Christmas and Boxing Day trains - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[ReWind]

As you are all probably well aware, the railway shuts down on Christmas Day & Boxing Day.

Is this really a good idea though?

Christmas Day I can understand, But Boxing Day is a Day where Football Matches are played & people generally visit family & friends.

I have heard in the past that there is talk of a Boxing Day train service.  Has this developed?  Also, what would staff think of working Boxing Day?

The only trains to run over the festive period are the HX Airport trains. 

I do think the railway could do with a Boxing Day train service, as many people travel on this day, and as there is no public transport, the roads/parking can get very congested!

[Shazz]

No there should not be a boxing day service. It's 1 of the few days a year i see no need for it. If it's football then the roads are fairly dead (unless its near a mall). Then there's no excuse to not drive...

As around 60% of people are still going to be at home on boxing day, so again what's the point? Most people would rather bee with friends / family for another rare day they're not working than on a train

[Zoe]

I find it strange that the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) does not run any service.  Other countries in Europe celebrate Christmas and do run a service.  I am not suggesting anyone should be forced to work Christmas Day though.

[ReWind]

But to get to Football/Friends/Family etc they need to drive there and if you don't/can't drive then that can prove rather difficult??

[vacman]

Not xmas day but I can see the need for a limited service on Boxing day, even if just afternoon

[John R]

I agree with Vacman, because often the 27th is a working day. If you don't have a service on the afternoon of Boxing Day how can you get back home to be ready for work.

With signalling controlled by relatively few boxes, it would seem that a skeleton service from mid afternoon on Boxing Day (for example, an hourly service from Swansea to London via Bristol) would enable all those would have to travel to do so, whilst restricting the number of staff who need to work.

Of course, if such a limited service proved to be over-subscribed then it would prove the demand for a slightly better service in subsequent years.

I believe a couple of the London & South East railways are providing a limited service on Boxing Day this year. 

[Ollie]

On boxing day there are several companies providing a service, but not necessarily a train.

Eurostar will run, but is starting later.
First Capital Connect will have a bus from Luton Airport to St Pancras via St Albans
First Great Western will not have a train service, but the RailAir link from Reading will go to Heathrow with some extended to Gatwick.
First ScotRail has a limited service on some routes via Glasgow
Gatwick Express will run buses.
Heathrow Express has a normal service
London Underground will have a service
South Eastern will have a limited service on some routes
Southern will have a limited service on some routes
Stansted Express will run at a reduced frequency

and I think that's it..

[Henry]

 I can see so many problems/obstacles to providing train services over the Xmas holiday.

 I suppose railway staff like to see family amd friends.

[grahame]

 I can see so many problems/obstacles to providing train services over the Xmas holiday.

 I suppose railway staff like to see family amd friends.

Curiously, I've found over the last couple of Christmases (and running a business that will be open on Christmas Day) that we've more people wanting to work that day than we need - and it's totally individual's choice - I think my working was "I'll do Christmas day unless anyone else wants to" and I've had several offers!  But then other are strongly NOT wanting to work.  The word "polarised" comes to mind. However - I would question whether or not a Christmas Day service would be used, or woul drun near empty ... I have (driven, cycled) around over the years on Christmas Day in London and in the West; it's the only day of the year I have felt safe on a pushbike around Trafalgar Square!

Boxing Day is a rather different case - haven't I heard that it's one of the busiest days of the year on the roads, and there's a lot of sport and sales starting?  By offering no service or a minimal service only, are the railways perhaps giving weight to the claim that they're not really needed? [Discussion point - not intended to reflect my view!]

[bemmy]

Is there another country in the world that shuts down it's rail network for two days?

Who is the railway system for? If it's for the benefit of the people running it, then shutting down half the network every weekend and the whole network on 25 & 26 December is fine. Let the passengers travel when they feel like running trains. Maybe they could shut the whole system down for a week in August too, so the staff can go on their holidays... 

This two day closure comes from a time when all the shops were shut on Sundays, and British Rail couldn't afford the overtime payments to run a railway at xmas. The fact that privatisation hasn't even got rid of these historical anomalies shows what an utter failure it has been.

[IndustryInsider]

The murmurings over the validity of a Boxing Day service have slowly increased over the years. I know that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) would like to provide a service as there is money to be had from people travelling to sports events, Boxing Day sales, and wanting to get home from a Christmas break. I could see a limited service working quite well over time.

The recent failed driver harmonisation package did include provision to mean drivers would be obliged to work Boxing Day (at an enhanced rate), so it's clearly on the agenda.

Most signalboxes (all of the large ones) are open anyway. I can see it happening within the next few years as slowly over the years more and more operators are starting to introduce services. I can't see any demand for a Christmas Day service though.

It does have a drawback though. Quite a lot of engineering possessions take advantage of the two day shut-down and so that work would potentially cause problems with 'bustitution'.

[Henry]

 In my opinion you could not run a timetabled service on Boxing Day unless it was within the working week, I do not believe you could rely on
 overtime/volutary working.

 Seem to remember not so long ago it was a struggle to get a train on a Sunday because of lack of Train crew.
 
 

[TerminalJunkie]

Please note that in North Devon virtually all bus services are operating a normal Sunday Service on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

[devonian]

A Boxing day service would be great. I know many people who would travel on Boxing day if they could to visit different family members etc or go places whilst they have the day off - especially this year as we get a four day weekend. Surely a Sunday service isn't out of the question?!

I ran into many problems last year when I found there was no FGW^▸ (First Great Western) service on Boxing day. I had naturally presumed there would be as SET^▸ (Super Express Train (now IET)) and all buses were running a Sunday timetable. Many others assume the same and run into the same problem.

[Jez]

I dont think there is a need for any train services on Christmas Day - maybe a very limited service could run on Boxing Day - as other people have suggested perhaps a 2 hourly service from Swansea to London calling at Neath, Port Talbot, Bridgend, Cardiff Central, Newport, Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Swindon, Reading and London Paddington.

Also maybe a 2 hourly Crosscountry Service from Plymouth to the North calling at Bristol TM^‡(resolve), Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street, Derby etc. 

ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) seem to operate a limited service on New Years Day with the majority of Valley Lines services suspended that day.