ScotRail Christmas and New Year 2023

[trei2k]

Although the full Christmas schedule hasn't been announced in an easy to read format, ScotRail announced an expansion in a number of the Boxing Day (26th of December) services in the Central Belt. Historically, ScotRail have run a service in the old SPT/Strathclyde areas on Boxing Day, but this looks to be extended:

ScotRail spreads Christmas spirit with extra festive services

Customers will be able to take advantage of extra Christmas services this year with ScotRail delivering a bumper Boxing Day timetable boost. Traditionally services on Boxing Day have been restricted to a very small number, mainly in the Strathclyde area. But this year, trains will also run to...

www.scotrail.co.uk

Customers will be able to take advantage of extra Christmas services this year with ScotRail delivering a bumper Boxing Day timetable boost.

Traditionally services on Boxing Day have been restricted to a very small number, mainly in the Strathclyde area.

But this year, trains will also run to and from Perth, Dunblane and Glenrothes, and between Bathgate and Edinburgh, giving more people the chance to travel to see family and friends at this special time of year.

The additions to the Boxing Day services include:

• Bathgate to Edinburgh.
• Glasgow to Alloa.
• Edinburgh to Dunblane.
• Edinburgh to Glenrothes via Dunfermline.
• Edinburgh to Perth via Kirkcaldy.

The train operator is running as many services as possible throughout the festive period, with only Christmas Day and New Year’s Day seeing no trains running.

As has been the case in previous years, the last trains of the day on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve will depart earlier than normal, so customers should plan ahead.

Full details of the changes will be published on the ScotRail website in the coming days.

The ScotRail app has now been updated with all services expected to operate on Boxing Day, and customers can check there, or the website to plan their journey.

Last year they also had services running between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street on Boxing Day.

Looking through realtime trains (randomly!), I can see this year it looks like there are some engineering works and Edinburgh to Glasgow services will be diverted via Falkirk Grahamston. The services to Alloa announced above look to be running via Springburn / Cumbernauld on Boxing Day.

My experience in the Strathclyde area is that the services are very well used on Boxing Day, so nice to see a further roll out. However, I don't like this push to have to check individual journeys via an app. Surely a summary of the services running and those that are not would have made sense to publish as they were publishing this announcement?

 

[snookertam]

This has not gone down well with a lot of staff in the affected areas.

 

[scotraildriver]

This has not gone down well with a lot of staff in the affected areas.

Aww what a shame. Staff in the Strathclyde area have worked on Boxing day for years, about time others got a shot as well.

 

[chuff chuff]

Aww what a shame. Staff in the Strathclyde area have worked on Boxing day for years, about time others got a shot as well.

Mmmm okay let's all race to the bottom.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Scotland has always been different, with little observance of Boxing Day, but more observance of New Years Day, which England hardly observes. So it all balances out.

 

[Buzby]

Hardly anything runs up here on Jan 1 & 2, so being based in the west I’ve used trains on 26th Dec for many years. It was always a Sunday service, but they ran. I didn’t realise it was a local thing - and I never travelled at the NY as the expectation of anything running was negligibl.

 

[chuff chuff]

Hardly anything runs up here on Jan 1 & 2, so being based in the west I’ve used trains on 26th Dec for many years. It was always a Sunday service, but they ran. I didn’t realise it was a local thing - and I never travelled at the NY as the expectation of anything running was negligibl.

Scotrail run a service on the 2nd of January,reduced but its definitely there.

 

[Falcon1200]

Mmmm okay let's all race to the bottom.

How is providing a better service for passengers a race to the bottom? Apart from anything else, almost all, if not indeed all, Scotrail staff working on Boxing Day will still get Christmas Day and New Year's Day off.

 

[chuff chuff]

How is providing a better service for passengers a race to the bottom? Apart from anything else, almost all, if not indeed all, Scotrail staff working on Boxing Day will still get Christmas Day and New Year's Day off.

I was talking amongst staff,those who have been working boxing day for years in the old Strathclyde area showing some glee that that enhancement will now be enjoyed by more staff members.
I've worked Christmas,boxing day and new years day several times but it was my choice to do so.

 

[snookertam]

Hardly anything runs up here on Jan 1 & 2, so being based in the west I’ve used trains on 26th Dec for many years. It was always a Sunday service, but they ran. I didn’t realise it was a local thing - and I never travelled at the NY as the expectation of anything running was negligibl.

No ScotRail service on the 1st January, but a near full service on cross border routes which I’ve always found odd. Have always felt sorry for Scottish based staff at LNER, Avanti and predecessor TOCs that they could be expected to work early on 1st Jan.

I could understand a skeletal service as England doesn’t celebrate New Year the way that Scotland does, but early morning trains here must be dead.

2nd Jan for ScotRail has for a long time been a Sunday- type timetable with certain alterations. I remember in the 1990s it was even less, an hourly E&G calling all stations, very few local services with some routes withdrawn. Much more provided now, but only after around 10am, and still nothing like a full service on certain routes.

 

[Buzby]

Of course there’s nothing on the ECM or WCML from ScotRail, although I remember trying to go from Dumfries to Carlisle (a ScotRail route) on 2nd and it was cancelled but nobody was really bothered. As you note trains running on 1st is a rare occurrence!

 

[Siemens Trains]

I was talking amongst staff,those who have been working boxing day for years in the old Strathclyde area showing some glee that that enhancement will now be enjoyed by more staff members.
I've worked Christmas,boxing day and new years day several times but it was my choice to do so.

Did Strathclyde ever stop running trains on 26 December? I always imagined withdrawal of Boxing Day services in most of Scotland was introduced to offer Christmas season parity with staff down south and maybe to ease engineering work schedules as they'd have track access for two days in a row. But of course there are no services and little passenger demand on 1 January here then a very slow start to 2 January, so by comparison Scottish staff still do well for festive period time off and much of 1/2 January can be used for engineering work.

 

[Buzby]

Scotland has 2nd January as a Public Holiday - I do have a memory of some services running in Glasgow on 25th (Queen St) but this was early 50’s. Shame about the engineers not getting to enjoy it!

 

[Chris Hamilton]

Scotland has 2nd January as a Public Holiday - I do have a memory of some services running in Glasgow on 25th (Queen St) but this was early 50’s. Shame about the engineers not getting to enjoy it!

Only guaranteed day off for us infrastructure staff is the 25th, so my heart obviously bleeds for the poor ScotRail souls.

I say that in jest though, because I am of course rewarded financially rewarded and I can just take the B&P some other time in lieu.

This year, I get to see Santa when he flies over the railway, as I’ll be nightshift on the 24th and 26th, and it’ll be a subdued new year, as I’m dayshift from the 31st to the 2nd. Liver could use the rest anyway.

 

[Falcon1200]

Did Strathclyde ever stop running trains on 26 December?

Yes; IIRC the Strathclyde Boxing Day service was introduced in the early 1990s, there having been a period before that with no passenger service at all on that day.

 

[InOban]

Scotland has 2nd January as a Public Holiday - I do have a memory of some services running in Glasgow on 25th (Queen St) but this was early 50’s. Shame about the engineers not getting to enjoy it!

They were still running in 1970. We travelled from Jordanhill to Queen Street and from there to Edinburgh to join my parents. Not sure if that was the last year.

No ScotRail service on the 1st January, but a near full service on cross border routes which I’ve always found odd. Have always felt sorry for Scottish based staff at LNER, Avanti and predecessor TOCs that they could be expected to work early on 1st Jan.

I could understand a skeletal service as England doesn’t celebrate New Year the way that Scotland does, but early morning trains here must be dead.

2nd Jan for ScotRail has for a long time been a Sunday- type timetable with certain alterations. I remember in the 1990s it was even less, an hourly E&G calling all stations, very few local services with some routes withdrawn. Much more provided now, but only after around 10am, and still nothing like a full service on certain routes.

The Cross Border services are very busy as the many people who have returned to their families for the holidays have to get back to work on the 2nd.
Actually I think even the natives have had enough by the 1st and are quite happy to get back to work on the 2nd , It would be better to take the 31st as the holiday.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I do have a memory of some services running in Glasgow on 25th (Queen St) but this was early 50’s. Shame about the engineers not getting to enjoy it!

They were still running in 1970. We travelled from Jordanhill to Queen Street and from there to Edinburgh to join my parents. Not sure if that was the last year.

North Electrics (and no doubt others in the Glasgow area) were still running in 1979, Christmas Day was a Tuesday. I was on late shift that week and as it was only a single shift on Christmas Day, something like 10.00 to 18.00 which would fall to my early shift colleague, I was booked off as being not required. I then received a phone call from the staff office before going to work on Christmas Eve asking if I was available to work that 25th shift - I declined due to the short notice.

 

[Blindtraveler]

They were still running in 1970. We travelled from Jordanhill to Queen Street and from there to Edinburgh to join my parents. Not sure if that was the last year.


The Cross Border services are very busy as the many people who have returned to their families for the holidays have to get back to work on the 2nd.
Actually I think even the natives have had enough by the 1st and are quite happy to get back to work on the 2nd , It would be better to take the 31st as the holiday.

Yes cross border on January the 1st is often very busy, in fact I remember standing from Motherwell onwards a few years back on a very overloaded voyager, thankfully split ticket at Carlyle necessitated change of train but a lot of people used it and I also echo your thoughts about taking the 31st as the public holiday rather than January the second which has always irritated me to the point where for quite a few years I used to go away for new year and not return until civilization had resumed something vaguely resembling normal now not in issue as I've relocated to Kent