Christmas Day Operations

[Ashley Hill]

For most TOCs it would mean offering excessive overtime & offering additional leave on top as a carrot. It would after all this rely on volunteers which is always going to be unreliable. It's really not worth the effort involved.

At my TOC and indeed BR we had to keep two days leave back for Xmas and Boxing Day,so if you want to run the trains you don't grant the leave.
A firm favourite of many firms are re-structuring and harmonisation packages. We lost our bank holiday bonuses and lieu days to them years ago,who knows what will be in the next one.

 

[dk1]

At my TOC and indeed BR we had to keep two days leave back for Xmas and Boxing Day,so if you want to run the trains you don't grant the leave.
A firm favourite of many firms are re-structuring and harmonisation packages. We lost our bank holiday bonuses and lieu days to them years ago,who knows what will be in the next one.

Harmonisation has been rejected ever since 2004 at my TOC so no chance there. Christmas & Boxing days are guaranteed.

 

[Surreytraveller]

At my TOC and indeed BR we had to keep two days leave back for Xmas and Boxing Day,so if you want to run the trains you don't grant the leave.
A firm favourite of many firms are re-structuring and harmonisation packages. We lost our bank holiday bonuses and lieu days to them years ago,who knows what will be in the next one.

Under BR it was lieu days, so no requirement to keep days back. Its only when Bank Holidays are included in annual leave entitlement you need to keep them back

 

[dk1]

Under BR it was lieu days, so no requirement to keep days back. Its only when Bank Holidays are included in annual leave entitlement you need to keep them back

Yes we never had to keep days back. Like now if your rest day fell on either or both days you got extra day(s) back.

 

[Andrew1395]

Up until today there was still a lot of local travel by train to and from the shops. Agreed if you're off to the supermarket for the weekly shop you'd drive,but many are still using the train to go to Primark etc for the sales. The stores need the business and attracting customers to spend their Christmas spondoolits on Boxing Day means the TOCs may want to get in on the action by transporting them there.

Primark is shut in Tier 4 areas which is most of uk. No one is going shopping by train

 

[Gloster]

In 1979 the only day I got off was Christmas Day and I was in at 08.40 on Boxing Day to open the box, for what I think was a Sunday service. I got a lieu day because my rest day fell on Christmas Day. Even after BR stopped running most services on Boxing Day, staff still might come in for the overnight newspaper trains. I have booked on at 23.59 in a freezing cold signal box (coal fires out and no electric heat) just to signal the ‘papers. Booking us on at 23.59, even though it gave us a lieu day for working on a bank holiday, was cheaper than having us book on twice in a day, with all the enhanced payments that involved.

 

[peteb]

The wigan test train is currently running round the mersey network as it just passed bebington.

Realtime Trains - 324M 2137 Chester to Wigan L.I.P.

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

This path (in daylight) would make a good rail enthusiasts excursion! Maybe one for 2022?

 

[_toommm_]

This path (in daylight) would make a good rail enthusiasts excursion! Maybe one for 2022?

Branch Line Society did a tour of the Merseyrail Network which was pretty similar to this last year:

Railtour Info 2020

The Complete UK Railtour Pages

www.railtourinfo.co.uk

The Merseyrail Underground & Overground Explorer

Sunday 26 January 2020 The Branch Line Society is delighted to act as booking agent for a low cost, easy day out railtour operated by Merseyrail, featuring a 6-car EMU. £25.08 Adult £0.01 Child (must be with 1 adult) Provisional validated timings and route submitted to Network Rail...

www.railforums.co.uk