This week the first details of the new timetable, valid from Sunday 10 December this year until Saturday 19 May 2018 trickled into my database, so here's the results of a very quick scan.
The service at Huyton is pretty similar to the current one, but with many trains re-timed by a few minutes. The exciting news is that they are, at last, timed for 100mph Class 319 units instead of Class 142 pacers. This results in slightly faster running times, for example 3 minutes less for a stopping train from Wigan to Lime Street and 5 minutes saved Manchester Victoria to Lime Street.
Of course, a change much more important in the scheme of things is the opening of the Ordsall Chord, with trains from Oxford Road to Leeds (Via Victoria and Bradford.) Here's an example: http://www.charlwoodhouse.co.uk/rail/liverail/train/10807089.
Another important change in the new timetable is the appearance of electric services at Bolton. Only local ones so far, there aren't any Scotland services.
Don't forget, as I always say in
posts about new timetables, the data is well outside Network Rail's twelve week window and so must be considered provisional.
