GWR to start new Winter Timetable

Direct services between Bristol and Oxford will continue this December, and extra carriages and being put on some more Sunday services, but customers are warned to check their regular train times as GWR changes its timetable.

As part of their December timetable change, GWR is to continue the trial that started in September, reinstating direct trains between Bristol and Oxford. The two round trips will depart on Saturdays at:

• 1018 and 1518 from Bristol Temple Meads calling at Bath, Chippenham, Swindon and Oxford
• 1202 and 1712 from Oxford calling at Swindon, Chippenham, Bath and Bristol Temple Meads

Those travelling in South Wales are also being warned to pay particular attention to the new timetable. Major timetable changes being made by Transport for Wales, means that GWR has also made a significant number of amendments to its services in South Wales. Most are minor, but some services have been retimed by up to 11 minutes arriving into Cardiff.

If you intend to travel, you are told by GWR to double check your journey to avoid being caught out and having to wait for the next train.

Recognising changes in customer demand, the train operator is also to increase the number of carriages on some early Sunday morning trains on key routes. Nine or ten carriage trains will replace five carriages trains, effectively doubling the number of seats available on some services from Cheltenham to London Paddington and from Great Malvern to London Paddington.

Services on the line that runs between Bristol and Weymouth will also see some Sunday improvements to journey times. Departing some trains a little earlier has enabled GWR to reduce total journey times by as much as 17 minutes.

A new, direct service between Cheltenham and Bristol, via Stonehouse/Stroud/Kemble/Swindon and Chippenham/Bath/Bristol is also to be introduced on Saturdays at 0846. The train will provide a direct link from Cheltenham to Chippenham and Bath, while also helping to alleviate demand on the later 0859 service from Cheltenham to London.

Some further small-scale changes have also been promised by the operator to free up more seats on long-distance trains.

The new timetable starts on Sunday 15 December for Sunday services, and from Monday 16 December for weekday services. You can check your journey here.