Into The West - campaigners for an improved rail service to Londonderry - were angered by a series of alterations to the timetable commencing in September that they say amounted to a raw deal for commuters to the North West.
A new timetable - which took effect on September 27 - meant early morning trains would not arrive in the city until 9.30am - 20 minutes later than under the previous timetable.
Rail Minister Conor Murphy intervened to ensure a train would arrive in Londonderry by 9am but he only further infuriated rail campaigners when it emerged early morning commuters to Londonderry would face an extra 25 minutes wait in Coleraine in the mornings.
Last week the Sentinel reported how Into The West spokesman Jim McBride had proposed an alternative rail timetable and submitted it to both Translink and the Department of Regional Development (DRD).
Mr McBride proposed that four Belfast-bound morning trains have their departure and arrival times altered by no more than five minutes in order to facilitate a Londonderry-bound train leaving Belfast at 6.55am and arriving in the Maiden City shortly before 9am.
"Using staff timetables we were able to draw up a new timetable that would involve minimal changes to four Belfast-bound morning trains and shorten the journey time of the first train into Londonderry every morning," said Mr McBride.
Now it emerges that Translink are to introduce a new timetable based on a similar blueprint to Mr McBride's.
In a letter to Foyle MLA Mark Durkan the General Manager of Rail Services at Translink, Mal McCreevy confirmed that a new early morning train leaving Belfast Central at 06.50 and arriving in Londonderry at 09.02 will be included in a new timetable to be published on December 13.
"I am pleased to advised that a significant amount of timetable redesign has now taken place, which we believe will represent further improvements and which will support the continuing increase in the number of passengers using this line," wrote Mr McCreevy.
"These changes include the retiming of the first train from Belfast Central to Londonderry from 06.20 hours ex Central to 06.50 hours ex Central while still retaining a scheduled arrival time in Derry at 09.00 hours and reducing the journey time from 2 hours 40 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes.
"This has required the advancement of the first five morning trains operating on the Derry line into Belfast by between 3 to 9 minutes each, however the recent improvements in running times of these trains has been retained and we believe they will still provide an excellent commuting service into Belfast with morning arrivals in Central Station at 07.08, 07.43, 08.13 and 08.41," he added.
Mr McCreevy advised Mr Durkan that to make these changes possible the majority of trains on the Londonderry line, 40 trains in the Greater Belfast Area and over 1000 timing points had to be adjusted.
The Translink chief warned that the new timetable was not set in stone: "I must caution at this time that it is still draft as we continue to go through a detailed and iterative test and simulation process.
"Nevertheless I am reasonably confident at this stage that if there are any final adjustments they are likely to be minute adjustments, plus or minus a minute here or there."
Foyle MLA Mark Durkan called the decision a victory for passenger power.
"I have been making various approaches to Translink and to the Department for Regional Development to secure improvements in the Derry line timetable.
"Many passengers were left dismayed that after months of work and money on the line that things had actually got worse – so news that Translink is planning a revamped schedule is very welcome.
"This represents one victory for passenger power and Translink should be commended for their 'listening ear' approach. Nevertheless, this city is entitled to expect an inbound morning service that will bring commuters, shoppers and other visitors here in time for a 9am start," he said.