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Fury as public transport is closed down for Christmas
Kiran Randhawa and Pippa Crerar24.12.07
Transport bosses came under fire today over services being shut down at Christmas.
There is mounting anger over the national rail network being closed for more than 48 hours from 8pm on Christmas Eve as well as there being no Tubes or buses in London on Christmas Day.
Trains will not come back into service until Thursday morning despite heavy demand for at least a basic service on Boxing Day.
Britain is the only major European country that does not have a national rail service over Christmas.
Around 25 per cent of British households, who have no access to a car, will be left stranded during the shutdown.
A cross-party group of 28 MPs has signed a Commons motion criticising the Department for Transport and rail companies.
It calls on them to "ensure that from 2008 an adequate rail and bus service is provided on Boxing Day at least".
London Mayor Ken Livingstone has been accused of being a "Scrooge" for not providing public transport tomorrow.
He has previously promised to consider a skeleton service for Londoners who work on Christmas Day or want to visit family and would prefer not to drive or pay for a taxi.
Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Brian Paddick condemned Mr Livingstone, saying thousands of Londoners have to work on Christmas Day and that people of other faiths, who do not celebrate Christmas, still have to get around.
Other international cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris and Rome, all operate Sunday services on Christmas Day.
Mr Paddick said: "Our Scrooge-like Mayor promised to run a Christmas Day bus service but all Londoners are getting this year is bah humbug. A recent survey showed twice as many people have to work on Christmas day as a few years ago - how are they expected to get to work?
"I live in Vauxhall and my mum lives in Sutton, not many miles away, but the only way I can get there on Christmas Day is by hiring a car, which is costing me more than £100.
"Many people cannot afford that sort of money and are effectively grounded in their homes over Christmas.
"In our city of many faiths, many transport workers do not celebrate Christmas and would only be too happy to provide this service. If Rome, the home of Catholicism, can provide public transport on Christmas Day, I'm sure London can."
After a rise in demand last year, the Association of Train Operating Companies promised to consider running some services on Boxing Day this year.
But yesterday a spokesman for the association dismissed the idea, saying it would require extra subsidy.
John Grogan, the Labour MP for Selby who tabled the Commons motion, said: "It's completely inconsistent for the Department for Transport to say you should use public transport and then shut down the system-for 58 hours. Companies should be obliged, in their franchise agreements, to run services over Christmas."
Mr Livingstone has exempted drivers from the congestion charge over some of the festive period.
But non-drivers or those who wish to drink on Christmas Day must take a taxi unless their journey is short enough to walk or cycle.
Black cabs charge £4 extra per journey, while many minicab firms add hefty anti-social hours charges. Most operate with fewer drivers.
TRAVELLING IN LONDON OVER THE HOLIDAY
There are no trains from 8pm tonight until 27 December and reduced service until 2 January.
There will be no congestion charge from tomorrow until New Year's Day.
Tube: no service Christmas Day, Sunday service on 26 December and Saturday service until New Year's Eve when there will be free travel from 11:45pm to 4:30.am on New Year's Day.
Black cabs will charge £4 extra per journey on Christmas Day.
Victoria line trains are not stopping at Victoria Tube station until 6 January.
The East London line is closed now until the summer of 2010 Replacement buses are in operation.
There will be no service on the Metropolitan line on Boxing Day and no trains between Wembley Park and Northwood/Uxbridge on 27 and 28 December.
On the London Overground line, services are suspended between Hackney Wick and Stratford until 2 January.
Services on the Docklands Light Railway are suspended between Stratford and Bow Church on Boxing Day.
Reader views (5)
I agree with Martin - in such a multi-cultural society surely there should be some benefits other than just a wider range of restaurants! There are probably at least a third of the workforce who don't celebrate Christmas, so for them it could surely be an ordinary working day?
Whoever is mayor next year - take note!
- Al, Croydon, Surrey
There are trains running on Boxing Day from London Bridge to Brighton, although you are correct in saying that there are no services on Christmas Day.
There are always staff willing to work over the entire Christmas period - I would suggest the rail companies take advantage of this.
- Jim, London
Although I applaud your document - a skeleton service should operate on the tubes, the DLR, trains and buses on Christmas and Boxing Day.
The following services will operate on Boxing Day:
London Charing Cross to Ashford International via Tonbridge and return
London Charing Cross to Slade Green via Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal and return
London Charing Cross to Slade Green via Lewisham and Bexleyheath and return
London Victoria to Orpington via Herne Hill
London Victoria to Gillingham via Herne Hill and Swanley
Daytime half-hourly services will run between East Croydon and Charing Cross calling at all stations via Sydenham. An hourly Brighton London Bridge service
Plus Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick expresses will be running in some form, along with a coaches between Luton and Kings Cross plus Reading and Heathrow.
- Fact Finder, London, England
My local tube station is deserted at 12:30 even though trains are still running. There's not much 'mounting anger' at Wimbledon, a major interchange.
- Martin H. Watson, Teddington
Workers for London Transport are demanding more money to work on Christmas and Boxing day: yet a huge number of rail staff and bus drivers in London are practising muslims and do not celebrate Christmas. Can someone explain this anomaly to me? And,should therefore, muslims be paid extra monies for working on Ramadan, or any other islamic religious day?
- Lucy, London
