Christmas Day bus services 2017

[Wirewiper]

1950s Vintage Bus Hire have just announced they will be operating a free hourly 430 service between Putney Bridge and Roehampton Estates from 09.00 to 16.00 on Christmas Day.

http://1950s-vintage-bus-hire.co.uk/christmas-430/

 

[Typhoon]

No scheduled services in the West Midlands
https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/campaigns/bank-holiday/

There certainly used to be a limited bus service (usually hourly on main routes) in Birmingham on Christmas Day.

I would have thought that this area was a possible, if any area was. I guess that money is tight so there is insufficient money to justify subsidising a Christmas Day service when day-time services are being cut across the country. Bus companies probably feel that they will not recoup their outlay by operating a December 25th service.

 

[Deerfold]

There's been a free Christmas Day service on 4 routes in Keighley every year since the mid-90s. Oddly this year it seems it's not being operated by Keighley Bus Museum, but to the same timetable by a new group called Town and District Transport Trust Limited (with just one Director and majority shareholder, who until recently was a Director at the Keighley Bus Museum). This will be operated with old, but non-vintage buses.


https://www.tdtt.co.uk/ChristmasDay

 

[0B00]

Black Prince providing this in Leeds....

http://www.blackprincebuses.co.uk/single-post/2017/10/31/Black-Prince-volunteers-provide-free-X51

 

[jonesy3001]

Last year malta public transport did a saturday service on christmas day and new years day with no services between noon and 3pm, probably do the same this year.

https://www.publictransport.com.mt/...transport-service-during-the-christmas-period

 

[gordonthemoron]

Last year malta public transport did a saturday service on christmas day and new years day with no services between noon and 3pm, probably do the same this year.

https://www.publictransport.com.mt/...transport-service-during-the-christmas-period

I was there for both days, the 3 hour gap was actually more like 5 hours on some routes, I doubt the buses were that busy though as it was very quiet

 

[6Gman]

Utter nonsense.

There are many families who do not have access to a car, and often these are the poorest people in society.

I accept that bus drivers, and other transport workers, may wish to spend Christmas with their families.

However what do they do on Christmas Day?

Watch TV, browse the internet, go to the pub, use electricity, gas or water, need the emergency services.

All of these activities require other people to work on Christmas Day. My father was a policeman, and he had to work on Christmas Day sometimes. I don't remember feeling particularly deprived because of this.

And if you do drive somewhere in a car, what happens if it breaks down? Are you going to be stuck on the hard shoulder of a motorway until Boxing Day, because shouldn't the people who work for the AA and RAC be spending Christmas Day with their families.

The fact that some limited services do operate on Christmas Day shows that there is some demand for travel. Indeed National Express coaches operate several services on Christmas Day, from London at least, which they wouldn't do if they didn't think it was worth it.

The RAC service is unavailable on 25th December. Don't know about the AA.

 

[Deerfold]

The RAC service is unavailable on 25th December. Don't know about the AA.

That's not what they say on their website.

https://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/breakdown-help/other

The AA was also available on Christmas Day last year with nothing I can see to indicate it will change this year.

https://www.theaa.com/about-us/newsroom/christmas-2016-travel-advice

 

[overthewater]

https://www.firstgroup.com/greater-...s-christmas/christmas-new-year-service-levels

Glasgow has its detials up and there is no xmas day buses in glasgow

 

[Lezlee]

https://www.firstgroup.com/essex/more/christmas-and-new-year-201718-service-details

No service Christmas Day, Airport buses only on Boxing Day and New Years Day and Saturday/Sunday service between 27th and 31st December.

Nothing has changed in Essex compared to last year by the looks of it.

 

[pdsalford]

TfGM state they've only been notified of a special service on route 43

 

[skibrox]

The RAC service is unavailable on 25th December. Don't know about the AA.

The RAC is available on Xmas day, my better half is working a 12 hour shift on dispatch on xmas day

 

[Jordan Adam]

No Christmas day service up here in North East Scotland. Although it appears Stagecoach might be running the Airport service JET727 on New Years day. But this is yet to be fully confirmed.

 

[overthewater]

Lothian buses of course: https://lothianbuses.co.uk/news/article/Lothian-Christmas-and-New-Year-Timetables No xmas day buses for South Queensferry again.
Leaflet: https://lothianbuses.co.uk/assets/files/LB-XMAS-LEAFLET-2017-WEB.pdf

 

[overthewater]

Just in case people dont read the Midland bluebird thread or my etc West lothian council pays for xmas day buses
https://manage.firstgroup.com/south-east-and-central-scotland/more/christmas-new-year-service-levels

Monday 25 December and 1 January 2018
Christmas Day & New Year’s Day

Services 22, 27, 28 and 38C will operate special timetables supported by West Lothian Council. No other services will operate.
Timetables: 22 27/28 38C

 

[bussnapperwm]

I honestly don't get why we don't have more Christmas day services. I mean people who can't drive who want to visit relatives in hospital/who are housebound have to either pay triple fare in a taxi or walk or not make the journey

It's especially disheartening that it's happening here, in the Midlands, in the UK's second city.

It's not like Transport for West Midlands couldn't stump up some extra cash to have a special bus service.

 

[rmt4ever]

I’m glad we have no buses on Christmas Day! That’s how it should be.

Everyone have a rest have a beer eat loads of turkey and watch crap on the telly.

 

[Deerfold]

It's not like Transport for West Midlands couldn't stump up some extra cash to have a special bus service.

Are they suddenly awash with cash? Or having to make cuts like the rest of the country?

 

[Deerfold]

I’m glad we have no buses on Christmas Day! That’s how it should be.

Everyone have a rest have a beer eat loads of turkey and watch crap on the telly.

I have buses on Christmas Day. Does everyone have to do the same as you?

Not sure why it's as it should be; it's a fairly recent thing pretty much unique to this country.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Are they suddenly awash with cash? Or having to make cuts like the rest of the country?

Well the get the poll tax money of 7 boroughs for "transport activities" and yet they're wasting it on gimmicks like West Midlands Rail, Swift (which still isn't fully accepted on Rail/PAYG users still having to get a ticket to travel for on bus transactions), Sprint and the Midland Metro line 2 (which is only 10-15 years late!

 

[Jordan Adam]

Most places simply just don't have the demand for a Christmas day bus service. Most people have more than 1 member in the family who can drive a car and there's often a limited number of Taxis on the very rare occasion that no one in the family drives.

 

[Typhoon]

Only tenuously linked to the theme.
Cuckmere Community Buses are running a service on New Year's Day (http://www.polegatetowncouncil.gov.uk/new-years-day-service-timetable) serving areas that otherwise would have no bus service on that day. It appears that the Stagecoach default position is no service on Christmas Day and New Year's Day (possibly exceptions - council contracted services).

More positively, amplifying #18, further along the coast Bluestar are operating a hospital service in Southampton (http://www.buscms.com/BlueStar2015/uploadedfiles/Bluestar_Xmas_Day_web-tt_2017_route_18withmap.pdf) and More have two services (http://www.buscms.com/morebus/uploa..._preview_web-tt_Xmas_Day_2017_m1_m2_PRESS.pdf), one serving Bournemouth Hospital.

The Metrobus service referred to runs, impressively, throughout Christmas Day (and night) with the support of Gatwick Airport.

First are operating an all day half-hourly service from Slough to Heathrow (7/ N7). The Oxford Bus Company will only operate services to Heathrow and Gatwick.

The moral seems to be that if you want to travel by bus on Christmas Day, live near an airport or hospital!​

 

[Samuel88]

I've never understood why at least TfL doesn't run buses and tubes on Christmas Day. If New York can run subways, and there broke, then why can't we?

 

[Statto]

Normal tube shut down on Christmas day, however i'd have thought TFL might put a skeleton bus service on, at least to the hospitals if nothing else.

 

[deltic]

Given that nearly half of inner London's population don't have a car and for many people Christmas is not a special day I agree its surprising London doesn't have any buses - compares oddly to Boxing Day services which are almost at a level of normal service.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I've never understood why at least TfL doesn't run buses and tubes on Christmas Day. If New York can run subways, and there broke, then why can't we?

Where , pray , do you get the impression that NYC is broke ? - the subway is carrying record numbers of riders.

They have always run a Christmas Day service - albeit at reduced levels.

Feel free to negotiate a Xmas service level for London ....(along with costings)

 

[AnonymousUser1]

The RAC service is unavailable on 25th December. Don't know about the AA.

what gives you that impression ?

 

[Samuel88]

Where , pray , do you get the impression that NYC is broke ? - the subway is carrying record numbers of riders.

They have always run a Christmas Day service - albeit at reduced levels.

Feel free to negotiate a Xmas service level for London ....(along with costings)

If New York weren't broke ( the state government runs the transit network, not the mayor) there wouldn't be the daily stories of breakdowns and accidents on the subway!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

If New York weren't broke ( the state government runs the transit network, not the mayor) there wouldn't be the daily stories of breakdowns and accidents on the subway!

You clearly were not around in the 1970;s and the 1980's - the MTA is basically struggling with an ever increasing ridership as the city gains population and economy .....matters are in hand for resignalling (well overdue on some lines) and more cars. Older ones are being kept in service also.

 

[Busaholic]

London got Bob Kiley in from New York to run the tube, and he didn't seem to regard a Christmas service as a priority. Mind you, the poor man was driven to drink by having to deal with Ken Livingstone and (indirectly) Gordon Brown with his PFI nonsense, leading to his early retirement and death. By the way, in case this is considered contentious, this was quite openly stated in both of the lengthy obituaries I read in two national newspapers.