Tube on Xmas Day?

Hmmm, the answer I could give you would certainly NOT be in the spirit of Christmas! Maybe Ebeneezer Scrooge!

Seriously though, trains did run at one time on Christmas day, but personally I hope they never return! I dare say they'd get volunteers to run it, but I certainly wouldn't be one of 'em!

If the monies right I'll be in,anything to get away from Christmas telly!!![/quote]

LOL - take it ur not into all the Christman spirit then, towerman?

Not me though - i love it - its the only time of year i feel really alive!

You mean except Santa Claus?! ;D ;D

I can think of a few who are game for a laugh and would do that, but I'm not sure if the management allow it these days. I usually take a bit of tinsel with me to decorate the cab window in the week leading up to Christmas, although I'm on leave for a week this year!

One of the First drivers dressed as satan santa a while ago on Christmas Eve, but the ops manager sent him home to get changed:-(

It's not going to effect me whatsever, but i'll still give you my thoughts. I think Z Man has a very valid point. Who the hell has somewhere to go at 3:30am. AlanL has a point, why should Santa pay congestion charges? But seriously, a limited service might be benefical. Carols over the PA. Station staff and punters joining together in a toast of mulled wine. The youth giving their seats up for the elderly. A service provided for free. Nice thoughts, will never happen.

I would have thought the staff and running costs would far exceed the revenue. All down to money again.

However in the true spirit of innovation on this forum how about running a limited service say 0900-1300, then shutdown until 2100 when a limited service returns until close of play?

Not original (been done elsewhere) but might keep the punters happy.

You seem to have this PPP thing slightly back to front Q8. Metronet and Tube Lines don't decide to do something to make money then get LU to fall in line, LU decide what to do and instruct the Infracos to do the required work to support it. In an ideal world for the Infracos they will do the bare minimum required under the contract in order to maximise profits. Trying to get a case for running an Xmas day service is of no interest to them whatsoever, and any Christmas Day services would be at LU's request.

Well, as an ex member of staff Q8, I'm glad the staff on here have your support of spending one day a year with family. The only day of the year which you can safely plan for at the beginning of the year.

Christmas Day running was more or less a waste of everyone's time, and it still would be. Bit like the late running at weekends. Last night I think I witnessed a grand total of 20 or so passengers on the last Circle through Aldgate.

Now I may be interested if the price was right. But should it become a regular thing, the money would soon fall. Look at New Year's Eve.

As for being a public service, that would mean, apart from the emergency services, we would be the only company running "normally" at any point for the whole 2-week Christmas period - except of course for those greedy managers of shops who also drag their staff in for as long as they can throughout the year.

We run normally now on all Bank Holidays, all-night long on New Year's Eve, and Boxing Day gets a slightly better service sneaked in every year. Let us at least have one day a year where everything is closed, and we cannot be held to ransom and forced to work for normal wages (which is how it will get).

We spend the other 364 days carrying the great unwashed around, so why shouldn't we also have a day off when they are all sat at home stuffing their faces.

The Jubilee will however, be running test trains during the latter part of Christmas Day. They will at least be stumping up the triple time and staffing will be more or less voluntary. But how long before the voluntary becomes the compulsory.

I am not saying that staff are MUST work on Christmas day just that a service should be provided. We had a half hour headway from end to end of the line with certain stations closed and there was traffic at those that were open. Although christmas work was on the roster you did not HAVE to work as there was always someone who would change duties with you if you did not. You only worked 4 hours anyway and that was at treble time. Those willing to work were mostly the younger guys that were single or had young families to bring up. The older men stayed home. Thsi is where I had the abvantage over some most others in that once I got to be a Driver I could do Pop's turn if he did not want it. So you see that there were advantages in working at Christmas.

Would the staff who would positively like to work Christmas Day be sufficient to sustain a skeleton service? Obviously some parts would not be served (W&C, Met extremeties etc)

I can't really see the point in running on Xmas Day, we'd have to have a big enough carrot dangled in front of us and would there be enough takers for the service on offer and would the takings cover the running costs? I doubt it very much. Last Christmas, I got so fed up of the rubbish on the TV, I went out on my Bike, in the three hours I was out, I saw five moving cars, and just two people out walking too. I'll work Boxing Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, but not Xmas Day. I'd rather be at home doing something entertaining, like decorating, or doing things I've put off for so long.

From a 'staff' point of view a Christmas Day service wouldn't be too big a problem for drivers, as long as it's only a limited (say half-hourly) service. That way the majority of us wouldn't be needed, and those who didn't want to work would have the opportunity to make a swap with someone who did.
The problem for station staff is that if 'your' station is open you have to work. No choice, and the same problem for service control staff....
plus all the 'fix it when it stops working' people! ;D

I worked two Christmas Days as a guard on the Piccadilly in the early 1970s. (In my late teens with no kids back then, so no problem.) Like Q8 has said, we got paid treble-time so it was well worth working for a young bloke with no ties.

The service ran hourly from Rayners Lane and Hounslow West to Oakwood from 10:00 to 14:00, then cut back to half-hourly between Northfields and Arnos Grove until it stopped at 18:00. Many suburban stations were closed, as were some in the central area.

Speaking for myself I did enjoy the atmosphere on those days. Honesty here -- it wasn't too bad starting at 10:00 or later, even after a night in the pub on Christmas Eve!! (No random drug and alcohol tests in those days.)
The passengers were really friendly as well (with little kids clutching presents from grandparents, and such like) and I got given cans of beer and cigars for me and my mate as a 'thank you'.

Having said that, I would NOT like to work on Christmas Day now. As Citysig has said, if the service ever does restart on that day it won't be long before the frequency is upped so much that it will soon be 'just another day' as Boxing Day is starting to become.

Christmas no longer has any relevance in this day and age and before long the other religions will be demanding that the tube should be shut down on their most Holy days too. Paris, Berlin, Moscow, New York, all have the modern approach and operate 7/365 so why shouldn't London? Also what do you want a bonus for working christmas for? A driver get a lot more now than in my time and it'ds all consolidated which is a good thing. As Harry Trueman once said 'If you can't take the heat, stay outta the kitchen.'