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suzyscottdotcomI did say some time ago, that I would do a review/explanation of the various services on the First Capital Connect train services classed as the Great Northern route to/from Cambridge & Kings Lynn, plus also their services to/from Peterborough. Their timetable book is available (also as a PDF), but most choose a mini timetable over the various patterns, which can be a bit difficult to get to grips with, in the beginning.
Most stations outwith the former London Country Bus Services area have two trains an hour, one slow, one fast. The fast trains do not stop at as many stations, meaning some little-used stations are served hourly. However, someone else’s slow train can quickly become someone else’s fast one! Most services can be operated by 8 car units, although Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton can only be served by 4 car units, as well as stops north of Ely towards Kings Lynn, on what is dubbed the Fen Line. 12 car units can defiantly stop at Letchworth and Royston, as they’ve had platform extensions recently, as well as Cambridge.
So, starting from London, as that’s the easiest way of explaining it all… Monday to Friday off peak, at the same minutes past most hours (there are one or two odd trains that do not follow these patterns). I’ve also put together a basic route map (in Excel!) for the Monday-Friday patterns.
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Departing from Kings Cross, Monday to Friday off-peak
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xx15 – Cambridge (“Cambridge Express”) only.
xx45 – Kings Lynn. Runs as a Cambridge Express (non-stop to Cambridge) then all stops via Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington, to Kings Lynn.
These two trains combine to offer a half-hourly direct service to Cambridge.
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xx06 – “All stops” to Cambridge – actually, isn’t quite. Stops at Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, non-stop to Hatfield, then Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston stopping service). This is often described as “Foxton” (from London Kings Cross) as Cambridge passengers are quicker to wait another nine minutes for the express.
xx22 – Limited stop to Peterborough – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey (morning trains do not stop here), Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
xx36 – “All stops” to Peterborough – again, not anywhere near it, but it must seem like it! Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
The xx06 and xx36 trains provide a half-hourly service from Kings Cross to intermediate stops like Potters Bar and Stevenage – also see below. The xx22 and xx36 trains combine to provide two trains an hour to most stops north-west of Hitchin.
xx52 – Limited stop to Cambridge – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, non-stop to Royston, non-stop to Cambridge.
The xx22 and xx52 trains combine to provide a half-hourly faster service for stations between Potters Bar and Welwyn/Stevenage. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston limited stop/semi fast service, as there are some even faster trains in the peak, and early evening, that stop at Letchworth and/or Royston only.)
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The trains on this group of services also provide the services to the former Northern Line City branch from Moorgate, Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park. These services combine to provide a train every 10 minutes over this route, before continuing to Harringay, Hornsey and Alexandra Palace (stations by-passed by the above). These trains then follow one of two patterns – either stopping at more stations by-passed by the above trains on the main line (New Southgate, New Barnet etc.), or the “Hertford East Loop” to provide services to Palmers Green, Enfield Chase, Cuffley, etc.
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Departing from Moorgate, Monday to Friday off-peak
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xx02, xx22, xx42 – All stops to Welwyn Garden City. Via Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, to Welwyn Garden City.
xx12, xx32 – All stops to Hertford North. Via Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, to terminate at Hertford North.
xx52 – All stops to Letchworth Garden City via Hertford North. Follows the xx12/xx32 pattern via Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, then continuing to Watton-at-Stone (the only hourly train), Stevenage, Hitchin, to Letchworth Garden City.
Peak hour patterns are not quite the same, so I shall leave those.
Saturday services, however, are rather different. The Moorgate – Old St – Finsbury Park line is closed all weekend (as well as late evenings and bank holidays), so means other stations have different patterns. Aside from early morning/late evening engineering work, weekend patterns generally are followed throughout the day. The first bit is similar to that of a weekday, although patterns for stations closer to London are different, with trains every 15/30 minutes instead of 10/20.
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Departing from Kings Cross, Saturday off-peak
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx15 – Cambridge (“Cambridge Express”) only.
xx45 – Kings Lynn. Runs as a Cambridge Express (non-stop to Cambridge) then all stops via Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington, to Kings Lynn.
These two trains combine to offer a half-hourly direct service to Cambridge.
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xx06 – “All stops” to Cambridge – actually, isn’t quite. Stops at Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, non-stop to Hatfield, then Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston stopping service). This is often described as “Foxton” (from London Kings Cross) as Cambridge passengers are quicker to wait another nine minutes for the express.
xx22 – Limited stop to Peterborough – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
xx36 – “All stops” to Peterborough – again, not anywhere near it, but it must seem like it! Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
The xx06 and xx36 trains provide a half-hourly service from Kings Cross to intermediate stops like Potters Bar and Stevenage – also see below. The xx22 and xx36 trains combine to provide two trains an hour to most stops north-west of Hitchin.
xx52 – Limited stop to Cambridge – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, non-stop to Royston, non-stop to Cambridge.
The xx22 and xx52 trains combine to provide a half-hourly faster service for stations between Potters Bar and Welwyn/Stevenage. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston limited stop/semi fast service.)
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xx11, xx41 – All stations to Welwyn Garden City – Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, to Welwyn Garden City.
xx26 – All stations to Stevenage via Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, Watton-at-Stone (the only hourly train), to Stevenage.
xx56 – All stations to Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, to Hertford North.
Sunday evening trains are very similar to that of a Saturday, but with half the fast trains to Cambridge only.
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Departing from Kings Cross, Saturday off-peak
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx15 – Kings Lynn. Runs as a Cambridge Express (non-stop to Cambridge) then all stops via Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington, to Kings Lynn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx06 – “All stops” to Cambridge – actually, isn’t quite. Stops at Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, non-stop to Hatfield, then Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston stopping service). This is often described as “Foxton” (from London Kings Cross) as Cambridge passengers are quicker to wait another nine minutes for the express.
xx22 – Limited stop to Peterborough – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
xx36 – “All stops” to Peterborough – again, not anywhere near it, but it must seem like it! Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
The xx06 and xx36 trains provide a half-hourly service from Kings Cross to intermediate stops like Potters Bar and Stevenage – also see below. The xx22 and xx36 trains combine to provide two trains an hour to most stops north-west of Hitchin.
xx52 – Limited stop to Cambridge – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, non-stop to Royston, non-stop to Cambridge.
The xx22 and xx52 trains combine to provide a half-hourly faster service for stations between Potters Bar and Welwyn/Stevenage. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston limited stop/semi fast service.)
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xx11, xx41 – All stations to Welwyn Garden City – Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, to Welwyn Garden City.
xx26 – All stations to Stevenage via Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, Watton-at-Stone (the only hourly train), to Stevenage.
xx56 – All stations to Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, to Hertford North.
Most stations outwith the former London Country Bus Services area have two trains an hour, one slow, one fast. The fast trains do not stop at as many stations, meaning some little-used stations are served hourly. However, someone else’s slow train can quickly become someone else’s fast one! Most services can be operated by 8 car units, although Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton can only be served by 4 car units, as well as stops north of Ely towards Kings Lynn, on what is dubbed the Fen Line. 12 car units can defiantly stop at Letchworth and Royston, as they’ve had platform extensions recently, as well as Cambridge.
So, starting from London, as that’s the easiest way of explaining it all… Monday to Friday off peak, at the same minutes past most hours (there are one or two odd trains that do not follow these patterns). I’ve also put together a basic route map (in Excel!) for the Monday-Friday patterns.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Departing from Kings Cross, Monday to Friday off-peak
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx15 – Cambridge (“Cambridge Express”) only.
xx45 – Kings Lynn. Runs as a Cambridge Express (non-stop to Cambridge) then all stops via Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington, to Kings Lynn.
These two trains combine to offer a half-hourly direct service to Cambridge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx06 – “All stops” to Cambridge – actually, isn’t quite. Stops at Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, non-stop to Hatfield, then Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston stopping service). This is often described as “Foxton” (from London Kings Cross) as Cambridge passengers are quicker to wait another nine minutes for the express.
xx22 – Limited stop to Peterborough – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey (morning trains do not stop here), Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
xx36 – “All stops” to Peterborough – again, not anywhere near it, but it must seem like it! Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
The xx06 and xx36 trains provide a half-hourly service from Kings Cross to intermediate stops like Potters Bar and Stevenage – also see below. The xx22 and xx36 trains combine to provide two trains an hour to most stops north-west of Hitchin.
xx52 – Limited stop to Cambridge – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, non-stop to Royston, non-stop to Cambridge.
The xx22 and xx52 trains combine to provide a half-hourly faster service for stations between Potters Bar and Welwyn/Stevenage. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston limited stop/semi fast service, as there are some even faster trains in the peak, and early evening, that stop at Letchworth and/or Royston only.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trains on this group of services also provide the services to the former Northern Line City branch from Moorgate, Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park. These services combine to provide a train every 10 minutes over this route, before continuing to Harringay, Hornsey and Alexandra Palace (stations by-passed by the above). These trains then follow one of two patterns – either stopping at more stations by-passed by the above trains on the main line (New Southgate, New Barnet etc.), or the “Hertford East Loop” to provide services to Palmers Green, Enfield Chase, Cuffley, etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Departing from Moorgate, Monday to Friday off-peak
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx02, xx22, xx42 – All stops to Welwyn Garden City. Via Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, to Welwyn Garden City.
xx12, xx32 – All stops to Hertford North. Via Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, to terminate at Hertford North.
xx52 – All stops to Letchworth Garden City via Hertford North. Follows the xx12/xx32 pattern via Old Street, Essex Road, Highbury & Islington, Drayton Park, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, then continuing to Watton-at-Stone (the only hourly train), Stevenage, Hitchin, to Letchworth Garden City.
Peak hour patterns are not quite the same, so I shall leave those.
Saturday services, however, are rather different. The Moorgate – Old St – Finsbury Park line is closed all weekend (as well as late evenings and bank holidays), so means other stations have different patterns. Aside from early morning/late evening engineering work, weekend patterns generally are followed throughout the day. The first bit is similar to that of a weekday, although patterns for stations closer to London are different, with trains every 15/30 minutes instead of 10/20.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Departing from Kings Cross, Saturday off-peak
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx15 – Cambridge (“Cambridge Express”) only.
xx45 – Kings Lynn. Runs as a Cambridge Express (non-stop to Cambridge) then all stops via Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington, to Kings Lynn.
These two trains combine to offer a half-hourly direct service to Cambridge.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx06 – “All stops” to Cambridge – actually, isn’t quite. Stops at Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, non-stop to Hatfield, then Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston stopping service). This is often described as “Foxton” (from London Kings Cross) as Cambridge passengers are quicker to wait another nine minutes for the express.
xx22 – Limited stop to Peterborough – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
xx36 – “All stops” to Peterborough – again, not anywhere near it, but it must seem like it! Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
The xx06 and xx36 trains provide a half-hourly service from Kings Cross to intermediate stops like Potters Bar and Stevenage – also see below. The xx22 and xx36 trains combine to provide two trains an hour to most stops north-west of Hitchin.
xx52 – Limited stop to Cambridge – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, non-stop to Royston, non-stop to Cambridge.
The xx22 and xx52 trains combine to provide a half-hourly faster service for stations between Potters Bar and Welwyn/Stevenage. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston limited stop/semi fast service.)
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xx11, xx41 – All stations to Welwyn Garden City – Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, to Welwyn Garden City.
xx26 – All stations to Stevenage via Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, Watton-at-Stone (the only hourly train), to Stevenage.
xx56 – All stations to Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, to Hertford North.
Sunday evening trains are very similar to that of a Saturday, but with half the fast trains to Cambridge only.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Departing from Kings Cross, Saturday off-peak
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx15 – Kings Lynn. Runs as a Cambridge Express (non-stop to Cambridge) then all stops via Waterbeach, Ely, Littleport, Downham Market, Watlington, to Kings Lynn.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
xx06 – “All stops” to Cambridge – actually, isn’t quite. Stops at Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, non-stop to Hatfield, then Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston stopping service). This is often described as “Foxton” (from London Kings Cross) as Cambridge passengers are quicker to wait another nine minutes for the express.
xx22 – Limited stop to Peterborough – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, St Neots, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
xx36 – “All stops” to Peterborough – again, not anywhere near it, but it must seem like it! Finsbury Park, then non-stop to Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, Sandy, Huntingdon, Peterborough.
The xx06 and xx36 trains provide a half-hourly service from Kings Cross to intermediate stops like Potters Bar and Stevenage – also see below. The xx22 and xx36 trains combine to provide two trains an hour to most stops north-west of Hitchin.
xx52 – Limited stop to Cambridge – Finsbury Park, non-stop to Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, non-stop to Royston, non-stop to Cambridge.
The xx22 and xx52 trains combine to provide a half-hourly faster service for stations between Potters Bar and Welwyn/Stevenage. (This is the one that I would describe as the Royston limited stop/semi fast service.)
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xx11, xx41 – All stations to Welwyn Garden City – Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield, to Welwyn Garden City.
xx26 – All stations to Stevenage via Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, Watton-at-Stone (the only hourly train), to Stevenage.
xx56 – All stations to Hertford North - Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, then branching off the main line via Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, to Hertford North.
