I am sure Stagecoach, First, Go Ahead etc would love to run a train service on boxing day, now who is going to PAY for it?
Yes, that is the main issue. Despite what has been said about football matches and horse racing, there is going to be far less demand for services on Boxing Day than on other days. Business travel will be negligible.
Which is already the case for people who cannot drive.
If you cannot drive, unless you are prepared to take a taxi, or walk/cycle 30+ miles in winter, at most places in England and Wales and parts of Scotland, you are trapped in the same place from around 9-10pm on December 24 to 7-8am on December 27.
You ar emaking a great argument for the railway to be treated as a public service once again. Sadly, in my opinion, it hasn't been seen in those terms for over thirty years at least.
Even if there were trains on Boxing Day, many people would still be effectively isolated, either through having no accessible railway or station or by having no useful service at that particular place. Unless, of course, you are arguing for a full weekday type service?
The issue is: Is this the right way to run a railway? NO-ONE else in Europe does this. Not for 60 hours!
I don't think it is the right way to run a railway. But then, my views could be seen as old fashioned as I also think that it is lamentable that large swathes of the country are now without railways and trains completely, whilst others have a sparse service of one train a week, or four or five a day. This is because railways ar emeant to pay their way, and this is what I very much doubt would happen on Boxing Day.
There does seem to be a certain defeatism here. TOCs provide a poor service on 26th, so people don't use it, therefore it is assumed that no one would use a better service, so it would result in a loss. What about putting on a full service, perhaps even at reduced fares, and seeing what happens. The sort of commercial enterprise TOCs are meant to show
That is the sor tof commercial enterprise that has been largely absent from the privatised railway since it's icneption, despite the intention of the process being to bring innovation!
What if all power workers were allowed to take Xmas & Boxing day off? Soon would get Joe Public up in arms ! We work .... so why dont rail workers?? Get off yer butts and do it, you are not above the rest of the utility workers who do work 24/7.
It's virtually impossible to exist in the modern world without power. As we keep getting told by the anti railway pressure groups, only a small proportion of citizens use the train. Which is no doubt why it's not seen as an essential public service.
