-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
What activity is there on the railway on Christmas Day?
- Thread starter tom73
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
The 2nd and 3rd trains shown in RTT terminating at Sheffield at 00:20 & 00:30 are departmental trains operated by Colas, these are probably working within station limits over the next day or two or are being positioned ready for a possession nearby. These are short term plan so should run.
The next 4 entries are from the working timetable and according to Railcam Rc-Data are RHTT operated by DRS, the first 3 entries are actually one and the same train it just goes in then out then returns and goes out again terminating at Wrenthorpe sidings, the forth is a separate RHTT. These will probably not run especially if work is taking place but NR see no reason to take them out of the timetable as they just will not be activated if they are not running.
Well, given their performance over the last week or so I wouldn't bet on any of them running.
In fact I was sure I saw a notice on the PIS of a Leeds-Skipton train yesterday saying there would be no trains into Bradford FS, but maybe my brain just couldn't accept "there will be trains Bradford to Skipton on Boxing day!"
DJ737
Member
Down here in Melbourne, it's a Sunday service and all services are free.
https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and...ay-25-december-and-thursday-26-december-2019/
Merry Christmas
DJ737
https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and...ay-25-december-and-thursday-26-december-2019/
Merry Christmas
DJ737
Llanigraham
On Moderation
I suspect it might also have something to do with Network Rail persuading signallers to work as well.
The Tunstead - Oakleigh still ran on Boxing Day around 1984. Don't think it ran on the 25th however.
Pretty sure they've not run over Xmas recently.
Every ‘franchised’ operator who runs Boxing Day services does so because they are paid to, either by the relevant franchising authority, or (as in Chiltern’s case) by a third party.
The Open Access companies do it because they can make money, ie Heathrow Express and Eurostar.
London Trains
Member
- Joined
- 9 Oct 2017
- Messages
- 910
As well as Southern between Victoria and Sutton/East Croydon/Three Bridges/Brighton
mm333
Member
No Leeds-Forster Square trains on the 27th.
mm333
Member
I’ve just bought a child’s single for tonight’s 0023 Taplow-Maidenhead, just got the novelty, when I collect it, of having a ticket dated 25 December. I think that’s the last train departure tonight although their are some later rail replacement buses services, you can get a bus at 0059 from Southall to Ealing Broadway.
craigybagel
Established Member
- Joined
- 25 Oct 2012
- Messages
- 5,079
Cheers. I was caught up in the start of it as I was working a late shift on Xmas Eve and had a (planned) long taxi ride to get back to my home depot, but I was off for the 27th so only vaguely aware that there were some issues that day. It was all up and running again (albeit with a hefty TSR) when I was back at work.
I spent several years sharing Christmas Day shifts on call with my colleagues on Merseyside. No third rail passenger services ran on Christmas Day and rarely did any engineering work take place. The 650v third rail was always live. Objects were thrown onto the track and live rail day and night all over system; -just like any other normal day. I would liaise with the Electric Control, who had their own staff on duty, as to who was the nearest to an incident. Should it be me, then I would attend the location to deal with it.
Other usual events were break-ins and damage to signalboxes and stations. I recall the signal box at Bidston Dee Jctn having every window on all three sides broken by stone throwing. Temporary repairs and a clean up were required before the Signalman took up duty for the Boxing Day Service. I requested the local on call Works Supervisor to send men ASAP. Fortunately, at this time, there was an authorised private building contractor, who when called, would attend any railway incident. Between the two responses, even with some marine ply windows and a draughty box the signalman was willing and kept the train service running the next day, while further repairs were made.
Station Offices were often the target of overnight attempted break-ins and on one successful break-in a safe was removed from an office wall and opened. I had not realised before just how vulnerable such wall safes were, as the back of the safe was just a sheet of tin which could easily be peeled back. Most attempted break-ins were unsuccessful, but could cause a lot of damage and I would expect to deal with at least one attempted break-in every Christmas. Damage had to be repaired quickly and full security restored. If not, staff had to attend.
The other event which usually occupied my time was dealing with staff sickness. I had a full set of rosters, addresses and phone no’s for all staff. I always felt like a good drink after my on call shift had ended!
Other usual events were break-ins and damage to signalboxes and stations. I recall the signal box at Bidston Dee Jctn having every window on all three sides broken by stone throwing. Temporary repairs and a clean up were required before the Signalman took up duty for the Boxing Day Service. I requested the local on call Works Supervisor to send men ASAP. Fortunately, at this time, there was an authorised private building contractor, who when called, would attend any railway incident. Between the two responses, even with some marine ply windows and a draughty box the signalman was willing and kept the train service running the next day, while further repairs were made.
Station Offices were often the target of overnight attempted break-ins and on one successful break-in a safe was removed from an office wall and opened. I had not realised before just how vulnerable such wall safes were, as the back of the safe was just a sheet of tin which could easily be peeled back. Most attempted break-ins were unsuccessful, but could cause a lot of damage and I would expect to deal with at least one attempted break-in every Christmas. Damage had to be repaired quickly and full security restored. If not, staff had to attend.
The other event which usually occupied my time was dealing with staff sickness. I had a full set of rosters, addresses and phone no’s for all staff. I always felt like a good drink after my on call shift had ended!
So why was it considered viable to put boxing day running into some franchises but not others? Is it due to trains running to airports for some franchises but not for others?.
Scotrail84
Established Member
- Joined
- 5 Jul 2010
- Messages
- 2,366
Drivers come out on Xmas day to start up sets for frost protection duties at major stations and depots on Xmas day and Boxing day. Usually there are drivers climbing over each other to get these turns due to the money involved. Sheer greed.
Spartacus
Established Member
- Joined
- 25 Aug 2009
- Messages
- 2,922
It’s not unknown for power stations to receive deliveries over the Christmas period, though they tend to try and stockpile fuel so they don’t need them.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
Is that due to engineering works at Leeds?
Yes.
Suspect it's to do with the date of the franchise and/or whether BR was running in 199x. AFAIK Northern is the only " new" one but I may have missed one.
Whilst I was in South London today waiting for my passenger to finish xmas dinner with her son and family I had a wander around as Mortlake and North sheen stations are near by it seemed strange that both stations were unlocked with all the ticket machines etc. switched on and all the automated announcements coming over the tannoy at least the train describers stated no service today.
I assume they can't switch anything off as it might cause problems switching on again bu still a little bizarre
I assume they can't switch anything off as it might cause problems switching on again bu still a little bizarre
Facing Back
Member
- Joined
- 21 May 2019
- Messages
- 904
Not that it makes a blind bit of difference to me (or most people) I understand from a couple of friends who it does matter to (an astronomer and a meteorologist) that midnight on the 24th is technically the start of boxing day, not the end. When the clock strikes 12 midnight then that is the moment when the date changes.
So if trains didn't run on boxing day (as per Paddington I think?) then 50 hours would seem to be right.
Saying that I suspect many people would consider midnight as the end of the day - it certainly feels more "right" to me.
Am i missing something here? The 24th is the 24th but Boxing day is on the 26th What has happened to the day in between...... 25th Christmas day
For the sake of argument i consider midnight to be 00:00 so that's 0 Hours & 0 Minutes of the new day, therefore midnight is always the start of the new day and never the end, the end being @ 23:59.
Facing Back
Member
- Joined
- 21 May 2019
- Messages
- 904
Not missing anything - me being a complete muppet. Midnight on the 24th is the start of Christmas Eve. I've no idea why I was thinking of boxing day when I was typing...
Ashley Hill
Established Member
Didn't regular Xmas Day/Boxing Day trains finish about 1968ish? As said elsewhere on this thread some trains do now run on these days. The way society now operates I can foresee Boxing Day train services becoming the norm. After all many people would rather go to the sales than spend quality time with the family. These days,like Sunday's,are becoming less and less special in this consumer led society. I do not see the need for Xmas day services though.
Poolie
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jan 2010
- Messages
- 180
Shared this before, but how I wish I had been a Carlisle fan on Boxing Day 1967
Same here. Midnight Christmas Eve is the start of the 24 hour period covering Christmas Eve, hence why I interpreted the OP's post as such. That is the date convention I have always used and is what is used in my line of work, so if the OP wants to use (as far as I'm concerned) a non-standard time period definition and doesn't make it clear, I take no responsibility for any misunderstanding on my part.
Last edited:
Trains were rumbling past the apartment here on Portugal’s remaining metre-gauge line yesterday, just a ‘bank holiday’ service on Christmas Day which I think means the earliest trains of the day don’t run. Seemed to be regular service on Christmas Eve which is when more family stuff tends to happen here.
Looking at the GEML, it looks like the only bits that do NOT have any work on the 25th and 26th are: Manningtree to Halifax Junction, East Suffolk Junction to Diss, and Norwich Station.
with work in various locations also from Liverpool Street, right down to beyond Witham.
with work in various locations also from Liverpool Street, right down to beyond Witham.
Right into the mid 70's there were Boxing days services on the SR on the South Coast, did not start until gone 11, and was very sparse, and also very empty !
dk1
Veteran Member
So where are you routing me tomorrow then. Through platform 1 & round the back?
- Status