London Underground Christmas Day service (ended in 1979?)

In an effort to reduce staffing costs the final years were free to travel on the Tube and bus services with a sponsor (as New Year's Eve now)

I worked on the publicity poster which showed a wrapped up bus and train. Engineering models from Chiswick and Acton were used.

It was a single shift with a late start with only limited sections of the lines covered. Even then some stations were closed with trains non stopping.

I have just read that item, it appears in February 1979 issue number 206. Back issues (1979-1987) are now available on the LURS web site.

BR Southern Region last did Christmas Day trains in 1970, so, as these feed the Tube, it's surprising there was a still even a vestigial service up until 1979.

Scotland, if Christmas Day fell on a Saturday, still played football league matches on it into the mid-1980's and Boxing Day was treated as a normal working day up there, because they had a New Year's Day bank holiday for years before us. We adopted it as one in 1974, and they adopted Boxing Day as one in 1974, too.

Interestingly enough, Christmas Day has never been legislated for in England & Wales as an official Bank Holiday, unlike Scotland.

I can last recall a post on Christmas Day in 1960, when my parents assisted postie in keeping warm with a large glass of Stone's Ginger wine. Remarkably enough, I got one too.

The next year, I think we used the Met from New Cross then the District to Dagenham on Christmas Day & return, getting to & from New Cross by bus from Greenwich High Road. Came back on 25th, too.

There was a lengthy article in the January 2016 Underground News.

Not much because there was only the District running to Putney bridge and not all stations were open, off hand Cannon St, Temple, West Brompton were closed. Probably some others.

On a normal Sunday in the 60/70's at Mansion House the late turn 1600-2400 would only take about £10. The only customers were Americans who could not find St Paul's station. In those days the City of London was a ghost town unlike now.

Yes indeed-thinking of those trips to Dagenham, even if always on Sundays apart from the bank holidays, the Met to Whitechapel was always empty, the District to Dagenham Heathway was pretty quiet too. Seem to remember the three of us were always the only ones in a Met carriage & doubt there were ever more than half-a-dozen others in our District carriage, either, hence why I enjoyed looking out the windows so much, instead of studying other people.

I have a couple of timetable notices for the Metropolitan Line (No. 2 section) covering the Christmas periods of 1977 and 1978. Even from one year to the next there was a noticeable reduction in the service being offered on Christmas Day.
In 1977 the service operated only between Baker St and Rayners Lane. The service was half hourly between Baker St and Harrow, with alternate trains continuing on to Rayners Lane (i.e. hourly). Trains ran via the Bakerloo Line (as then was) between Wembley Park and Finchley Road, calling at all open stations. On the section of line being served Dollis Hill, Northwick Park and West Harrow were all closed. First trains were 0943 from Wembley Park to Baker St, 1002 from Rayners Lane to Baker St and 1006 from Baker St to Rayners Lane. Last trains were 1502 Rayners Lane to Baker St, 1537 Harrow to Baker St, 1602 Rayners Lane to Wembley Park, 1536 Baker St to Rayners Lane and 1605 Baker St to Wembley Park. Three trains were required for the service.
The following year the service was cut back to Baker St to Harrow only. The service was still half hourly on this section, but whilst first trains were at similar times, the last trains were about an hour earlier, being the 1438 Harrow to Baker St, the 1508 Harrow to Wembley Park, the 1437 Baker St to Harrow and the 1507 Baker St to Wembley Park. Neasden and West Hampstead stations were closed in addition to the stations that had been closed the previous year. Two trains were required to provide the service.

I must admit despite the fact I joined in 89 I never worked on Boxing day. When I was based on the Met neither of the stations I worked at were open on the 26th (Watford or Croxley). When I moved to the Northern I was based at Goodge Street which in those days was also shut. Naturally when I finally moved to the LTM they were never open on the 26th either. I only ever worked once on the 26th that was when I moved to NX.
I still wonder if it's worth the North end of the Met being open on the 26th even now?

If Revupminster's avatar is a self portrait, then I certainly don't remember buying a ST from him at Mansion House.

I'm not sure about Christmas day but certainly I recall travelling on a Boxing Day at a time when there was a maximum Sunday and Bank Holiday fare of 80 pence! Probably this was when Ken Livingstone was in charge at the GLC.

I took my (silent) super 8 ciné film camera and went to Amersham.

Central Line trains were calling at Gants Hill and other more important stations. I feel sure that Redbridge and Wanstead were closed, and am not sure about Leytonstone and Leyton. I definitely know that not only was Stratford closed but that the trains travelled through at full pelt. Happily I do not need memory for this, as my camera was at the ready! I am not 100% sure but think the service frequency was every 20 minutes, which in the central area equated to every 10 minutes.

I changed trains twice each way - Liverpool Street and Baker Street. From the latter I caught a train to Amersham that was routed via Watford and the North Curve. These I think ran every 30 minutes, interleaving with a 30 minute service to Uxbridge.

As my film projector is broken I cannot check my footage at present but I think I filmed the non-stop journey inside a C stock train as it travelled through Farringdon.

On the Amersham route my attempts to film the North Curve were disastrous, as the train was far too unsteady and anyway there was not much to actually see. I feel sure that both Chalfont & Latimer and Chorleywood were closed... I can recall the train quite literally zooming through them so quickly that one hardly realised that a station has been passed. I can only guess but it would not surprise me if the trains had reached 80mph or even more - especially on the downhill gradient.

Simon

Thanks for that. As the recipient at Crimbo 1957 or 1958 of the Zorro mask, rapier & cloak based on the 1957 Disney TV series, it's great to see the character finally brought to something approaching deserved fruition.

Is it still free to travel on London tubes on New Year's Eve or was it New Years Day?

Thanks, yea, that's what I thought. 

As a child of the '50's I can remember buses and the U/G running on Christmas Day, usually between 09:00 and 16:00. I remember reading years later that the increase in car ownership was the main reason the services were terminated.