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Travel over Christmas

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dan5324

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To cancel the booked engineering work would cost millions, who will pay, it will then have to be re-planned, along with all the other planned work, and then you get faults / speed restrictions everyone will moan about the railways not being up to scratch...just so a few can go on a train on the 26th.
The reasons train stopped running on the 26th was NO ONE travelled on them !
If no one travels on Boxing Day then why is it nat ex and both megabus are usually always fully booked, with dupes on Boxing Day? And that roads become quite busy too? Or is it just another case of the Railway not being there when people actually need it. Which is nothing new.
 
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LAX54

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If no one travels on Boxing Day then why is it nat ex and both megabus are usually always fully booked, with dupes on Boxing Day? And that roads become quite busy too? Or is it just another case of the Railway not being there when people actually need it. Which is nothing new.
Having worked on the 26th for many years on the Railway, and when we ran trains too, as stated there was a Driver and a Guard, and very few, if any on some trains passengers, even back in the 70's people drove the car, so BR decided that it was not worth running trains on the 26th, so called a halt, however apart from Platform Staff, most Ops staff are working the 26th anyway !
Someone had deemed that this is the best time to do big jobs is the Christmas Period, which makes sense, as there are far fewer people travelling, it has been asked on here many times when shall we have a 10 day shut down for some job or other, July / August ? No os the cry everyone wants to go on holiday, maybe Easter then, Noooo everyone wants to see the Family again! why not just a random week in the Spring or Autumn, Nooo is the cry ...how do I get to work, and where do the Freighliner trains go ? every time it comes back to Christmas, Freight does not run, many people are off work, and have no need to travel on 'THAT' day

Raods are busy, they have always been busy on the 26th, more so now as everyone MUST go to DFS to buy a sofa, or CURRYs to buy a new TV, that just cannot wait until 28th / 29th ....
 

317 forever

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I can see rail travel being bad over the 5 days but I can see road travel being an utter nightmare.
This has helped persuade me against going away for the night of December 27th. Besides, if I stay in a tier 3 area, it could be illegal by 12.01am on December 28th despite being a Christmas Bank Holiday.
 

trainophile

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27th is a Sunday, and 28th in the Boxing Day bank holiday, which will exacerbate matters if it's a normal Sunday/bank holiday reduced service.

Very shortsighted to make people leave their family or whoever they are visiting before even the official Boxing Day. Can't see many people making a move before 29th, when hopefully things will be back to something like the current normal.
 

Butts

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I am looking to travel from Edinburgh to Birmingham on New Years Eve early doors.

The cheapest rail fare I could find (with a railcard) was £49 Standard or £73 1st Class. Where have all the cheap tiers of advances gone !!!

On Easyjet it's £24.99 although there is only one flight at 7am which I have booked.

Earlier in the month out 15th back 19th December it's cost me about £100 return on Avanti 1st Class with a Railcard.

I had no alternative there as Flights only resume on the 19th.

£60 is supposed to be the cheapest 1st Class Single from Edinburgh/Birmingham equating to just under £40 with a railcard but they seem as rare as hens teeth.

I did secure a sub £40 one for my return on Saturday 19th December but they seem to have disappeared from weekday services.
 

221129

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Where have all the cheap tiers of advances gone !!!
Sold out. Or not released as there is limited capacity. Why would you release lower priced tickets when you can sell higher ones and still fill the train...
 

Bikeman78

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Sold out. Or not released as there is limited capacity. Why would you release lower priced tickets when you can sell higher ones and still fill the train...
Another difference is that Easyjet will fill every seat if it can. I bet Avanti won't.
 

Andyh82

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There won't be major issues in reality. The media will find specific issues but these will be no different than what occur every year, such as people turning up at stations that have Christmas engineering work. I can guarantee reporters will be stationed outside King's Cross on various days

Every year we are told that there will be festive travel problems, whatever day Christmas Day falls on seems to be the worst possible day every year

I would guess that quite a significant number of people have family quite close by, so whether travelling by car or by train they won't be using motorways for long distances, or 'intercity' trains, not everyone is travelling hundreds of miles up and down the country
 

Reliablebeam

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Have had a mare this morning trying to book Euston to North Wales with Avanti, for 22nd to 2nd. I managed to get a space on the very last direct train of the night, but on the way back it's change in Crewe - although both legs are Avanti at least! The alternative for me is go through Birmingham on the unalduterated nightmare that is Crosscountry and TfW, which will no doubt be a shambles. It seems that Avanti have not yet finalised the timetable for the Xmas period, at least for Welsh services... Very grateful for my local TOC, GWR, who have got me where I need to go throughout all this!
 

trainophile

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Have had a mare this morning trying to book Euston to North Wales with Avanti, for 22nd to 2nd. I managed to get a space on the very last direct train of the night, but on the way back it's change in Crewe - although both legs are Avanti at least! The alternative for me is go through Birmingham on the unalduterated nightmare that is Crosscountry and TfW, which will no doubt be a shambles. It seems that Avanti have not yet finalised the timetable for the Xmas period, at least for Welsh services... Very grateful for my local TOC, GWR, who have got me where I need to go throughout all this!

I wonder if it's because your travel dates are outside the specified "free for all" period of 23-27 Dec.

Agree about GWR, they have been excellent throughout.
 

Reliablebeam

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I wonder if it's because your travel dates are outside the specified "free for all" period of 23-27 Dec.

Agree about GWR, they have been excellent throughout.

I wondered that but it does look like the Welsh services have been split at Crewe for a lot of that period unless I'm doing something very wrong! I'm visiting my parents in a 'support bubble' which is hopefully permissible (spent some time at the weekend looking at cross border bubbles - who would have thought this this time last year..), the idea of travelling in that 'truce' period is something I can't stomach..
 

Butts

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Another difference is that Easyjet will fill every seat if it can. I bet Avanti won't.

So if you can legally fill a plane, why can't you do the same with a train ?

Is there a greater risk associated with travelling on the rails ?
 

Ianno87

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So if you can legally fill a plane, why can't you do the same with a train ?

Is there a greater risk associated with travelling on the rails ?

In theory, you know *exactly* everybody who has been on a plane so can trace them easily.

You can't on a train.
 

Kite159

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So if you can legally fill a plane, why can't you do the same with a train ?

Is there a greater risk associated with travelling on the rails ?

Judging by the email I received from EasyJet for a hopeful flight to Edinburgh later in the month (assuming the Scottish border reopens to us 'dirty' English) they seem to take wearing of masks a lot more seriously. Suggested you need either a letter from the doctors saying you can't wear a mask or a medical form, no "printed documents from the internet", no visors etc.
 

telstarbox

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If no one travels on Boxing Day then why is it nat ex and both megabus are usually always fully booked, with dupes on Boxing Day? And that roads become quite busy too? Or is it just another case of the Railway not being there when people actually need it. Which is nothing new.
That's probably the bulk of the demand catered for though. Even if they fill 10 coaches from London to Birmingham those passengers could fit on a single Pendolino, and as soon as you run one train there's a load of engineering work which can't happen and that affects the bread and butter year round passengers.
 

kentrailman

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I`ve just seen that they are closing the lines out of Bristol on what will be the busiest day for months perhaps, 27th December 27th December Buses from Temple Meads
The press release has the cheek to say they chose that day because less people will be travelling !! Its the last day to return before the re-lockdown after the Christmas break ! For those in tier 3, these are the only days you are permitted to travel . ( Unless they change their minds). Surely moving the works by one day would be possible.
 

221129

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I`ve just seen that they are closing the lines out of Bristol on what will be the busiest day for months perhaps, 27th December 27th December Buses from Temple Meads
The press release has the cheek to say they chose that day because less people will be travelling !! Its the last day to return before the re-lockdown after the Christmas break ! For those in tier 3, these are the only days you are permitted to travel . ( Unless they change their minds). Surely moving the works by one day would be possible.
These works have been planned since long before COVID19 was even discovered let alone entered pandemic status....

Surely moving the works by one day would be possible.
No. It's really not.
 

Ianno87

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Surely moving the works by one day would be possible.
You would not believe the level of prior planning of people and plant, plus coordination of possessions and the planned timetable that goes on many, many months in advance.

"Moving by one day" will have impacts on many, many other things.
 

kentrailman

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You would not believe the level of prior planning of people and plant, plus coordination of possessions and the planned timetable that goes on many, many months in advance.

"Moving by one day" will have impacts on many, many other things.
Oh dear. Replies noted, but I do feel sorry for those who will be stuck on the replacement bus.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Looks like Peter Hendy's review into Christmas public transport services has led to money for extra long distance bus services over the key period 23-27 December.
These will also operate on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
This is stark contrast to the closure of the rail system on these days (aside from engineering works).
Transport Secretary announces up to £3 million for coach services to meet Christmas travel demand  - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Christmas travel co-ordinator Sir Peter Hendy said:

This is very welcome, as it gives additional and flexible COVID-safe public transport capacity for the Christmas period. I’ll continue to assure transport provision so we can get everyone to their Christmas bubbles safely. Please book early to help achieve that.
 

Bald Rick

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Looks like Peter Hendy's review into Christmas public transport services has led to money for extra long distance bus services over the key period 23-27 December.
These will also operate on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
This is stark contrast to the closure of the rail system on these days (aside from engineering works).
Transport Secretary announces up to £3 million for coach services to meet Christmas travel demand  - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Care to have a gues show much it would cost to open the rail network on Boxing Day?

£3m for some coaches (presumably on standby) seems to be a sensible use of taxpayers cash.
 

kentrailman

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Thinking more into the future. Maybe with leisure travel becoming more dominant post covid than business travel and commuting, perhaps the age old ' we do engineering work over Christmas and New Year because it is less busy' will be untrue not only this year but for many years to come. Christmas and New Year may become provably busier than 'normal weeks' and engineering work could be legitimately scheduled during 'Normal' weeks instead. ( I anticipate this suggestion will probably not go down well on this forum !!)
 

johntea

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Avanti advert on Spotify boasting they’re scrapping peak fares between 18 December - 1 January ‘to help you spread out’!

Don’t most operators have a similar sort of easement every year around this time of year anyway?! Can’t have an advert without referring to Covid in some way or another these days it seems!
 

E16 Cyclist

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I find it amusing that none of our elected leaders have had the guts to cancel Christmas this year.

In an ideal world providing the means for people to visit their loved ones shouldn’t be put on the too difficult pile but trying to cobble together a plan with some trains running but maybe not enough and buses laid on to make up the shortfall is so obviously going to backfire. But as nobody seems brave enough to see that guess we’ll have to make the best of it. I’ve made myself available to work on the 27th and 28th so bring it on!
 

Jamesrob637

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Avanti advert on Spotify boasting they’re scrapping peak fares between 18 December - 1 January ‘to help you spread out’!

Don’t most operators have a similar sort of easement every year around this time of year anyway?! Can’t have an advert without referring to Covid in some way or another these days it seems!

They do but it's just a bit longer than usual this year.
 

Skimpot flyer

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If I travel to see family - not sure whether I will or not yet - I'd expect to return on the 29th or 30th. I can probably do that entirely 'legally' by declaring a 'support bubble', but I'd really try to avoid travelling on the 27th either way.

(We probably all remember what happened at Finsbury Park on the 27th a few years ago; this seems to have the potential to be similar, or worse.)
Why are people stressing over this?
The chances of being approached by a police officer are about as similar as catching Covid. In any event, all you’d have to say is that you’re travelling to a nearby local station and that’s the end of the discussion!

I`ve just seen that they are closing the lines out of Bristol on what will be the busiest day for months perhaps, 27th December 27th December Buses from Temple Meads
The press release has the cheek to say they chose that day because less people will be travelling !! Its the last day to return before the re-lockdown after the Christmas break ! For those in tier 3, these are the only days you are permitted to travel . ( Unless they change their minds). Surely moving the works by one day would be possible.
Advised not to travel. It is not illegal, therefore it is permitted !!!
 
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