Do more people still want to travel by train on Saturdays than Sundays?

[infobleep]

I was surprised to see on the news this morning that Gatwick Airport has more passengers passing through this Sunday [tomorrow] than on Saturday [today] .I always thought people travelled less on Sundays. Perhaps summer holidays by air are different.

The railways still run less trains on a Sunday so is it still the case, as it has been historically, that less people want to travel by train on a Sunday than a Saturday?×I'm not including Monday to Friday as that is by far the busiest during the peaks of any day. Well in the South East at least.

In terms of airports though, the trains run later on Sundays but I doubt the flights all leave later.

 

[Starmill]

I travel loads on Saturdays, but rarely on a Sunday - and the ONLY reason for that is the lack of trains on a Sunday!

 

[Greenback]

Indeed. I suspect quite a few people are forced not to use trains due to a lack of suitable services. In the case of airports, they may still use the train but stay overnight for an early Sunday flight, though!

Days out are more difficult on a Sunday around here. On a nice warm summer day it's impossible to have a Sunday in Tenby, which is a popular family destination in these parts!

 

[yorksrob]

An interesting question. Certainly InterCity services are extrmely busy due to people no doubt getting back home, although much of this is probably due to there being fewer trains in the first place. I think Saturdays are probably still much busier for day trips for sport, shopping and leisure etc though.

 

[northwichcat]

Places do have shorter opening hours on Sunday and it's not just because of demand. Larger shops are limited to 8 hours of opening on Sunday by law.

In my local town car parking is usually pay & display but from 18:00 on Saturday until early Monday it's free so that may put some people off travelling by train on Sunday.

Although, there are times when frequency of trains is the only thing making Saturday more attractive than Sunday. Maybe any line with a Saturday frequency of hourly or less often should have the same number of trains on Sunday and maybe a reduced frequency on lines where the Saturday frequency is more frequent than hourly?

 

[scarby]

I was surprised to see on the news this morning that Gatwick Airport has more passengers passing through this Sunday [tomorrow] than on Saturday [today] .I always thought people travelled less on Sundays. Perhaps summer holidays by air are different.

I don't know about dedicated holiday flights (charters) but in terms of scheduled flights Saturdays are one of the quieter days for airports - quite a lot of European routes that run all the other days have a day off on Saturday.

 

[Hornet]

Sunday Services in the UK have always been a disgrace, compared to many European Countries. Many sporting occasions happen on a Sunday and most are almost impossible to get to by rail even from a reasonable distance away. Case in point I went to the World Superbikes in Imola, Italy a few years back. I stayed in Pisa and travelled up on a Sunday morning leaving Pisa at 5am, and with changes in Florence and Bologna was stepping off the Train at Imola at 9.15am. Contrast that to this month's British MotoGP at Silverstone, if you live in Birmingham the first train to Northampton doesn't arrive there until 10:15am. Then you have to get a connecting bus which does not get to Silverstone to 11:45am! Crackers!

 

[GodAtum]

My expereinces:

East Croydon to Victoria or London Bridge - very busy on Saturday and Sunday with people sitting in 1st class without correct tickets. On FCC trains up to London Bridge lots of people with luggage taking p too much space.

Paddington - Newbury - Sunday very busy, hard to get a seat in 1st class

 

[berneyarms]

I was surprised to see on the news this morning that Gatwick Airport has more passengers passing through this Sunday [tomorrow] than on Saturday [today] .I always thought people travelled less on Sundays. Perhaps summer holidays by air are different.

The railways still run less trains on a Sunday so is it still the case, as it has been historically, that less people want to travel by train on a Sunday than a Saturday?×I'm not including Monday to Friday as that is by far the busiest during the peaks of any day. Well in the South East at least.

In terms of airports though, the trains run later on Sundays but I doubt the flights all leave later.

Nothing particularly surprising about more people travelling by air on Sundays than Saturdays.

Most people who take city breaks travel out on Fridays and return on Sunday.

Anyone who lives and work in any of the cities but is from more rural parts is likely to go home on a Friday and return on a Sunday, which is why Sunday afternoon/evenings are important to the railway companies.

Saturdays have more "out and back" leisure traffic on the railway.

 

[Monty]

Sunday service where I live has always been very good to be honest, first train arrives just after 7am and then it's one every half hour until end of service.

 

[northwichcat]

I don't know about dedicated holiday flights (charters) but in terms of scheduled flights Saturdays are one of the quieter days for airports - quite a lot of European routes that run all the other days have a day off on Saturday.

I think flight operators expect you to usually fly out or come back on one of Sunday, Monday or Friday and to also come back on Sunday, Monday or Friday but not necessarily the same day of the week that you went out.

 

[apk55]

There are also a lot who are forced to work away from home and who often travel to work on a Sunday night and return on Friday evening. I was in that situation for many years traveling from Altrincham to Hall Green (Birmingham). While i used my car and the M6 motorway was often chronicaly crowded on Sunday night.

Others probably use weekends to visit relatives or do leasure activities so traveling paterns would be different from weekdayspatern

 

[Starmill]

Some lines have incredibly weird Sunday service. It might make sense for the Railway, but the Crewe - Derby service is just not that much use on a Sunday. Nothing whatsoever until 3! There are only 5 trains a day to the local stations Cheadle Hulme to Macclesfield exclusive - Congleton only has 4. I don't have an exhaustive list, but Bryn, Belle Vue, Ryder Brow, Rose Hill Marple, Hyde North, Hyde Central, Woodley, Patricroft, Kearsley, Farnworth, Moses Gate, Glazebrook, Chassen Road, Humphrey Park and Trafford Park in Greater Manchester has no sunday service (Reddish South, Denton, Ardwick and Clifton don't either, but they don't really count!). Pemberton and Orrell have a terrible service every other day of the week, and nowt on a Sunday. The last one I have always wondered why it lacks a Sunday service is Flixton. So people from these areas can't really use the train on Sunday can they? Mid-Cheshire line being 2-hourly on Sundays is a bit of a cop out too - Buxton is still hourly.

Contrast the Sunday service provided by Metrolink, which is fantastic (all lines 5tph), earlier finish but still into the 2200s.

 

[Moonshot]

Some lines have incredibly weird Sunday service. It might make sense for the Railway, but the Crewe - Derby service is just not that much use on a Sunday. Nothing whatsoever until 3! There are only 5 trains a day to the local stations Cheadle Hulme to Macclesfield exclusive - Congleton only has 4. I don't have an exhaustive list, but Bryn, Belle Vue, Ryder Brow, Rose Hill Marple, Hyde North, Hyde Central, Woodley, Patricroft, Kearsley, Farnworth, Moses Gate, Glazebrook, Chassen Road, Humphrey Park and Trafford Park in Greater Manchester has no sunday service (Reddish South, Denton, Ardwick and Clifton don't either, but they don't really count!). Pemberton and Orrell have a terrible service every other day of the week, and nowt on a Sunday. The last one I have always wondered why it lacks a Sunday service is Flixton. So people from these areas can't really use the train on Sunday can they? Mid-Cheshire line being 2-hourly on Sundays is a bit of a cop out too - Buxton is still hourly.

Contrast the Sunday service provided by Metrolink, which is fantastic (all lines 5tph), earlier finish but still into the 2200s.

So if we convert all those stations you mention above into Metrolink stops......problem solved

Maybe Sunday engineering works should be reduced to help as well.

 

[Starmill]

I've always said the service is provided by Metrolink is good. Sort out all the other problems with it and you can convert as much as you like!

 

[samj]

I don't know about dedicated holiday flights (charters) but in terms of scheduled flights Saturdays are one of the quieter days for airports - quite a lot of European routes that run all the other days have a day off on Saturday.

Saturday's at Gatwick and Manchester are certainly busy for charter flights during the Summer period, in fact Friday/Saturday would be the busiest day I should imagine charter wise.

 

[infobleep]

Could more engineering work be done on a Saturday instead of a Sunday? Or is Saturday still to popular?

 

[sd0733]

Some lines have incredibly weird Sunday service. It might make sense for the Railway, but the Crewe - Derby service is just not that much use on a Sunday. Nothing whatsoever until 3!

Crewe-derby is due to only having 1 shift in all of the manual boxes along the derby-stoke section of the route. Still in this day and age its a pretty poor service when a local route can barely get you to the shops before they close!

 

[30907]

Sunday Services in the UK have always been a disgrace, compared to many European Countries.

Generally true, but it depends where you are. The Southern historically provided almost a full off peak service on Sundays, though with a later start to service. By contrast, in many parts of Germany, urban and rural local transport runs a much reduced service on both Saturdays and Sundays.

 

[Mojo]

As someone else has commented, many Intercity services on a Sunday any time from the early afternoon tend to be ones to avoid. Even on routes where they run the same frequency of service as on a weekday (e.g. CrossCountry from Bristol to Birmingham), the trains are absolutely packed, and at their worst around 5-7pm!

 

[PHILIPE]

Then, many that do run on a Sunday are affected by Engineering work. One reason for late start up like Crewe to Derby is due to manual signal boxes and avoid the need to pay for another shift. With most TOCs the current level of service will just continue until some outside body comes along and suggests an improved service but have to back it with funding.

 

[dk1]

Sundays are always going to be an issue for Traincrews. Biggest problem is shift changeover. Those going lates to early stand little chance of being able to work a Sunday between Saturday & Mondays shifts allowing for 12hrs rest either side. You then have those who do not want to work Sundays & give their turns away.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I generally travel more on a Sunday than on a Saturday too.

Certainly my experience is that Sundays are busier than other days of the week (ignoring the weekday rush hour). Of course part of that is that the service is worse so trains will be busier. But XC services in particular seem to be very busy on a Sunday.

Even if you take the view that sundays are quieter etc etc, some routes have such poor services you can't justify it at all. Some of the valley line routes are half hourly in the week, but 2 hourly on a Sunday. Its pathetic.

Funnily enough, some journeys are actually better on a Sunday. Travelling from Cardiff Central to Oldfield Park, you have a direct train on Sundays. Whereas in the week you have to change at bristol. And Cardiff Central to Bath Spa has some half hourly services on a Sunday (whereas in the week it is hourly).

As someone else has commented, many Intercity services on a Sunday any time from the early afternoon tend to be ones to avoid. Even on routes where they run the same frequency of service as on a weekday (e.g. CrossCountry from Bristol to Birmingham), the trains are absolutely packed, and at their worst around 5-7pm!

The one good thing about my previous relationship ending is that I no longer have to deal with travelling that route at that time on a Sunday! As you say, it can be very very busy indeed.

 

[Hellfire]

I must admit I hadn't realised how sparse the trains were on Sunday compared with Saturday until I booked to travel from Preston to Glasgow tomorrow.

I was amazed to discover the first train of the day is 1053. That's compared with 0640 on Saturdays.

That is a ridiculously late start to a main line service

 

[dk1]

I must admit I hadn't realised how sparse the trains were on Sunday compared with Saturday until I booked to travel from Preston to Glasgow tomorrow.

I was amazed to discover the first train of the day is 1053. That's compared with 0640 on Saturdays.

That is a ridiculously late start to a main line service

Got to maintain the route. Too much freight at night & passengers during the day. Those 12hr blocks Sat-Sun are critical.

 

[bb21]

Time to put peak restrictions in place for Sunday afternoons perhaps?

 

[jamesst]

I've always said the service is provided by Metrolink is good. Sort out all the other problems with it and you can convert as much as you like!

Merseyrail has a very good Sunday service and yet people still complain...

 

[edwin_m]

Time to put peak restrictions in place for Sunday afternoons perhaps?

I suspect a lot of weekly commuters travel on a Sunday evening precisely because the trains are so expensive on a Monday morning.

 

[SouthStand]

Actually seeing a train in Spalding on a Sunday would be a start :roll:

 

[DelayRepay]

If people are making their complete journey by public transport, the lack of Sunday bus services in many areas may put them off having a day out. My village only has 4 buses on a Sunday and the council are threatening to take those away...

I used to be one of the people travelling between "home" and "work" (Yorkshire - London) on a Sunday afternoon and the trains were always packed with people, I assume, doing the same thing as me. I've changed my lifestyle now though so I don't waste half my weekend travelling