Rail passengers warned of new timetable

Chiltern Railways has announced that every train time will change next month when the May 2023 timetable comes into effect. 

Developed in partnership with Network Rail and other train operators, Chiltern's new timetable builds on data-driven capacity improvements made in December 2022 while providing customers with standard departure times from each station in the off peak and evening peak. 

This timetable update means that every train time will change from 21 May onwards. Chiltern is urging customers to check before they travel as their usual journeys may not be the same.  

The May 2023 timetable has been designed to reflect the ongoing rail recovery, changing commuter patterns and a boom in weekend leisure travel. The regular departure times throughout most of the day will improve connectivity, and make train times easier for customers to remember, ensuring that they can plan ahead with confidence. 

Additional peak capacity has been maintained on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with further increased service frequencies in the West Midlands on key commuter routes in collaboration with West Midlands Trains.  

This means that a regular, 15-minute service will be in operation between Dorridge and Birmingham Moor Street. There will now also be two trains per hour operating between Bicester North, Warwick and Birmingham Moor Street. 

The operator has made the data-driven decision to make small reductions in service where appropriate.  Chiltern Railways will no longer serve Kidderminster, but there is no reduction in frequency to Birmingham due to service enhancements by West Midlands Trains. There will also be small reductions in off peak services in Buckinghamshire, and between London Marylebone and Aylesbury. 

Chiltern Railways has seen consistent growth in customer numbers at the weekend, and to meet this demand, the operator is adding extra Saturday seats to ensure that there are two trains per hour connecting Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone at the busiest times. This equates to over 2000 extra seats each way for those travelling on Saturdays.  

All of the changes in Chiltern's May timetable are designed to put carriages and services where they are needed most throughout the week based on customer demand, with the aim of improving customer experience, connectivity between stations and the reliability of service. 

Due to every train time on the network changing, Chiltern Railways is urging customers to triple-check their journey before they travel. 

Customers can find more information about the May 2023 timetable change by visiting https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/may23timetable.