To think you check you can get home?

It wouldn't bother me leaving them alone in my house, if it was someone I'd invited for Christmas day.

Public transport on bank holidays is a joke though, it's why I'd never give up my car.

Do people really let others be alone over Christmas unless they are adamant that this is what they want?
The OP is lovely - so generous - and I find hosting stressful too so I get it. Have to say though this sounds like a dream guest. I bet she will have finished the washing up and final bits by the time you get home!

Yanbu to expect them to know this, but it's common knowledge to absolutely everyone without a car who doesn't always just sit at home alone all Christmas that there are never any trains on boxing day and never have been. We have people in our wider family who don't drive and everyone in the family knows that wherever that cluster are on Christmas eve they are definitely there until the 27th, no other options.

Seconded. It was lovely of you to invite this person OP.

You’re lovely OP. And I completely get the ‘wanting to be prepared in my head’ part. Anyway, you get someone to sit with / walk the dog! There’s a positive…

Trains normally run later in the day on boxing day, or at least they do in this area, not all train companies run the same

So have you gone out and left them at your house OP? That wouldn't sit well with me.

Trains don't run on Chr Day or Boxing Day – the reason I know this is that DH always has to drive to the match on B Day rather than his usual method of train.

I find it astonishing that this guest who I presume doesn't drive, didn't check this, if they didn't happen to know. Could you not drop them to the nearest coach station - coaches run on B Day.

Edited to add: sorry I missed the OP's update, you do sound like a nicer person than me! Hope you have a nice day and can relax a bit this evening.

It's not really the OPs responsibility to sort out their journey, I wouldn't expect to organise a guests journey for them. Do you expect hosts to do that for you whenever you go somewhere? Why wouldn't you do it yourself?

Nailed it. I bet guest checked, and realised either be alone on Xmas day or outstay the welcome at OPs, and chose the latter. Which was best for guest, but not for OP.

Maybe worth considering, going forward on the friendship, that guest may have decided their preference outweighs your inconvenience OP.

@SoNiceToComeHomeTo I meant to click on the "agree" button , but missed and got "funny"

You sound like a super lovely person.

Yea to this^. Some people live very sheltered lives so it does happen.

When I’m inviting someone I usually check myself how can they arrive/ leave, just to get myself a rough idea how it might affect me.

Goodness what a lot of mean spirited responses. Such incredulity that someone should add a presumably lone person to share festivities with a number of people.
They're not close friends! The horror!!
Leaving them alone in your home, unthinkable!
OP you sound very thoughtful, thank goodness there are still people like you around.

There should be a rail replacement service. Is there a bus service? I think, get them to pack and work it out yourself. Even if it’s a 10 hour journey with multiple changes, they need to leave.

I'd have expected them to get an airbnb near train station, ready for tomorrow

This 💯
I wouldn't be a bit happy leaving them to their own devices in my home for hours when I'm out visiting family.

I think it happens more than people expect. We have always had an open door policy for guests at Christmas and other odd times throughout the year. But there has to be boundaries and ours is, "you can stay but after the festivities you sort yourself out and I absolutely need you gone by such and such a date and you may need to check x timetable etc etc". For the overseas students/colleagues we used to have an email we would send out in advance with details too... I need to dig it out actually as we will have a Chinese student in the New Year. But it saves any hint of miscommunication. We have learnt this by trial and error it has to be said! And there have been some cringe/awkward moments in the process 😄

Might be too late to sort a coach but just enjoy your day. Am sure your guest will be fine and may also be enjoying the quiet.

Try to chill out about this OP. You will get home, put the kids to bed, make a sandwich and put on a film then all have an early night and drop your guest at the station first thing.

Well I’ve just looked at the National Rail website and it says that minimal trains are running today due to engineering works, which a) shows that there ARE at least some trains running and b) suggests that, some years, there are more services.

In any case, I don’t see why you are trying to put the blame on the OP here. If a guest tells you “I am getting a train home on Boxing Day”, you assume they’ve checked that’s possible. OP’s guest is not a child.

They're a pleasant enough person but we aren't good friends so it's not as relaxing as it might be having them around.

Why is this person even there to begin with? It sounds like you weren’t very keen.

Is it just me who thinks they probably did check but realised it meant they wouldn’t have been able to come, so it’s kept quiet?

Yanbu, we are out seeing more family today which will be lovely, but also can’t wait to come home, get DC in bed and open a bottle of wine with DH in peace. No hosting.

3 hours each way, I’d probably set off early evening and drop them home or to the nearest place they can get themselves home from. They have no one who can meet half way?