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Guess Airlines fly due to the rest of the World, or a lot of it, being back to normal on the 26th, so if the airport is open, you may as well do domestic flights too !

No, only Panels and W/Stns that are open for Engineering blocks, or the passage of Ballast Trains. If a siggie is booked on, but wants to be off, then he can ask 'nicely' for a booked off panel signaller to cover him/her

Is that not part of the issue, people travel at Christmas tend to have rather a lot of presents with them (based on cars who park in our street!), so will always choose car over public transport, there are the sales on the 26th, but there is pressure to close stores on the 26th Is another issue...

If the box / panel is required to be open, then you are rostered to work it, you can however ask if a collegue wants to work it instead, applications for 'leave' are barred for the Christmas / New Year period.

Isnt major engineering etc planned about 3 years out ? I recall working in a box on the 26th, with trains (on the SR) used to watch them run by the box, Driver one end, Guard the other, and 4 empty coaches between them ! You will also find that a majority of NR staff work over Christmas, its...

Why ?

It was the RMT that wanted it kept, there was a vote during a pay deal a few years ago, the Union recommended we stayed with Sunday outside the working week, as the Railway was not offering enough in 'compensation' for loss of Sunday rate.

If you have committed Sundays, and they book you off on such a Sunday they will pay you, as it is their choice for you not to come to work, however with NR Sig rosters, they can book you 'off' (on any Sunday) and you have no recourse, as Sundays are not guaranteed, it is however quite rare, but...

Yes, but it is not deemed 'committed' for some reason, maybe because if they book you off on a Sunday that you are rostered to work, you dont get paid.

It is and it isnt, Signallers Sundays are not 'commited' as such, and if you are not wanted on a particular Sunday for whatever reason, you won't be paid. (it is rare not to find a signaller to cover you tho !) I have known many 'arguments' with Staff / Managers when booked off on a Sunday...

Indeed, if Sundays were within the 35 hour week, then additional rest days would be needed, that would need additional staff, and that would not be cheap, Back in the day I recall the NUR wanted Sundays as part of the week, but BR, then RT did not want that at all !

On Network Rail (Signallers) there is, Sunday is outside the working week, but appears on the roster, you can make yourself N/A, but, if there is no cover, you have to come to work.

I always found it was the TOC that dictated where their trains would run to and from, even when we had enough staff available to enable trains to run closer to an incident.

I am guessing if he was driving a car, he could go down a one way street, the wrong way, as it was quiet and nothing coming the other way ? (and be annoyed if pulled over !)

That's fine :-) my error, I read the bit 'as train arrived' as train was arriving into London. (he had seen others buying a ticket on the train before}

He said: Partially because of bad wi fi and partially because I wasn’t aware there was any hurry, I didn’t finish the purchase until a few minutes before the train arrived. I am reading that as just a short distance from Waterloo, so would that make a differnce if that is the case ?

I did get the 'get you there' part wrong, my error there, sorry. If you look at various FB comments, Bad weather means that compensation does not have to be paid as it is 'out of their control', they do have to get you to the destination though, and out of pocket expenses if any. You will get...

GA is now one of the Countries best ( if not the best) TOC's for RT trains, since the introduction of the 720's, 745's and 755's after the initial teething issues :-) lets hope it stays that way once it's Nationalised next year !

Is it not like Airlines, bad weather flight cancelled, they dont have to get you anywhere, or give compensation, just a refund, and you are on your own.

You can 'test' the back up system week after week, and it will (and has) worked as required, but there is always that time (in every industry) that it will not take up the strain and stay silent, and we see it every day, with Banks / Shops / Mobiles / Internet etc