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Chiltern's Boxing Day service
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RailUK Forums
European countries vary in their treatment of 26 December. It is a public holiday in most of northern Europe (commonly known as '2nd Day of Christmas') and shops are generally closed. Trains throughout most of Europe operate throughout the whole Christmas period so that people can visit friends and relatives. Shopping is largely irrelevant.
Boxing Day is a holiday in many European countries. It is in Germany, Poland, Hungary and the Netherlands, for example. You can find more on Wikipedia (that was as many as I could be bothered to check). Admittedly, it's not a holiday in Belgium or most of France.
More interesting, as I said in my original post, is that many trains operate on *Christmas Day* across Europe. Yes, the 25th December. That is a holiday everywhere. You can confirm this in the DB travel planner for long distance trains - many local trains are not yet included as it's after the December timetable change.
Good luck if you want to take up this annual argument.
Expect the following responses:
"Well, we're not the rest of Europe"
"I'll be damned if I'm working that day"
"Well that's how it is here"
"Can't people go one day without shopping?"
"There isn't much demand"
Personally I find it quite staggering that somewhere such as Manchester Airport, which will have numerous flights in and out, isn't served by trains on the 26th.
I wanted to travel to stay with a friend in Darlington on the 26th. OK, so it'll have to wait 24 hours, which certainly won't kill me - but you could say that to anyone about any day of the year.
Buttsy
Established Member
Also, with a large number of sporting events happening, even a reduced Sunday service on major routes and some suburban ones around the major cities would be of use to those going to the events.
For example: The traffic that the King George V at Kempton Park on Boxing day creates would be helped by services down the Shepperton branch from 10:00 - 19:00 that day.
Services between some of the towns/cities with football clubs playing that day would also help.
For example: The traffic that the King George V at Kempton Park on Boxing day creates would be helped by services down the Shepperton branch from 10:00 - 19:00 that day.
Services between some of the towns/cities with football clubs playing that day would also help.
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This thread is specifically about Chiltern Trains. If anybody wants to start the annual discussion about Christmas services, please start a new thread.
I've seen all the arguments many times before from both sides, so I won't be making any contributions if such a thread is started!
I've seen all the arguments many times before from both sides, so I won't be making any contributions if such a thread is started!
Surely this problem will more or less resolve itself in the next few decades as network rail moves towards 12 or whatever main signal centres so getting a few volunteers should not be such an issue long term as covering loads of boxes may be today over Christmas
PauloDavesi
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- 242
"not easy after the wine with the dinner, sherry trifle, toast to anyone really etc!"
If the above behavior, is typical of all drivers, perhaps there is a need to introduce compulsory drug and alcohol testing of all drivers before they are allowed to drive trains on December 27th?
What procedures are in place to ensure all train drivers are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol before they start driving?
If the above behavior, is typical of all drivers, perhaps there is a need to introduce compulsory drug and alcohol testing of all drivers before they are allowed to drive trains on December 27th?
What procedures are in place to ensure all train drivers are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol before they start driving?
The Planner
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None at all, the PRIV card gets them 20% off at the local offies. Don't take the post so literally...
That behaviour seems fine for a driver who knows he's off on the 26th and who is talking about putting toys together.
I believe most if not all drivers are already subject to random drug and alcohol testing.
Tom C
Member
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- 4 Jul 2005
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- 549
No service on the 27th either then!. You do know how long for cause screening will take? Thought not!
One of the reasons why I am not particularly bothered about working Boxing Day! The King George, full football programme and the Boxing Day test, sporting heaven!
I agree wholeheartedly, drivers and all other safety-critical staff should be barred from consuming alcohol at any point during their working life, lest they should assemble the kids' toys wrongly when they've got a few days off work. To avoid this possibility, perhaps they should be placed in a sealed container between their turns of duty.
After all, it'd be foolish to assume that, with very few exceptions, railway staff are a professional bunch, aware of their responsibilities and the consequences of neglecting them, or that there's any sort of random drug and alcohol testing.
Monty
Established Member
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- 12 Jun 2012
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There is a Christmas Day service with reasonable frequency in both Spain and Germany which I have personally used on many occasions. I have not been in America at Christmas but I suspect that most public transport still runs even if at reduced frequency. In urbanised parts of the U.S. public transit if regarded as a utility and expected to operate 24 hours per day 365 days per year (although not all routes run at night).
Sorry fella you are just so out of touch and this post is not worth the argument.
merlodlliw
Established Member
In the States Boxing Day is not a holiday,as an add on.in the 50s BR ran Christmas Day postal trains,I am aware of the 0208 Crewe/Bangor TPO running with passenger coaches.
On boxing Day the Bangor/Crewe departed Rhyl at 2202 with passenger coaches. I mention these two trains as postmen worked Christmas Day & some on Boxing Day,collecting for the TPO.
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He is obviously about 12 years old without the slightest clue what sarcasm is, or we have all been the victims of a damn good windup!
Way any finish the off whisky, I am off to night a work shift in a couple of hours, hic.
Got to give the freshmints time to work you know!
southerner2174
Member
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- 15 Aug 2010
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- 143
I don't know why they are worried about the 27th december for a start, how about the morning after the company/depot christmas party hehe hic!!!!
seriously though you can always drive the car if your that bothered or maybe your afraid that your the whos over the limit!!!
seriously though you can always drive the car if your that bothered or maybe your afraid that your the whos over the limit!!!
Its a secret!You're going to do what to a shift
Yuck, no 'E' in the stuff I drink thankyou!Think you need to lay of the whiskey perhaps
Are you serious?
do you really think that drivers attend for duty under intoxication
Let him think whatever he likes. He's just a troll, sadly there seem to be a few still floating about at the moment although to be fair quite a few have vanished lately.
Its been sorted, just leave him alone in his paded room.
If you want a good laugh have a look through his previous posts, they made me chuckle so much I nearly dropped my 'funny' cigarette into by Whisky which would have caused me to lose concentration and mess up my braking for the station.
To those who have no discernable sense of humour that last bit was a joke.
It was Vodka, I had run out of Whisky.
I used to absolutely love working boxing day. It seems such a sacred day to many and for this reason the extra benefts offered for working what has always seemed to me to be just another day were simply too good to turn down. Did every single one in a row for years 
simple simon
Member
Fantastic thread... am really enjoying it.
Vodka is especialy good coz when added to lemonade no-one else is any the wiser (as long as they don't drink it). colour-less, odour-less etc.
I learnt this through experience - when aged 17 someone gave me what I thought was just lemonade... until I drank it.
Now where did I put my hot blackcurrant herbal tea (well its cold outside - I gotta go outside - a warm drink on a cold night never hurt anyone).
Would anyone like some warm crème de cassis?
Simon
hic
(of course I understand the humour in what some people are sayin')
ps many years ago I enjoyed some of the best ever London Undergound train rides on Boxing day. Central Line non-stop through Stratford (train did not even slow down!) and a fast run on the Met Line Amersham trains as we quite literally hurtled through stations at high speed. As we were going downhill we probably topped 80mph. I filmed some of this - the Met line rides were too unsteady to view but the Stratford non-stops can be seen in this youtube film http://youtu.be/KRSKgKqHrAg
Vodka is especialy good coz when added to lemonade no-one else is any the wiser (as long as they don't drink it). colour-less, odour-less etc.
I learnt this through experience - when aged 17 someone gave me what I thought was just lemonade... until I drank it.
Now where did I put my hot blackcurrant herbal tea (well its cold outside - I gotta go outside - a warm drink on a cold night never hurt anyone).
Would anyone like some warm crème de cassis?
Simon
hic
(of course I understand the humour in what some people are sayin')
ps many years ago I enjoyed some of the best ever London Undergound train rides on Boxing day. Central Line non-stop through Stratford (train did not even slow down!) and a fast run on the Met Line Amersham trains as we quite literally hurtled through stations at high speed. As we were going downhill we probably topped 80mph. I filmed some of this - the Met line rides were too unsteady to view but the Stratford non-stops can be seen in this youtube film http://youtu.be/KRSKgKqHrAg
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