The Bristol Railway Archive

Improved services feature in Virgin CrossCountry's new summer timetable

Improved services and links throughout the country feature in Virgin CrossCountry's summer timetable which begins on Sunday 11 June.

Improvements have been made to Virgin CrossCountry services linking Scotland, the north-east, north-west and Birmingham with Devon and Cornwall to meet an upsurge in demand for rail travel within the south-west. These include:Restored direct link between Devon and ManchesterExtra capacity for commuters returning from BristolRestored direct link from Edinburgh to CornwallExtra capacity from PlymouthRelief for overcrowding in Cornwall

These improvements by Britain's only 'national' passenger train operator are to be delivered as continuing growth encouraged by the highest levels of performance for many years has brought in excess of 20 million passenger journeys a year to CrossCountry. Passenger journeys between Bristol and Plymouth have doubled during the past decade.

They follow enhancements to the timetable from last December which brought a significant increase in the number of Virgin CrossCountry trains serving Totnes and Tiverton Parkway.

To re-establish a much requested through train link between Manchester and Devon the 10:48 service from Exeter St Davids to Newcastle will start from Paignton at 10:02 and call at Torquay, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth and Dawlish. It will then leave Birmingham New Street for Manchester Piccadilly at 13:48.

To increase evening peak capacity west from Bristol the 12:19 service from Newcastle to Bristol will be extended to Plymouth, leaving Temple Meads at 17:11. It will call at Taunton, Tiverton Parkway, Exeter St Davids, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot and Totnes.

To restore a direct train between Edinburgh and Cornwall, the 09:00 service from Glasgow Central to Plymouth via Leeds will be extended to serve Penzance, replacing the current First Great Western Trains service. It will leave Plymouth at 19:08 and call at Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Camborne and St Erth.

To provide additional late-morning capacity from Plymouth and to relieve the busy 09:30 service from Penzance to Glasgow Central the 13:58 train from Bristol Temple Meads to Newcastle will start from Plymouth at 11:45 and call at Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway and Taunton.

To provide additional capacity through Cornwall during peak commuting time the current 05:45 service from Plymouth to Penzance will leave later at 07:10. This train will connect at Truro with a service for Falmouth and relieve overcrowding on the First Great Western Trains service leaving Plymouth at 07:20.

Southbound, the 11:24 train from Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham will be extended to leave New Street at 13:12 and call at Cheltenham Spa, Bristol Parkway, Temple Meads and principal stations to Plymouth, arriving at 16:48.

The present 06:12 train from Birmingham New Street to Exeter will be extended to serve Paignton.

The present 17:58 train from Bristol Temple Meads to Newcastle will start from Paignton at 16:05 and call at Torquay, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare.

Replacing the 21:26 Penzance to Par service of First Great Western Trains, the current 20:00 train from Penzance to Plymouth will leave later at around 20:40 and connect with an Exeter service at Plymouth.

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To provide a later evening service from Edinburgh and the north-east vial Leeds to Bristol than currently available, the 17:05 train from Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street will be extended to serve Cheltenham Spa, Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.