Christmas and Boxing Day trains - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[grahame]

http://metro.co.uk/2014/12/26/poll-was-it-smart-to-close-railway-services-over-christmas-5000136/?

There was mayhem on the roads today as train services across the country completely shut down on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Dozens of commuters arrived at their train stations to find them closed ^ with no alternative transport offered in some instances.

Chiltern Railways was one of a very few train companies offering services, with Southern, Southeastern and First Great Western companies also running reduced services.

[ChrisB]

Dozens is about right across the London commuter area.

So how many trains would they require?

[Chris from Nailsea]

I've no idea, Officer Crabtree. 

[Richard Fairhurst]

Metro really is the cheapest of the cheapass newspapers, isn't it? (And I say that as a journalist myself...)

http://metro.co.uk/2014/12/26/poll-was-it-smart-to-close-railway-services-over-christmas-5000136/?

There was mayhem on the roads today as train services across the country completely shut down on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. [...]
Chiltern Railways was one of a very few train companies offering services, with Southern, Southeastern and First Great Western companies also running reduced services.

So that's "completely"... apart from at least four companies. I believe the usual word for that is "partially".

[ellendune]

Given the amount of engineering that happens during the "shutdown", I wonder how the public would feel being further disrupted through the year if engineering has to be done over several disrupted weekends, rather than getting it done in one period of 48 hours?

They could run 'rail replacement' road transport on Boxing Day and still have the engineering time without making pepole car dependant if they need to travel that day (I'm assuming the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) not listed as providing a Boxing Day rail service don't current run anything, either on road or rail). And presumably they can't be working on the entire network at once, so trains would still be able to run where work isn't talking place.

I'm not trying to be purposely difficult, but where are we finding a nationwide fleet of rail replacement coaches to do this for one day a year?  We're not talking one engineering possession here.

!!!! Just how many possessions are there at once on Boxing Day?

Network Rail talk of 300 sites over the Christmas Period. That's quite alot

[ellendune]

http://metro.co.uk/2014/12/26/poll-was-it-smart-to-close-railway-services-over-christmas-5000136/?

There was mayhem on the roads today as train services across the country completely shut down on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Dozens of commuters arrived at their train stations to find them closed ^ with no alternative transport offered in some instances.

Chiltern Railways was one of a very few train companies offering services, with Southern, Southeastern and First Great Western companies also running reduced services.

In FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s case the reduced service was a reduction to....  no trains at all!
They might reasonably call that "completely shut down".

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. 

We've discussed previously on this forum the semantics that anyone who turns up at a railway station on Boxing Day is unlikely to be a 'commuter', in the sense of 'one who travels regularly to and from their workplace'.

Anyone who did turn up at a railway station, only to find there were no train services, has rather limited sympathy from me: it's a public holiday, when many things are closed, so surely it's worth checking whether train services are due to run, before you go to the station?

[ChrisB]

No trains out of Kings Cross today ... Over running works.

Very few tomorrow too

[TaplowGreen]

No trains out of Kings Cross today ... Over running works.

Very few tomorrow too

'twas ever thus, no real surprise it's the same every year............I wish I'd had a bet!

.........and as for FGW^▸ (First Great Western)

 Cancellations to services between Fareham and Southampton Central

 Alterations to services between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington
Due to over-running engineering works between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington:
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 45 mins or revised. Disruption is expected until 11:30 27/12.
Customer Advice:
At present we are unable to operate any train service between London Paddington & Greenford or the local service between PLondon Paddington and Hayes & Harlington. First Great Western tickey hiolders may use their tickets on London Underground and / or local TfL^» (Transport for London - about) bus services in the area.

In addition, long distance services to / from London Paddington are also affected by this problem.

.......(takes breath and stands back to await the onslaught!) 

[grahame]

.......(takes breath and stands back to await the onslaught!) 

I wouldn't like to be organising the engineering works and getting everything back in place in time.  However, there should be 175 years or experience to build on and one would hope that the startup after the christmas break should be only a little less reliable than a typical morning.

Various other engineering works such as major ones at Whiteball tunnel last year have finished on time, and I keep my fingers crossed for the major engineering in 2015.   Box tunnel will be closed for six weeks - late July to the end of August, with an additional closure for three weeks of the lines from the east into Bath - they overlap, so it's six weeks in total.   However, I now hear "seven weeks" mentioned, I hear that the three weeks for Bath may be four weeks, and I hear that during the "Box tunnel only" time plans for hourly diverted HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) from Chippenham to Bath (reversing at Bradford Junction) - half the normal frequency (and killing the entire TransWilts local service in the process) are doubtful because of the need for freight paths to be kept available.

No "onslaught", TaplowGreen - a sharing of your concerns.

[TaplowGreen]

....as at 1001 (from Journeycheck)

Due to over-running engineering works between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington all lines are closed.

[grahame]

So at present

Closed: King's Cross, Euston, Paddington

Open: Marylebone, St Pancras, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, Cannon Street, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Charing Cross, Victoria

[TaplowGreen]

So at present

Closed: King's Cross, Euston, Paddington

Open: Marylebone, St Pancras, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, Cannon Street, Blackfriars, Waterloo, Charing Cross, Victoria

......some consolation I guess for those hoping to travel to Penzance - they can go to Southend instead?

[IndustryInsider]

.......(takes breath and stands back to await the onslaught!) 

No onslaught from me either.  There is very significant disruption being caused by this latest overrun and it's very very disappointing to see our passengers let down again after the Christmas closure.  With Kings Cross also facing significant disruption I'm expecting big criticism of Network Rail and a select committee appearance from Mark Carne to explain himself!

[TaplowGreen]

.......(takes breath and stands back to await the onslaught!) 

No onslaught from me either.  There is very significant disruption being caused by this latest overrun and it's very very disappointing to see our passengers let down again after the Christmas closure.  With Kings Cross also facing significant disruption I'm expecting big criticism of Network Rail and a select committee appearance from Mark Carne to explain himself!

From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website "Together, First Great Western and Network Rail will build a Greater West for our passengers and the communities we serve" - can't wait! (but not holding breath)