Avanti West Coast has launched a new timetable which reintroduces many services which were a casualty of the August step down. The new timetable started on 11 December, and now includes 40% more services per day.
One of the headline changes is the re-instatement of 3 trains per hour on the London to Manchester route. Changes to calling patterns at intermediate stations on Avanti routes have also been made, including:
- Rugby – doubling of services (Mon-Sat) to London plus an hourly direct service to Manchester.
- Nuneaton – Additional calls at Nuneaton will provide an hourly service to London Euston with fast journey times of less than one hour, as well as a new direct service to Manchester.
- Stafford – doubling of services (Mon-Sat) to London plus an hourly direct service to Manchester
- Milton Keynes – new direct service to and from Liverpool.
Other changes include:
- Liverpool – later train from Euston at 2200.
- West Midlands/Birmingham – hourly fast train between Birmingham and London with a journey time of 1hour 16mins, as well as improved connectivity with stops at Rugby, Milton Keynes, and Watford Junction in the second hourly service.