What in fact can the Christmas travel tsar do to prevent overcrowding on the railways ?
He can be a sane, none-political voice reminding people of the alternative of not meeting up at Christmas this year.
He can ask that 9 or 10 car rather that 5 car
IETs▸ are run (I understand there ARE spare sets at Old Oak at present with no super-fsats in the timetable).
He might be able to pull together elements of the orange army to act as journey makers / help ensure that people remember to social distance and wear masks, and to re-assure occassional travellers.
He may even manage to pull some sort of cat out of the bag - other thinking that we say "gosh, I hadn't thought of that - how clever" but at this short notice.
But those things which involve extra staff on duty would be far from popular with those extra staff.
From
the BBC» Travelling at Christmas: What you need to know
As is standard every year, there are no train services running on Christmas Day and only a very limited number of services running on a small number of routes on Boxing Day.
But for the days passengers can travel, they are being urged to book ahead and avoid busy times due to the combination of reduced capacity and the limited travel window. And some operators will prevent passengers from boarding without a pre-booked ticket.
There have already been reports of advance tickets selling out or going for exorbitant prices.
Our poll at
http://www.passenger.chat/24273 gives us a tiny, statistically flawed window into whether members will choose to travel. And in very rough terms, only 1 in 10 will be travelling. 1 in 5 will NOT be travelling this year though they normlly to and 1 in 5 are not yet decided. It might be helpful if most of that one in 5, maybe extended to the general population, say "let's keep family safe this year and travel only on Zoom for Christmas". Those of us who have seen the passing of several rail campaigners from Covid, the severe illness of others close by, and the general mortality waekness of others may be disinclined to go too far, and perhaps we may have a message - not anti-bus, anti-train or pro-car, but "do you really need to get together in person this year?". A keep safe, "don't risk grandad" message.
I have written more "obits" in the last six months than I have in the last six years, and I do not want to start 2021 with a further series.This is a perfect example of an organisation only acting on a longstanding situation because it has to.
Horrendous and dangerous Christmas (and Easter) overcrowding has been a chronic situation for 20+ years now, and the railways have largely done zip about it, because the money kept rolling in, so why worry about the customers?
Now the coronavirus dynamic means they have to - who knows, perhaps this will catalyse a longer term solution, and a more proactive attitude - perhaps someone of Hendy's gravitas can point out lessons for the future, given that the railways may have to work harder for their customers - the coronavirus situation generally is shaking a few people, and industries, out of a comfortable and complacent lethargy.
Running some longer distance Boxing Day trains would seem an obvious solution
I feel for the staff who may now have to work a few hours more over Christmas. I am sure those in the NHS and elsewhere will empathise.
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