Christmas Eve disruption on Cross-Country?

[TheManOnThe172]

I've been looking to book a direct train Oxford-Derby on Wed 24 December for an elderly relative. None of the journey planners are showing any direct trains, whereas there are direct trains on Wed 17 December, a week earlier (but after the new timetable starts).

Crosscountry couldn't explain this. They tell me there are no engineering works planned for Christmas Eve that might be causing the change. Is this a case of only partial information on journey planners at the moment (so that if I check later the direct trains might be shown), or is there another reason that means that there will indeed be no through trains Oxford-Derby that day?

 

[The Planner]

I've been looking to book a direct train Oxford-Derby on Wed 24 December for an elderly relative. None of the journey planners are showing any direct trains, whereas there are direct trains on Wed 17 December, a week earlier (but after the new timetable starts).

Crosscountry couldn't explain this. They tell me there are no engineering works planned for Christmas Eve that might be causing the change. Is this a case of only partial information on journey planners at the moment (so that if I check later the direct trains might be shown), or is there another reason that means that there will indeed be no through trains Oxford-Derby that day?

Should be fine, last train is 2003 off New St.

 

[louis97]

I've been looking to book a direct train Oxford-Derby on Wed 24 December for an elderly relative. None of the journey planners are showing any direct trains, whereas there are direct trains on Wed 17 December, a week earlier (but after the new timetable starts).

Crosscountry couldn't explain this. They tell me there are no engineering works planned for Christmas Eve that might be causing the change. Is this a case of only partial information on journey planners at the moment (so that if I check later the direct trains might be shown), or is there another reason that means that there will indeed be no through trains Oxford-Derby that day?

Looks like the trains have been cancelled in the system, suspect XC have concerns over train crew availability on that day. I would plan for there not being any direct trains from Oxford to Derby on that day.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

Thanks so much - it's pitiful that Crosscountry couldn't tell me that, and really helpful that a Forum member has been able to explain instead.

 

[louis97]

Thanks so much - it's pitiful that Crosscountry couldn't tell me that, and really helpful that a Forum member has been able to explain instead.

I suspect its been done without communication internally.

 

[InOban]

quite apart from crew availability, I would expect that they're predicting not much demand because the peak for long-distance travel will be several days earlier

 

[dk1]

quite apart from crew availability, I would expect that they're predicting not much demand because the peak for long-distance travel will be several days earlier

Why would an operator cancel trains just because of low demand. If it’s booked to run it would whether there’s 1 passenger or 500. Only time service would be reduced usually on Christmas Eve is engineering works and earlier shutdown.

 

[30907]

Why would an operator cancel trains just because of low demand. If it’s booked to run it would whether there’s 1 passenger or 500. Only time service would be reduced usually on Christmas Eve is engineering works and earlier shutdown.

Back in the day the SR certainly thinned out the evening peak, nothing new!

 

[The Planner]

Looks like the trains have been cancelled in the system, suspect XC have concerns over train crew availability on that day. I would plan for there not being any direct trains from Oxford to Derby on that day.

Still sat there in RTT.

 

[dk1]

Back in the day the SR certainly thinned out the evening peak, nothing new!

That’s different when it comes to peak services in London which often run a Saturday style service but that doesn’t usually make any difference to other longer distance and local rail services. As I said it’s only normally engineering and the early shutdown that has any impact.

 

[louis97]

Still sat there in RTT.

Only if you select the "CAN" option: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...5-12-24/0200-0159?stp=WVSC&show=all&order=wtt

As you can see from the link all trains from Oxford going to Derby are marked as cancelled (CAN) on 24/12/25 (the date the OP was interested in).

These services will not appear at all in simple mode.

 

[D1537]

Would Worcestershire Parkway be a valid route from Oxford to Derby? A 80x followed by a 170 sounds much more appealing to me than a Voyager or two.

 

[30907]

That’s different when it comes to peak services in London which often run a Saturday style service but that doesn’t usually make any difference to other longer distance and local rail services. As I said it’s only normally engineering and the early shutdown that has any impact.

Maybe not the best example. I can't think of a case specifically for Christmas Eve.

But it is routine for operators to thin out longer distance services at holiday times - my question is whether it is allowed under whatever contract they have.

 

[dk1]

Maybe not the best example. I can't think of a case specifically for Christmas Eve.

But it is routine for operators to thin out longer distance services at holiday times - my question is whether it is allowed under whatever contract they have.

That’s usually for services termination points at the end of the day.

 

[GoneSouth]

Thanks so much - it's pitiful that Crosscountry couldn't tell me that, and really helpful that a Forum member has been able to explain instead.

Sadly XC are reaching new lows of customer experience, transparency, employee relations and are probably the only company to be making reductions in their services in the new timetable from December. They trumpet the increase in Reading to Newcastle (which is the very service you need but can’t book because they’ve removed it from the timetable) and simultaneously try to sell halving the scheduled Sunday services on the Cardiff to Nottingham as a reliability improvement.

What balderdash they spew.

 

[43055]

Sadly XC are reaching new lows of customer experience, transparency, employee relations and are probably the only company to be making reductions in their services in the new timetable from December. They trumpet the increase in Reading to Newcastle (which is the very service you need but can’t book because they’ve removed it from the timetable) and simultaneously try to sell halving the scheduled Sunday services on the Cardiff to Nottingham as a reliability improvement.

What balderdash they spew.

At least with a two hourly Nott's - Cardiff service on a Sunday there might be a chance it runs! Today for example they only managed the 1216 and 1416 from Nottingham as far as Birmingham.

 

[GoneSouth]

At least with a two hourly Nott's - Cardiff service on a Sunday there might be a chance it runs! Today for example they only managed the 1216 and 1416 from Nottingham as far as Birmingham.

They also only managed one departure from Cardiff all day and as far as I could tell from RTT nothing from Birmingham to Cardiff.

Tinker with the timetable all you like, that’s never going to be anywhere near a 2 hourly service. I look forward to looking at the fictional timetable when it’s published but we all know they simply aren’t fit to run a bath let alone a national rail service. I absolutely despise them.

 

[Benjwri]

Would Worcestershire Parkway be a valid route from Oxford to Derby? A 80x followed by a 170 sounds much more appealing to me than a Voyager or two.

No, only valid routes are via Leamington. Only non obvious route is technically can go via Coventry and Leicester but is obviously a long detour for no benefit

 

[GoneSouth]

Would Worcestershire Parkway be a valid route from Oxford to Derby? A 80x followed by a 170 sounds much more appealing to me than a Voyager or two.

Trust me, you don’t want to be relying on XC to get you anywhere from Worcestershire Parkway, especially if it’s Christmas Eve we’re talking about and you have your heart set on a 170.

For example on Sunday they only ran 1 train on the Cardiff to Birmingham / Nottingham route all day. It’s complete rubbish

You might be in luck with a Voyager heading to the North East from there though as the Edinburgh services all call heading north. This would get you to Derby. If you’re heading back on a return journey it wouldn’t be quite so easy as you would be relying on the poor 170 service to Cardiff because the only Voyagers that call there heading south are the Manchester to Bristol services.

It would be easy to split tickets at Parkway but no idea what the difference in cost is.

There’s also the issue of Parkway being just an expensive shed in a field and if anything does go wrong there is absolutely nothing in the immediate area in the way of shops or places to get food. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant facility to have but it does feel very isolated.