Northern to run some Boxing Day trains

Andyh82 · 9 Dec 2019

CaptainHaddock said:
If anything I think this plan could do with less publicity. If people just see the headline "Northern to run trains on Boxing Day" in their local paper (or website), they'll assume that trains are running on all lines and will be in for a shock when they turn up at their local station to find it deserted!

Best keep it (relatively) quiet and, if it goes well, it will be a good indication of whether to run more extensive Boxing Day services in future years.

You get many now, often young people who turn up at stations and find them empty (and then rant on social media)

Especially in places like Leeds who now have quite a comprehensive bus service on Boxing Day, so they’d expect trains to be running as well.

RailUK Forums

30907 · 9 Dec 2019

Deerfold said:
Keeping the publicity low key when other information specifically states there are no trains sounds a good way to be able to argue they don't need to run these trains due to low usage.

Or perhaps Northern - notorious for cancellations - wanted to be sure their Boxing Day trains were crewed before publicising them?

Deerfold · 9 Dec 2019

30907 said:
Or perhaps Northern - notorious for cancellations - wanted to be sure their Boxing Day trains were crewed before publicising them?

That might be true. However it's unfortunate that Metro seems to have had no idea of these before producing all their publicity saying there are no trains.

infobleep · 17 Dec 2019

Spare a thought for those who use South Western Railway. They don't run anything. Govia Thameslink Railway do at least and it's only due to them that I can visit a friend on boxing day and then only because I won't be starting from a South Western Railway station.

Jamesrob637 · 17 Dec 2019

infobleep said:
Spare a thought for those who use South Western Railway. They don't run anything. Govia Thameslink Railway do at least and it's only due to them that I can visit a friend on boxing day and then only because I won't be starting from a South Western Railway station.

To be fair SWR have only run half of their trains throughout December barring Election Day! But that's for the SWR strike thread. Glad you can at least go somewhere. Northern may be running some Boxing Day services but a) I'll be in Plymouth and b) how many will run in reality given their number of almost daily cancellations (but seemingly far worse on Sundays?)

SWT_USER · 17 Dec 2019

Jamesrob637 said:
To be fair SWR have only run half of their trains throughout December barring Election Day! But that's for the SWR strike thread. Glad you can at least go somewhere. Northern may be running some Boxing Day services but a) I'll be in Plymouth and b) how many will run in reality given their number of almost daily cancellations (but seemingly far worse on Sundays?)

INCLUDING election day, even though it was not a strike day. Apparently any additional services would have been too difficult so they didn't bother.

infobleep · 17 Dec 2019

Jamesrob637 said:
To be fair SWR have only run half of their trains throughout December barring Election Day! But that's for the SWR strike thread. Glad you can at least go somewhere. Northern may be running some Boxing Day services but a) I'll be in Plymouth and b) how many will run in reality given their number of almost daily cancellations (but seemingly far worse on Sundays?)

This year in theory is exceptional. They haven't run such things in the past either.

trainmananthon · 26 Dec 2019

It's an hourly service on 'the triangle' (Skipton - Bradford - Ilkley). Times arw

xx50 Skipton - Bradford
xx00 Bradford - Skipton
xx35 Bradford - Ilkley
xx15 Ilkley - Bradford

I'll be onboard and at stations taking photos as well as giving out timetables and engineering work leaflets.

30907 · 26 Dec 2019

Went down to Saltaire just now, on a cold grey morning:
1100 BDQ-SKI very light, 10-15 pax plus 5 boarding.
1050 SKI-BDQ about 40 passengers plus 4-5 boarding, 1 alighting - pleasantly surprised, I've seen worse during college holidays!

ainsworth74 · 26 Dec 2019

I've had a little look at RTT and they do appear to be running but how is it on the ground I wonder?

Llama · 26 Dec 2019

The first Bolton-Salford was completely dead so I am told.

splashoutradio · 26 Dec 2019

Llama said:
The first Bolton-Salford was completely dead so I am told.

Even though Salford Central is only "down the road", I suspect the fact that trains don't quite make it as far as a Manchester station will put a lot of people off using the service.

snookertam · 26 Dec 2019

Always susprises me how few other places have any boxing day train services. Glasgow and the West of Scotland has had a service on Boxing day for as long as I can remember. Slightly reduced on weekdays with no peak obviously. Network stretches to Helensburgh Central in the west, Bathgate in the east, Girvan in the south and Croy in the north, although I wonder why they don't consider running that to Falkirk or Stirling to allow those places a service.

January 2nd is similar, although stretches across the country. Trains don't start until after 9am.

trainmananthon · 26 Dec 2019

So far today Ive been on the 1050 ex Skipton, 1135 ex Bradford and 1215 ex Ilkley counting passenger numbers at intermediate stations. Here's my results so far (not including pax on at Skipton Bradford and ilkley, purely the intermediate stations)

1050 Skipton - Bradford... 66 total
1135 Bradford - Ilkley... 35 total

Now on the lightly loaded 1215 Ilkley - Bradford, then 1300 Bradford - Skipton.

No conductors have ticket machines today so it's being offered as purely a free service.

Deerfold · 26 Dec 2019

trainmananthon said:
No conductors have ticket machines today so it's being offered as purely a free service.

That bit certainly hasn't been advertised.

Metro did finally update the details on their website to mention these services (though with nothing to say the pdf had been updated). However at Keighley bus station on the 24th posters still stated that no trains were running in West Yorkshire today.

If you go to the Northern Rail website there's nothing to say that there any trains running today, though there's a link to timetable changes tomorrow.

Steddenm · 26 Dec 2019

splashoutradio said:
Even though Salford Central is only "down the road", I suspect the fact that trains don't quite make it as far as a Manchester station will put a lot of people off using the service.

Metroshuttle (the city centre free buses) are running between Salford Central and the main city centre today.

Robertj21a · 26 Dec 2019

trainmananthon said:
So far today Ive been on the 1050 ex Skipton, 1135 ex Bradford and 1215 ex Ilkley counting passenger numbers at intermediate stations. Here's my results so far (not including pax on at Skipton Bradford and ilkley, purely the intermediate stations)

1050 Skipton - Bradford... 66 total
1135 Bradford - Ilkley... 35 total

Now on the lightly loaded 1215 Ilkley - Bradford, then 1300 Bradford - Skipton.

No conductors have ticket machines today so it's being offered as purely a free service.

Quite good numbers really given the poor advertising. Here's hoping for a big expansion next year.

splashoutradio · 26 Dec 2019

Steddenm said:
Metroshuttle (the city centre free buses) are running between Salford Central and the main city centre today.

According to TfGM, its a Sunday service on Free Bus 1&2 today. So unless I've misread, the Mon-Fri peak route variation that passes Salford Central won't be running today?

Bungle965 · 26 Dec 2019

Steddenm said:
between Salford Central and the main city centre today.

That still leaves the bit out from Salford Crescent to Central, it's hardly likely that it'll be attractive to passengers going into Manchester.
Sam

scotrail158713 · 26 Dec 2019

snookertam said:
Always susprises me how few other places have any boxing day train services. Glasgow and the West of Scotland has had a service on Boxing day for as long as I can remember. Slightly reduced on weekdays with no peak obviously. Network stretches to Helensburgh Central in the west, Bathgate in the east, Girvan in the south and Croy in the north, although I wonder why they don't consider running that to Falkirk or Stirling to allow those places a service.

January 2nd is similar, although stretches across the country. Trains don't start until after 9am.

I think that goes back to when SPT ran services in and around greater Glasgow and it’s just continued. As far as I know Falkirk and Stirling didn’t fall under these areas hence they don’t get services.

trainmananthon · 26 Dec 2019

1800 Bradford - Skipton (last train) peaked at 70 people onboard, 37 of which got off at Keighley!

Overall today the Ilkley line was dead but the Skipton line was quite busy with most people travelling from Keighley. I've collected results from intermediate stations and will post them on here when I get home.

trainmananthon · 26 Dec 2019

Here's the results from the trains I was on today. Remember my results are intermediate stations only, not the origin stations (these had their own designated counters)

1050 Skipton - Bradford
Cononley - 2 on 1 off
Steeton - 4 on
Keighley - 32 on 2 off
Crossflatts - 0
Bingley - 8 on
Saltaire - 4 on 2 off
Shipley - 11 on 2 off
Frizinghall - 5 on

66 total on

1135 Bradford - Ilkley
Frizinghall - 1 on 1 off
Shipley - 8 on 1 off
Baildon - 7 on 6 off
Guiseley - 5 on 5 off
Menston - 8 on 4 off
Burley - 6 on 4 off
Ben Rhydding - 3 off

35 total on

1215 Ilkley - Bradford
Ben Rhydding - 9 on
Burley - 4 on 10 off
Menston - 3 on 2 off
Guiseley - 5 on 2 off
Baildon - 5 on 5 off
Shipley - 6 on 6 off
Frizinghall - 0

32 Total on

1300 Bradford - Skipton
Frizinghall - 3 on 3 off
Shipley - 4 on 7 off
Saltaire - 6 on 7 off
Bingley - 6 on 5 off
Crossflatts - 3 off
Keighley - 10 on 12 off
Steeton - 2 on 1 off
Cononley - 3 on 1 off

34 total on

1350 Skipton - Bradford
Cononley - 2 on
Steeton - 4 on 1 off
Keighley - 28 on 2 off
Crossflatts - 0
Bingley - 18 on 7 off
Saltaire - 2 on 3 off
Shipley - 7 on 5 off
Frizinghall - 6 on 2 off

67 total on

1650 Skipton - Bradford
Cononley - 2 off
Steeton - 3 on 1 off
Keighley - 21 on 8 off
Crossflatts - 3 on 4 off
Bingley - 4 on 6 off
Saltaire - 2 on 7 off
Shipley - 2 on 5 off
Frizinghall - 3 off

35 total on

1800 Bradford - Skipton
Bradford - 67 on
Frizinghall - 3 off
Shipley - 11 on 5 off
Saltaire - 2 on 2 off
Bingley - 2 on 10 off
Crossflatts - 1 off
Keighley - 2 on 37 off
Steeton - 2 on 6 off
Cononley - 1 off

19 total on

Hope this gives you all an insight into loadings.

class 9 · 26 Dec 2019

Not suprised by the Ilkley line numbers, although stations from Menston to Ilkley are in the Bradford council area, most people in these places have no connection with Bradford at all. Majority of people shop in Leeds as well as work.

bluenoxid · 26 Dec 2019

Deerfold said:
Metro did finally update the details on their website to mention these services (though with nothing to say the pdf had been updated).

They were prompted to update their information.

scrapy · 26 Dec 2019

Bungle965 said:
That still leaves the bit out from Salford Crescent to Central, it's hardly likely that it'll be attractive to passengers going into Manchester.
Sam

Trains were running between Crescent and Central

Deerfold · 26 Dec 2019

bluenoxid said:
They were prompted to update their information.

Yes, by me a good couple of weeks ago.

Bungle965 · 26 Dec 2019

scrapy said:
Trains were running between Crescent and Central

Apologies! So they were.
Sam

cactustwirly · 26 Dec 2019

infobleep said:
Spare a thought for those who use South Western Railway. They don't run anything. Govia Thameslink Railway do at least and it's only due to them that I can visit a friend on boxing day and then only because I won't be starting from a South Western Railway station.

GWR and TfL Rail didn't run anything today either

RAPC · 26 Dec 2019

splashoutradio said:
Even though Salford Central is only "down the road", I suspect the fact that trains don't quite make it as far as a Manchester station will put a lot of people off using the service.

I suspect that Salford Central isn’t the main issue, but Bolton. Had it started at Horwich as an example, you would have had free parking and also additional residential areas to attract passengers from. Bolton may have made sense operationally, but not for demand. Compare it with the Airedale services and it is a way to see why they attracted passengers.

185 · 27 Dec 2019

First day in the history of the railways that Clifton has had two more services than Manchester Picc

Northern to run some Boxing Day trains

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