Boxing day services only in the South?

[Tony2215]

Why are the only services running today confined within London Victoria/East Croydon & Gatwick? If this is specifically for airport connections then surely other airports could benefit having a train service on boxing day, such as Birmingham International to Wolverhampton/Coventry and Manchester Airport to Manchester Picc. Boxing day over the years has become more similar to a typical bank holiday Monday, so if its not acceptable to cancel every train service on a Bank holiday Monday then why should it be acceptable to cancel them all on boxing day.

 

[185143]

Chiltern are running some out of Marylebone.

 

[Blindtraveler]

And Scotrail on the Strathclyde Electricks. I agree with the OP However as whilst everyone is entitled to a holiday many foalk are out and about on Boxingday and Im sure theres many who would work.

 

[rmt4ever]

There should Be no trains and buses!! Let's all have a proper break .. I'm still too stuffed full of Turkey and hungover to even consider leaving the house lol..

 

[TheWalrus]

There should Be no trains and buses!! Let's all have a proper break .. I'm still too stuffed full of Turkey and hungover to even consider leaving the house lol..

Agreed!! Surely you can stop travelling for two days??

 

[Fincra5]

I agree, should be two lovely days off!... football fans at Brighton are lucky, aside from the normal Airport Trains (Brighton-Vic) they even get a service every 10 mins to Falmer.

 

[merlodlliw]

We used to have trains running on Christmas Day in the 50s & 60s,I recall the postal from Crewe to Holyhead,this was also a passenger train and when Xmas Day was on a Sunday in the 50s news trains ran.I was in the news trade and met them.

I also recall boxing day trains running from Manchester to North Wales,and if boxing day was not on a Saturday, the TPO from Holyhead ran with passengers to Crewe ex Rhyl 2204.

No trains in the North on boxing day, is not historic, it suits TOCs not to run them,except the go ahead TOCs, how times change.

 

[pitdiver]

There should Be no trains and buses!! Let's all have a proper break .. I'm still too stuffed full of Turkey and hungover to even consider leaving the house lol..

Quite agree where I live, (Bedfordshire) There ARE no trains or buses.

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

Has anyone used one of the Chiltern services today (or any other Boxing Day service this year)? Were the trains busy?

 

[oddiesjack]

The Lostock Works - Tunstead empties have just gone up towards Chinley, so that's at least one train working today.

 

[merlodlliw]

Agreed!! Surely you can stop travelling for two days??

Good job emergency services dont think that way,my opinion

 

[anthony263]

I don't really have an issue with people wanting time off over the Christmas period especially those with familys.

That said I am one of those people would would happily work on boxing day and new years day although I do admit I wont work Christmas day

 

[59CosG95]

SWT seem to be running a normal service, but FGW aren't running anything: so much for my plan to test the camera out at Westbury on some HSTs!

 

[Tony2215]

Agreed!! Surely you can stop travelling for two days??

Not unless your after 15% off in the sales that start 9am boxing day. Not all of us have cars!!!

 

[GatwickDepress]

Nowt from Hastings today. The departure boards there have been advertising the Ashford high-speed for the past two weeks, but it's not much for me as I don't drive!

No buses running either which meant the town centre here wasn't as busy as expected.

 

[scarby]

A selection from Joe Public on Twitter:

Jessica Mendez ‏@Jess1May Bromley, London
No trains on Boxing Day... Who's smart idea was that?

Emma Beasley ‏@EMMABSLY
@pmjh no trains? Whaaat!! That's crazy!

Rich Gooner ‏@Rich_Gooner
@DzonAFC gutted mate. No trains from MK or Sandy either. It's ball ache to get parked so i'm not bothering.

FuzzyIan ‏@fuzzyian
No trains to the Match today *sad face*

nemanja matic ‏@lauryncfc_
@JacobWTurner01 naaa couldn't get there, no trains to London from here today. why?

James edward pateman ‏@tweetPateman
@Se_Railway seriously you are so s*** it's actually unbelievable your allowed to stay in business. No trains

georgia ‏@_georgia97
I want to go to my Dad's but there are no buses or trains, daaamn

Daniel Roberts ‏@danroberts11
.@ArrivaTW one of the biggest sporting days of the calendar and there's no trains running?!

Luke Bonnett ‏@Luke_Bonnett
Wot? No overground trains to London?

J o D ‏@MCjodieleigh
Stuck in town no busses or trains and taxi is £25

Fatal-Femme ‏@FatalxFemme
No c2c trains today at all. Is this some kind of joke? #c2ctrains

Doa'a ‏@doaak_
@TfL why are there no southeastern trains running on Boxing Day #stranded

ellen ‏@ellencochrane
whys there no trains ffs it's just another day

chelsea ‏@_ChelseaShawx
what a struggle to get to leeds, no trains and buses are every 5 hours

David Cowell ‏@davidtjcowell
Only @merseyrail could have NO trains running on Boxing Day when we have a football match on and people trying to get around!! #Shocking

Stephen Tindale ‏@STindale
Off to Surrey now. No trains today, and v few buses. It's lucky no one without a car could possibly want to travel on boxing day, isn't it.

MistleTony Bannister ‏@Ohanthonio
No trains. No buses. Can't get to work.

Jake Neill ‏@JakeNeill14
@Smudge1208 There is no trains in London or any part of England today either, don't think the companies release that Boxing Day is busy!

 

[Monty]

I could retort to that little lot with a rather amusing gif image but I don't want to get banned.

 

[Suraggu]

What amazes me is that its beenlike this for years, its slowly starting to change. Last year Chiltern Railways London -Bicester North was a success along with SouthEastern' HS service abit both at restricted times but proven to work.

People kicking off because the railway likes to have two days off which helps with big engineering jobs and the like.... Boohoo they need to grow up.

 

[infobleep]

SWT seem to be running a normal service, but FGW aren't running anything: so much for my plan to test the camera out at Westbury on some HSTs!

Not today. Today SWT run nothing. It seems people who live along SWT lines don't want to travel by train on Boxing day, unlike people who live on some Southern lines.

I agree people need holidays but surely not everyone wants these two days off.

Surely if that's the case Network Rail shouldn't do any engineering work. So what if it's a long period to do it in. No one should be working.

That isn't the case so why shouldn't it extend to beyond just Network Rail.

I also think the Department of Transport should talk to all franchises regarding boxing day. A quote I read earlier suggested they have made arrangements with some companies. I would have thought SWT, being a company running trains into London would be perfect for a franchise agreement to run trains. There must be other companies who normally run trains into major cities that don't today who'd be perfect candidates to run some trains.

I wonder if the Reading to Gatwick line would get any custom today if trains ran?

 

[Bald Rick]

At least it has taken until Boxing Day for the annual 'why are there no trains over Christmas' thread!

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

I wonder if the Reading to Gatwick line would get any custom today if trains ran?

I think FGW are running a bus service to Gatwick from Reading via Heathrow. Presumably a coach is sufficient capacity for both airports...

 

[infobleep]

I think FGW are running a bus service to Gatwick from Reading via Heathrow. Presumably a coach is sufficient capacity for both airports...

Will there be an easement today allowing customers from Reading to Gatwick to travel via Guildford.

I assume therefore only Reading customers would want to travel to Gatwick today and not other more major towns like Guildford or Dorking. Are these towns major?

 

[LBSCR Times]

I think FGW are running a bus service to Gatwick from Reading via Heathrow. Presumably a coach is sufficient capacity for both airports...

Just think of the number of signal boxes / signallers that would be required?
Whilst yes, I remember working on Boxing Day back in the BR days, the issue that would need addressing these days is how many staff would be required, especially from Network Rail, to provide a reasonable level of service?
In areas of large signaling centres, can one signaller operate several panels, if only a token service is provided?
Can rolling stock be berthed in platforms rather than depots?
There are plenty of other issues too that have to be considered, especially if the service has got to be considered reliable.

 

[fowler9]

Agreed!! Surely you can stop travelling for two days??

I had to work yesterday. Why can't others? No public transport wouldn't be an excuse for me.

 

[Monty]

To my knowledge the signal boxes are manned 24/7 even on Christmas day and Boxing Day. The real issue is getting the train crew and maintenance staff in to work these days, most of not all staff have these days off as part of their contract so any TOC would have offer quite the incentive to get enough staff in to work. Cost is another issue, while Boxing Day may warrant a limited service that caters for towns and cities that host major sporting events or retail outlets for the 'sales' it's still doubtful that the receipts would actually cover the costs of running services that day. I imagine in time you may see more and more areas getting a strictly limited Boxing Day service but I doubt you will see anything run Christmas Day.

 

[Yabbadabba]

To my knowledge the signal boxes are manned 24/7 even on Christmas day and Boxing Day. The real issue is getting the train crew and maintenance staff in to work these days, most of not all staff have these days off as part of their contract so any TOC would have offer quite the incentive to get enough staff in to work. Cost is another issue, while Boxing Day may warrant a limited service that caters for towns and cities that host major sporting events or retail outlets for the 'sales' it's still doubtful that the receipts would actually cover the costs of running services that day. I imagine in time you may see more and more areas getting a strictly limited Boxing Day service but I doubt you will see anything run Christmas Day.

You will only generally only find the larger Signlling Centres maned on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and usaully with a much reduced staff levelds based on volunteers only. If any other smaller locations are open on those days will depend on enginnering needs.

 

[Mojo]

I'm working today have to drive in though as no rail service on the route which I'd like to be using.

 

[Bald Rick]

Not all boxes are open, operational control centres have a token presence, and maintenance response is much reduced.

I drove in today. It appears that traffic wardens in Southwark are very much at work also :/

 

[fowler9]

Well where I work almost overlaps in to the emergency services. If I am not in work important stuff doesn't get done. But people who don't want to provide transport services still want me to be in work whether or not they are willing to work on those days just in case they need me. It is simply a case of "I should be off work but everyone I might need shouldn't be".

 

[Techniquest]

No buses up here, hasn't been a railway in a long time. Christmas Day, Easter Sunday, Boxing Day, New Years Day, any Sunday and every Bank Holiday Monday we have nothing at all. I'm working New Year's Day so got to make alternative arrangements, but it's not like it's a new thing so I know it's going to happen.

I've used today to catch up with my bookwork from my last trip, thankfully I'm now nearly there and will now have everything finished by the end of Monday. Just in time to get ready for 2015!