A timetable is a way of displaying a schedule to tell us when certain events take place. Being able to read a timetable is a really handy skill! You may have a school timetable to tell you when you have certain subjects. You may have also read timetables for buses or trains to tell you when they're coming.
Timetables are ordered so the information can be read easily. Here is an example of a school timetable.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $8:30$8:30 - $9:30$9:30 a.m. | Maths | History | D.T. | Assembly | Maths |
| $9:30$9:30 - $10:30$10:30 a.m. | English | D.T. | English | Maths | |
| $10:30$10:30 - $11:00$11:00 a.m. | Recess | Recess | Recess | Recess | Recess |
| $11:00$11:00 a.m. - $12:00$12:00 p.m. | French | English | Maths | History | English |
| $12:00$12:00 - $1:00$1:00 p.m. | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| $1:00$1:00 - $2:00$2:00 p.m. | Art | Maths | English | P.E. | Geography |
| $2:00$2:00 - $3:00$3:00 p.m. | Art | Geography | French | P.E. |
We can get all kinds of information about the times that classes, breaks and school events are on. For example, recess occurs every day from $10:30$10:30 to $11:00$11:00. Or on a Wednesday at $2:30$2:30 p.m., we would be in French class.
Now let's look at some more examples of reading information off timetables.
Practice questions
Question 1
If Charlie catches a train at 1:23 pm from Circular Quay, what time will he arrive at Central?
| Station | pm | pm | pm | pm | pm | pm | pm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum | $1$1:$11$11 | $1$1:$15$15 | $1$1:$17$17 | $1$1:$21$21 | $1$1:$26$26 | $1$1:$30$30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. James | $1$1:$13$13 | $1$1:$19$19 | $1$1:$23$23 | $1$1:$26$26 | $1$1:$32$32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Circular Quay | $1$1:$17$17 | $1$1:$20$20 | $1$1:$23$23 | $1$1:$27$27 | $1$1:$36$36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wynyard | $1$1:$19$19 | $1$1:$22$22 | $1$1:$29$29 | $1$1:$31$31 | $1$1:$38$38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Town Hall | $1$1:$22$22 | $1$1:$25$25 | $1$1:$32$32 | $1$1:$41$41 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central | $1$1:$26$26 | $1$1:$29$29 | $1$1:$30$30 | $1$1:$36$36 | $1$1:$36$36 | $1$1:$37$37 | $1$1:$45$45 |
$\editable{}$:$\editable{}$ pm
Question 2
James is currently at work near Museum station. What is the latest time he can arrive at Museum station if he has to be at Town Hall station by $4$4:$46$46 pm?
| Station | pm | pm | pm | pm | pm | pm | pm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum | $4$4:$19$19 | $4$4:$23$23 | $4$4:$25$25 | $4$4:$29$29 | $4$4:$34$34 | $4$4:$38$38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. James | $4$4:$21$21 | $4$4:$27$27 | $4$4:$31$31 | $4$4:$34$34 | $4$4:$40$40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Circular Quay | $4$4:$25$25 | $4$4:$28$28 | $4$4:$31$31 | $4$4:$35$35 | $4$4:$44$44 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wynyard | $4$4:$27$27 | $4$4:$30$30 | $4$4:$37$37 | $4$4:$39$39 | $4$4:$46$46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Town Hall | $4$4:$30$30 | $4$4:$33$33 | $4$4:$40$40 | $4$4:$49$49 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central | $4$4:$34$34 | $4$4:$37$37 | $4$4:$38$38 | $4$4:$44$44 | $4$4:$44$44 | $4$4:$45$45 | $4$4:$53$53 |
$\editable{}$:$\editable{}$ pm
Timetables come in many different layouts. But despite how different they may look, they all should give you enough information to know how long it will take to travel between two points, and what time you should expect the train, tram, ferry or bus will turn up.
Of course the important thing to remember when calculating times is that there are $60$60 minutes in an hour. So if you catch a train at $14$14:$43$43 and it gets to your destination at $15$15:$12$12 the journey takes $29$29 minutes. You can calculate this by adding $17$17 minutes to get to $15$15:$00$00, and then it is $12$12 minutes until $15$15:$12$12. In total $17+12$17+12 minutes = $29$29 minutes.
Often you will need to consider more than one timetable. This could be because you want to go to the cinema to watch a film, and need to think about what times the film starts and then consider transport. Or you may be using more than one type of transport to get somewhere.
You must think about how long it will take you to walk between different modes of transport too.
Practice questions
Question 3
Elizabeth is on holiday in Hong Kong. She wants to go by train from Kowloon Station to Disneyland Resort Station. She must change trains at Sunny Bay station.
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Morning journeys from Kowloon to Disneyland:
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Evening journeys from Disneyland to Kowloon:
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How long will her train journey be?
Elizabeth wants to spend at least $9$9 hours at Disneyland, but she must be back at Kowloon station by $6$6 pm. What is the latest train Elizabeth can take from Kowloon to Sunny Bay station in the morning?
Departure time = $\editable{}:\editable{}$: am
If she went from Kowloon to Disneyland Resort by taxi instead, the journey would only take $15$15 minutes. How much time would Elizabeth save by taking a taxi to Disneyland Resort instead?
Question 4
Kate travels to work by bus. She lives a $10$10 minute walk from the bus stop at Merry Oaks, and her workplace is a $5$5 minute walk from the stop at Highlands Drive. She has to be at work by $8$8 am.
| Bus Stop | Time (am) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine St | $4:33$4:33 | $5:36$5:36 | $7:30$7:30 | $8:32$8:32 | $9:31$9:31 | |
| Westbrook Dr | $5:38$5:38 | $7:39$7:39 | $8:38$8:38 | |||
| Merry Oaks | $4:40$4:40 | $5:41$5:41 | $6:36$6:36 | $7:42$7:42 | $8:47$8:47 | $9:43$9:43 |
| Carlton Rd | $4:47$4:47 | $5:42$5:42 | $6:43$6:43 | $8:50$8:50 | $9:40$9:40 | |
| Highlands Dr | $4:51$4:51 | $5:48$5:48 | $6:51$6:51 | $7:48$7:48 | $8:51$8:51 | $9:48$9:48 |
|
West St |
$6:17$6:17 | $7:12$7:12 | $8:18$8:18 | $9:13$9:13 | $10:18$10:18 | |
What is the latest time Kate can leave home to get to work on time?
Time = $\editable{}:\editable{}$: am
If she misses her bus, how late will Kate be to work?
Question 5
Paul wants to go on a $2$2 hour tour of the Vatican City and a $1$1 hour walking tour of the Roman Forum. He is not yet sure in which order he wants to attend the tours, but he needs to have at least $90$90 minutes to travel from one tour to the other.
| Tour | Start Time | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vatican City Tour | $9:00$9:00 am | $10:00$10:00 am | $12:30$12:30 pm | $1:30$1:30 pm | $2:30$2:30 pm | $4:00$4:00 pm | $5:30$5:30 pm |
| Roman Forum Tour | $12$12 pm | $1$1 pm | $2$2 pm | $3$3 pm | $4$4 pm | $5$5 pm | $6$6 pm |
What time is the latest Vatican City tour Paul can take if he wants to finish the Roman Forum tour at $6$6 pm?
Tour time = $\editable{}:\editable{}$: pm
What is the earliest time Paul can start the Roman Forum tour if he does the Vatican City tour first?
Tour time = $\editable{}$ pm