UNITED KINGDOM | Railways

[IanCleverly]

Originally Posted by trainrover

Thank you. Did you mean 1990s, because that meeting (lead by BR's then-project director -- 3'10") was to build IC225 (CL91?) in time for 1988?

In the first video, yes - that's when it was shown on BBC 2 over here. Not *too sure* about the actual Intercity 225 documentary though.

Aren't they (the 225s) a brilliant looking train?

Anywhoo, back to the joys of the Christmas season:-

Originally Posted by AOL News

Shocking footage of a woman stepping off a train in Barnsley before stumbling and falling on to the tracks has been released by British Transport Police as a warning to take care when travelling over the boozy Christmas period.

The worse-for-wear woman slips and falls straight through the gap between the platform and the train.

Story continues Here

- - - - - - - -

And in more local news, an Arriva Trains Wales Class 175 train was involved in an accident with a Lorry carrying bales of Hay in Carmarthenshire on Monday.

Report (with Video)

[trainrover]

CL225

[PortoNuts]

[trainrover]

Those Voyagers seem truly powerful (their acceleration, 0'20" )

[MelbourneCity]

Why does the entire National Rail system seemingly shut down for Christmas Day?

[poshbakerloo]

Originally Posted by MelbourneCity

Why does the entire National Rail system seemingly shut down for Christmas Day?

Because its Christmas! People are opening presents instead!

[trainrover]

[MelbourneCity]

Originally Posted by poshbakerloo

Because its Christmas! People are opening presents instead!

Obviously, but what is the reason? Tradition? Union agreements?

It's Christmas on December 25 throughout the Christian world, and no transport system completely shuts down in Australia for Xmas Day. Not sure elsewhere. Just seems bizarre/old fashioned that the entire UK rail system shuts down for a day.

[makita09]

I think it was the Victorians who are responsible for the current traditions in the UK, though don't quote me, it was on telly a few weeks back.

[poshbakerloo]

Originally Posted by MelbourneCity

Obviously, but what is the reason? Tradition? Union agreements?

It's Christmas on December 25 throughout the Christian world, and no transport system completely shuts down in Australia for Xmas Day. Not sure elsewhere. Just seems bizarre/old fashioned that the entire UK rail system shuts down for a day.

Its not that bizarre, no one would use it if it was open and no one drivers would want to work then. Because...England IS a Christian country There I said it! haha

[K_]

Originally Posted by MelbourneCity

Why does the entire National Rail system seemingly shut down for Christmas Day?

Maintenance :-)

[K_]

Originally Posted by poshbakerloo

Its not that bizarre, no one would use it if it was open and no one drivers would want to work then.

So nobody leaves his house on Christmas in the UK? No visits to relatives?
Most European countries are as "christian" as the UK. Nevertheless most run trains on Christmas as if it was a normal sunday. In Switzerland they will even run extras for all the people heading for the ski slopes.

[sotonsi]

TfL doesn't give Christmas Day as a mandatory day off, but they cannot find the staff to run a train service on the Underground. I believe they can run a few bus services.

Christmas Day/Boxing Day is a time when they do a lot of engineering works on the railways - like other Bank Holidays.

Yes people do want to travel, however the demand is the lowest in the year. If you look at the roads, where there's no Christmas closures, then traffic drops massively on Christmas Day, and traffic is mostly local - people have travelled on the days before, rather than wanting to drive on Christmas Day.

[K_]

Originally Posted by sotonsi

TfL doesn't give Christmas Day as a mandatory day off, but they cannot find the staff to run a train service on the Underground. I believe they can run a few bus services.

Most railway companies just tell their staff when to work. Not turning up because it's a holiday is not an option at most transit and rail companies in Europe.
Of course, a well organized company will be able to tell it's staff well in advance on which holidays they will have to work, and will usually make sure that it's not the same ones that have to work on each Christmas.

Christmas Day/Boxing Day is a time when they do a lot of engineering works on the railways - like other Bank Holidays.

So it appears that finding people willing to work in Christmas is not really a problem after all...

Yes people do want to travel, however the demand is the lowest in the year. If you look at the roads, where there's no Christmas closures, then traffic drops massively on Christmas Day, and traffic is mostly local - people have travelled on the days before, rather than wanting to drive on Christmas Day.

Maybe it's just because there is no supply that there is no demand. I did about 200km on public transport on Christmas day. But that was partly our fault. We ended up having a Christmas like the Vicar of Dibley in "the Christmas Lunch incident". Public transport in Switzerland was just running like a normal sunday...

O maybe it's a cultural thing, and Brits aren't big on visiting people on Christmas.

[poshbakerloo]

Originally Posted by K_

So nobody leaves his house on Christmas in the UK? No visits to relatives?
Most European countries are as "christian" as the UK. Nevertheless most run trains on Christmas as if it was a normal sunday. In Switzerland they will even run extras for all the people heading for the ski slopes.

People in general do stay at home with family, some go out for their Christmas dinner at a restaurant but who dresses up and takes the family there on the train?

Some visit relatives but not the ones that live miles and miles away, just ones close by which you would drive to anyway...

[poshbakerloo]

Originally Posted by K_

O maybe it's a cultural thing, and Brits aren't big on visiting people on Christmas.

I think thats partly it. Me and pretty much everyone I know stays at home with their families. Some may drive like 10mins away to see their uncle or what ever but thats it...

[sotonsi]

Originally Posted by K_

Most railway companies just tell their staff when to work. Not turning up because it's a holiday is not an option at most transit and rail companies in Europe.

Not allowing to take a day as paid leave wouldn't be acceptable, and any company that wouldn't allow people Christmas Day off (out of annual leave) would see their entire workforce taking a few days of unpaid leave to do some industrial action!

So it appears that finding people willing to work in Christmas is not really a problem after all...

No, not when they are getting paid massive overtime, which train drivers, station staff, etc wouldn't (as public holidays don't exist for them).

Maybe it's just because there is no supply that there is no demand.

with less business related use on the roads, there's masses of spare capacity on the roads.

And they remain empty as people don't want to travel Christmas Day (some might, as there's less traffic, but it's a self-sustaining small number). So there's tons of supply, and no demand on the roads at Christmas - PT would be the same - the ability to drink is outweighed by the reduced frequencies, the inability to transport presents easily and such like.

I did about 200km on public transport on Christmas day.

why on earth would you want to spend a couple of hours of Christmas Day not with your family, but travelling?

O maybe it's a cultural thing, and Brits aren't big on visiting people on Christmas.

Oh, we are fairly big on that, but we're not big at skitting back and forth, popping heads round doors then on to the next place - that would be rude to do.

You go somewhere for Christmas Day that isn't 10 minutes drive/20 minutes walk away and you tend to spend at least the night before (leaving in the evening) or the night after (arriving late morning), or more normally both, arriving Christmas Eve, leaving Boxing Day (say in the morning to go visit other relatives, as I used to when we visited both sets of Grandparents).

[Robi_damian]

The UK is now on track () to have some of the most expensive rail fares in the world.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ja...ail-fare-rises

Train fares go up by an average of 5.9% but some commuters will find their season tickets rising by almost 11%

[Suburbanist]

It is a great thing train passengers are covering a larger share of their direct operational costs out of their pockets, instead of from the public purse, like (private) road and (all) air transport users have been doing for decades!

[Robi_damian]

Certainly do not agree. The UK model is a subsidized set of cross-regional monopolies, that earn a profit for their shareholders (while still getting public money). If it had UK sized rail fares, DB would be one of the most profitable companies in the world.