AIBU to be surprised that the trains don't run over Christmas?

[HeritageQuay]

So I've been invited by friends to their Christmas lunch in central London. Having been on my own for the last few years, I was delighted to be invited and immediately accepted.

I live about 50 miles outside London and so travel by train is clearly the most sensible option. Accordingly I have been ordering presents etc. on Amazon for delivery to my hosts.

So today I tried to look up train times, only to find that there are no trains at all on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. This came as complete surprise to me, is this a one-off or is it a regular thing?

Not quite sure how to get there now as the last thing I want to do is drive through London with all the issues re Congestion Charge / Ulez / Street parking etc., and in any case I wanted to enjoy a few drinks at Christmas!

How do other people travel at Christmas?

Trains barely run properly on an average day so I'm certainly not surprised they don't run on Christmas Day.

Trains are increasingly unreliable during times which aren't Christmas Day. I live an 8 minute train journey from my house to work, so always try to avoid driving in when I can. Yesterday I spent 30 minutes on the train into work due to shortage of staff/no available platform. The journey back was then delayed by an hour and they no longer bother to update the departure boards which makes me think why bother trying!

My DF remembers trains and buses running many, many years ago (1950s). Don’t think it was a frequent service. Bus companies used to run services to hospitals to allow people to see relatives who couldn’t go home. Of course, not as many people drove/had cars then.

To my knowledge, the only companies that run any sort of service on Boxing Day are; Merseyrail (for racing at Aintree, limited service and not all stations open), Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express and Stansted Express. It’s a few years since I worked
for a London TOC, so this may not be up to date now.

No ULEZ or Congestion Zone charges on Christmas Day.

No congestion charge Christmas Day, Horse's mouth: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge

Apparently, according to Google, the last time trains in the uk ran on Christmas day was in 1964.

I'm surprised you haven't noticed before OP.

Aren’t Uber doing freebies for NHS staff over Christmas?

This, there's always nightmare stories about public transport at Christmas.

It's one of many reasons I find Christmas such a pain. And it's really hard for people to actually get to work on those days. This idea that everyone wants to be off at Christmas is impractical.

My mother tells me that trains and the London Underground used to run on Christmas Day in the 1970s. I suppose the increased commercialisation is what has led to everything packing up at Christmas - which I don't really understand!

I also remember one year there was a big storm on the 23rd and lots of people lost power. The electric companies just said that if they weren't reconnected early on Christmas Eve then that was it - there was no chance of an engineer till the 27th - in fact I ranted about it on here.

Well, I am trying to be on MN less now. but I'm kind of glad I saw this thread 😂 because this still annoys me. Essential services should not pack up over Christmas. I used to quite like working over Christmas but I only did it when I was able to drive.

I also really miss the days that it was just two days! Now most businesses are closed and you are forced to use annual leave in the bleak midwinter when it's no bloody use for many. Christmas goes on for so long now - it's mad.

Like others I’m surprised you didn’t know this. Trains never run on Christmas Day. I’m surprised coaches do. It’s a national holiday. We’re a Christian country and it’s a Christian celebration.
And even if trains did run, you’d be lucky to get a seat if you didn’t book till 3 days beforehand!
Have you always lived in the UK OP?

I don't think ulez and congestion applies on Christmas Day.

We used to stay with my gran who lived by the railway line and there were never trains on Christmas day and Boxing day was only the steam train special occasionally or repair workers.

Theyve never run on xmas day but do run on boxing day although extremely limited, might as well not bother

Buses used to run on xmas day when I was little, 70s, but not any more

I think its dreadful, is no different to any other BH and many people are working.

Now that does surprise me!

It has always been like this and I'm 76. Where have you been hiding that you're unaware that trains don't run on Xmas Day 🤔

Always been the case. When my father picked a fight with me within ten minutes of my arrival at my parents' house one Christmas Eve, I was stuck there until the day after Boxing Day and I swore 'never again' there and then.

But none of that actually involved providing satisfactory public transport.

Although I was surprised to discover that there's a fast(ish) train every 15 minutes between Leeds and Manchester now, even on a Sunday.

It's shit that it doesn't run over Christmas, especially in London where people often don't have cars. But that's what happens when public transport is run for profit, not to provide a reliable, affordable and frequent service.

I'm pissed off that they've suspended the Leeds Park and Ride, which doesn't run at the weekend anyway, until after the new year now. I would have thought that it would have even run today, to help people going into the city for last minute Christmas shopping, but no, they'll have to drive and pay a fortune to park or try their luck with the buses that come sometimes, if you're lucky.

Im abroad. All public transport runs on Xmas day albeit reduced service. Why shouldn't it? People still have to go to work?

They may have tried to persuade, but not by making public transport any better!

Honestly I’m surprised anyone thought the trains would be running on Christmas Day. It’s the one day virtually the entire country shuts down!

Just drive and either stay at theirs or stay in a hotel (no car charges so you’ll have saved compared to train ticket).

Just one day out of 365 and moaning MumsNetters are out in force because the trains don't run on Xmas Day. Perhaps station staff and railway workers like to have a day at home with their families too. Shock, horror.

lol if you can find one

I don’t get the ‘staff need to have Christmas too’ thing… I grew up with a paramedic dad and nurse mum and they just juggled Christmas and working and made it ok, not to mention the extra pay over the Xmas period which sweetened the deal. A lot of people woukd be willing to work Xmas day or Boxing Day or whatever for more money. I used to work Xmas day behind the bar in a local pub for a wedge of cash and loved it, as a student !

Just drive. Factor the ULEZ in (if it even applies on Christmas day).

I tried to book a ticket for DS on Boxing Day but no trains from Manchester to London. I was surprised too.

Even in Christian countries, health, care, hospitality, emergency service workers etc still have to work and get to work.

Being a dr in the UK is thankless, thank you for everything you do and if I were you I would be bitter as hell!! Absolutely outrageous but sadly it doesn’t surprise me. Hope you manage to get some time off after.