" booklet, so handy for people travelling around West Yorkshire and beyond!
For those who don't yet know, from December, Metro are no longer issuing timetables. It's now down to the train operating companies. That in itself doesn't sound too bad, as long as they don't change things too much.
But of course, they have.
The corporate, colour coded lines (eg Airedale Line, Calder Line, Huddersfield Line etc etc) are going. In their place are timetables produced for the specific services (rather than routes) operated by the train companies.
As an example of what this means, the Calder Valley is now going to be served by four separate timetables:
Timetables 45, 44,36 and 8.
So, for example, you'll need two different timetables for Hebden Bridge-Manchester, and Hebden Bridge-Preston/Blackpool. The convenience of having everything in one booklet is obviously considered an expense too far.
The new timetables, effective from 11th December, are here.
From Tim B
Friday, 2 December 2016
These are less than useless. So, you want to know the first train to Leeds? That's in the Leeds to Huddersfield timetable. The next train? That's on the Bradford timetable, or maybe not. Seems also that some routes haven't had any changes. Which begs the question, what's the point? Still, so far our whizz-bang new franchise has been underwhelming - less carriages at peak times, more frequent delays and the appearance of a rather mystifying digital display on an otherwise unchanged train announcing my welcome to a class 152.
From Paul Clarke
Thursday, 8 December 2016
I've found t'internet useful for getting train times and there is a very good app for smartphones which most of us have these days that works really well.
From Kimmie D
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Lucky you Tim - you have clearly been treated to a refurbished unit. My daily commute (6.56am from Mytholmroyd to Manchester) still involves an old 2 carriage Sprinter Class 150 with broken and dirty seats, lack of any decent leg/arm room (who needs arms aparently), serious overcrowding and generally running a few minutes late on arrival due to spending extra time at Rochdale apologising to passengers that can't get on.
Definitely a poorer service under the new franchise.
From Tim M
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Honestly I use the app (but mainly to check delays - I know the timetable by heart, as I commute by train the days a week. But, the new timetables are just another example of the new franchise doing even worse (who could imagine?) than the old one. Apparently all will be better when the new carriages arrive... In 2019
From Paul Rigg
Monday, 12 December 2016
To be honest this issue is not the new operator , the "old" Cerco/Ned Northern issued exactly the same timetables as the ones that are available now. It is Metro that has decided to stop issuing their own timetables. It probably doesn't matter to most of the lines (Hallam, Wharfedale, etc) but the Caldervale line is not well catered for.
Four timetables are now needed to show all aspects of the (somewhat complicated) network that has been created over the last 10 years or so which is somewhat unsatisfactory.
Perhaps Northern could have a look at the old layout that Metro used and produce a timetable like that. I'm sure it would save them some paper if nothing else!
The loss of the book showing all lines in the county is also regrettable. Perhaps Metro could print it and sell it for a small price. I know several punters who would happily buy one.