Our cover photo this week shows a Renfe S-730 train at Barcelona França. ID 12282440 © Toniflap. Dreamstime.com.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is set to see a significant upgrade in passenger rail services from mid-December 2025. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy is launching new and expanded routes to improve connectivity, reduce travel times, and provide more comfortable travel options during the winter months.
From December 16, the new Talgo route No. 119/120 Almaty – Kostanay will operate on even-numbered days. This service will cut travel time by 12 hours compared with standard trains and will link key cities including Tobol, Atbasar, Astana, Karaganda, and Almaty. Talgo’s modern carriages offer enhanced comfort, with specially designated seats for passengers with disabilities available at up to a 50% discount.
Additionally, starting December 14, Atyrau – Almaty trains 41/42 will switch to a daily schedule, strengthening links between the western and southern regions of Kazakhstan. The train will consist of over 15 renovated compartment and reserved-seat carriages and can accommodate approximately 700 passengers.
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy is also extending Talgo train 65/66 from Astana to Zhezkazgan onwards to Kyzylorda, operating every other day. The extension will reduce travel time by seven hours and serve over 400 passengers per journey.
Finally, daily Talgo service between Almaty and Tashkent will begin on December 14, carrying over 400 passengers per day. This service aims to enhance transport connections with Uzbekistan, support tourism, and strengthen cultural and business ties.
France
SNCF Voyageurs has announced plans to introduce a new direct Ouigo TGV service between Lyon and Bordeaux by summer 2027, aimed at strengthening cross-country high-speed links and addressing a long-standing gap in France’s Interconnexion network. Revealed on November 27, the new service will run daily in each direction, offering a fast and affordable option on what is currently one of the country’s busiest domestic air corridors.
The train will depart Lyon Part-Dieu at 08.00, calling at Massy TGV, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Poitiers and Angoulême before arriving in Bordeaux Saint-Jean at 13.02. The return working will leave Bordeaux at 13.58, reaching Lyon at 19.00. The timetable is designed to provide convenient connections at intermediate hubs while still maintaining competitive end-to-end journey times.
At present, the quickest rail journey between the two cities is 4 hours 21 minutes, requiring a change from the 10.30 Inoui departure from Lyon at Massy to connect into Ouigo 7673. The introduction of the through service removes this interchange and is expected to make rail travel more attractive for leisure and business passengers alike.
By offering a direct, low-cost alternative, SNCF Voyageurs hopes to capture a larger share of the market from air travel while supporting broader efforts to promote environmentally sustainable long-distance transport.
Great Britain
Several significant timetable changes will take effect across Great Britain in the upcoming timetable period, bringing improved frequencies, clearer patterns and extended connectivity on several key routes.
In the Northeast, Northern is undertaking a substantial re-cast of services covered in Tables 209–212. The Middlesbrough – Newcastle corridor sees the most notable enhancement: every other train will now continue beyond Hexham to Carlisle, creating a simple hourly pattern linking Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Carlisle, supplemented by an hourly Middlesbrough – Newcastle service and an hourly Newcastle – Carlisle service. These improvements apply Monday to Saturday. In addition, services between Saltburn and Bishop Auckland are being re-timed to provide a consistent, regular pattern throughout the day.
The most high-profile development is the overhaul of East Coast Main Line services between London, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. A broadly clock-face structure will operate every two hours, with only minor variations. Sunday services largely mirror the weekday pattern, although timings differ slightly. To reflect this reorganisation, schedules are now presented in two separate tables: one covering London – York, Leeds and Lincoln, and the other London – York – Newcastle – Edinburgh.
East Midlands routes also see meaningful changes. Services between Matlock, Derby, Nottingham and Lincoln are being combined to form a coherent hourly Matlock – Lincoln service seven days a week, with alternate trains extended to Cleethorpes on Mondays to Saturdays and two such extensions on Sundays. Adjustments have also been made on the Lincoln – Newark Northgate corridor, while the Crewe – Newark Castle service is extended to Lincoln on Mondays to Saturdays, giving the city a regular half-hourly service to Nottingham and Derby.
Spain
