Major train timetable changes between Peterborough, London and Cambridge coming this December
Major timetable changes for rail services run by Great Northern and Thameslink on the East Coast Mainline will take place in December.
The major new timetable will take advantage of a £4bn decade-long series of upgrades made to the route to introduce new long-distance services to London from the North of England.
The changes that will affect commuters in Peterborough are:
Peterborough to London King’s Cross
- Weekday peak Great Northern services between Peterborough and London King’s Cross, which call at Huntingdon, St Neots, Biggleswade and Stevenage, will remain at five services per morning and afternoon/evening.
- The current 08:05 service from Peterborough will be brought forward to provide an earlier fast service, departing Peterborough at 05:43.
Thameslink services between Peterborough, Cambridge and London
- Some services will have minor timing changes to allow for better connections.
- Thameslink services between Cambridge and Brighton will stop at the new Cambridge South Station when it opens in early 2026.
- Morning peak Thameslink services between Peterborough and Horsham will stop at Knebworth to provide faster journeys times to London for Knebworth.
In addition to the changes announced, Great Northern and Thameslink will offer, after 14 December:
- Additional peak time services between Cambridge, Letchworth Garden City and London King’s Cross, to create more space on trains for customers
- New departures at Hertford North, Bayford, Cuffley and Crews Hill in the morning peak
- Faster journey times to London from key locations such as King's Lynn (seven minutes faster) and Cambridge, as well as stations along the route, including Foxton, Knebworth and Welwyn North
- More evenly spaced departure times so customers don’t need to wait as long for a train.
The new timetable and services will be updated in online journey planners such as National Rail Enquiries from Friday 19 September but the timetable changes are already detailed station by station, along with changes coming to other operators’ services, at www.ecmltimetable.info.
Govia Thameslink Railway Chief Operating Officer John Whitehurst said: “For our customers travelling to and from stations between London, Hertford North, Cambridge and King’s Lynn, this timetable will mean more passenger space at peak times where it is needed most, quicker trips to and from London from key destinations and more evenly spaced departure times so customers don’t need to wait as long for a train.
“The timetable will also ensure we are ready for new services to be introduced at Cambridge South station when it opens early next year.”