Neil Williams wrote:
It's interesting to note so many TOCs running some sort of Boxing Day
service. Is this normally the case?

About bloody time, too. I fail to understand why the UK is completely
incapable of providing a normal public transport service over
Christmas. I remember in Melbourne, a city not known for its reliance
on public transport, being able to catch a half-hourly tram on
Christmas Day way back in 1991. Surely we should be able to provide
some sort of Christmas Day service in London in 2006? I don't see why,
just because I don't have a car, I have to impose on friends and
relatives for two nights, and leave my house unoccupied at peak
burglary season, rather than just being able to go over for lunch
during the day.

South Eastern seem to be doing the best job on Boxing Day, and quite
right too, as SE London is largely without tube and the tube runs on
Boxing Day. But I think at the very least a Sunday service should
operate on all modes of transport on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Patrick

wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:
It's interesting to note so many TOCs running some sort of Boxing Day
service. Is this normally the case?

About bloody time, too. I fail to understand why the UK is completely
incapable of providing a normal public transport service over
Christmas. I remember in Melbourne, a city not known for its reliance
on public transport, being able to catch a half-hourly tram on
Christmas Day way back in 1991. Surely we should be able to provide
some sort of Christmas Day service in London in 2006? I don't see why,
just because I don't have a car, I have to impose on friends and
relatives for two nights, and leave my house unoccupied at peak
burglary season, rather than just being able to go over for lunch
during the day.

South Eastern seem to be doing the best job on Boxing Day, and quite
right too, as SE London is largely without tube and the tube runs on
Boxing Day. But I think at the very least a Sunday service should
operate on all modes of transport on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Patrick

Well, the railway has done itself out of £50 from me this Christmas.

I have to be back at work on the morning of 27th December, after
staying with family in Birkenhead- I don't have a car, and neither do
they. The blockade at Manchester means that I can't realistically get
back to Leeds much before 10.30- make that 10.45 if not 11 in the
office. As my annual bonus should come through on 20th December, I was
quite open to paying for First Class however there's no point
whatsoever if I'm going to spend more of it on a coach wandering around
Widnes and Warrington than on a train.

Checking the National Express website, they have a coach leaving
Liverpool at 0800 and into Leeds comfortably for 10. They're currently
taking advance bookings at a nice round £1.

No contest and £50-odd saved.

Ianigsy wrote:

Checking the National Express website, they have a coach leaving
Liverpool at 0800 and into Leeds comfortably for 10.
^^^^^^^^^^^

Comfortably? On a coach? I'm yet to experience that...

Neil

Neil Williams wrote:

Comfortably? On a coach? I'm yet to experience that...

Perhaps if you were to travel on one straight after a journey on a
Pacer ......

wrote:

Perhaps if you were to travel on one straight after a journey on a
Pacer ......

I'd want the Pacer back. More legroom and seats not designed for
midgets.

Neil