Andy McDonald, shadow transport secretary, criticises Conservatives after analysis finds only three out of 29 rail franchises will be running services
Labour has criticised the government’s failure to improve rail services on Boxing Day, despite promises to transform the service when the Conservatives were in opposition.
An analysis of rail franchises shows that this year, only three out of 29 will be running any form of services, and those that are operating will be severely limited. It means thousands of families travelling home after Christmas and football fans going to Boxing Day matches will have little option other than travelling by road.
Andy McDonald,shadow transport secretary, said: “In opposition the Tories attacked the Boxing Day rail shutdown. They’ve now had more than seven years to do something about it but a failure to properly manage and maintain our rail network means more delays and fewer services. The Tory hypocrisy on this issue is astounding.”
In 2008 the then shadow transport secretary Stephen Hammond, Tory MP for Wimbledon, called for an increase in rail services the day after Christmas Day.
“Thousands of families travel the length and breadth of the country to visit relatives and loved ones on Boxing Day. But yet again this year the railways will grind to a halt, forcing people onto gridlocked motorways.
“Labour just do not get how important the railway is to people at Christmas time. By allowing the railway to close so completely on Boxing Day, Labour are condemning sports fans, and families trying to celebrate the Christmas period together, to misery on our clogged up motorways,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
Of the 29 rail franchises, only three – Chiltern Railways, Merseyrail and ScotRail – are operating any services, according to National Rail Enquiries data.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said train services do not generally operate on Boxing Day in England and Wales due to lack of demand.
“This allows valuable maintenance and improvement work to take place to improve services for passengers.
“Franchises can operate Boxing Day services on a commercial basis subject to agreement with Network Rail,” she said.
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