Dublin commuting. Only DART not operating Stephens Day, is that right?

More historic, would be interesting to see if IE said they wanted a service and how unions would take it.

I can see it from both sides of operating and not operating.

Funny no matter what happens the buses always run. Pity drivers are treated the way they are.

Infini2 wrote: »

Trains never ran on christmas or stevens day. Thats always been the case. Its the only 2 days of the year it doesnt run.

If I'm not mistaken only a skeleton service runs on the buses on stevens day as well.

Like any bank holiday Sunday service is run and very likely to be even short staffed at that. Other days during the week for 4 days will run a Saturday service on the bus.

punisher5112 wrote: »

Funny no matter what happens the buses always run. Pity drivers are treated the way they are.

Did they know before they applied for the job that DB runs buses on the 26th?

Chivito550 wrote: »

Funny how buses just shut down on Christmas Day here. I spent 3 Christmases in Melbourne and there'd always be a full service of trains and trams (Saturday service from memory) and what's more, it would be free for the whole day. I'd have been screwed for expensive taxi fares to miles out in the suburbs if it wasn't for that.

https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/free-public-transport-for-christmas-day-and-new-years-eve/

Its one day world isn't going to end and CIE use to run a bus service on Christmas day but due to decreasing numbers they stopped it.

punisher5112 wrote: »

Its one day world isn't going to end and CIE use to run a bus service on Christmas day but due to decreasing numbers they stopped it.

There was indeed

http://garaiste.yuku.com/topic/10148#.WFgw0Hel3qU

http://garaiste.yuku.com/topic/10083/christmas-day-bus-services#.WFgxInel3qU

Er..."it's always been done" is a history lesson not an explanation or reason

Equally to run the buses requires a lot less staff than trains. If the trains were running on Stephen's Day there would be people in from midnight at least on Christmas night getting trains in right configurations, on right tracks, starting them up... Drivers, station staff, platform staff, signalling staff, ticket office staff, cleaners, security...
Bit different to a few buses, basically multitudes more people in for the sake a few people going in to Next. They only have 2 guaranteed days off a year. Sometimes I think some people won't be happy til everybody is working the whole of Christmas.

n97 mini wrote: »

113,000 people in Dublin claim to be no religion. I'd wager some of these would be the first to complain about working over Christmas.

A family member claims to be no religion. He's delighted to get treble time for Christmas day and time and a half for the 26th.

I would see it like a bank holiday or something similar. Tbh the way my family celebrate Christmas there is very little of a religious element.

n97 mini wrote: »

113,000 people in Dublin claim to be no religion. I'd wager some of these would be the first to complain about working over Christmas.

A family member claims to be no religion. He's delighted to get treble time for Christmas day and time and a half for the 26th.

Christmas is and almost always has been a dual secular-religious holiday

There aren't any Christmas trees, raindeer, Santa, slays or snow in the biblical Christmas myth that was all robbed from pagans or much later myths (the original santa saving the girls from being sold into sex slavery to wipe out family debts wasn't PG13 so had to be amended...) In fact hard as it is to pin down the historic Jesus since first people to write about him were 60+ years after his death, they estimate a birth around April

There are no other holy days as state holidays AFAIK and even easters taken on a secular vibe

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Not at all. A city with a population move than 3 times the size of Dublin and given it's summer over there it's sort of normal that Christmas doesn't get the same big deal.

Simple fact a lot of our public transport is lightly loaded on typical days outside peak hours and expecting a service on Christmas Day is just madness.

I am not against rail operating on the 26 December however I do think demand isn't remotely high enough at the minute to justify a DART service never mind intercity.

Density was the incorrect term to use. Melbourne is one of the most sprawled cities on earth.

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Ok maybe so but general point still stands.

It only partly stands IMO. Firstly Melbourne isn't over 3 times the size. It's metropolitan area is 4.5 million while Dublin's is 1.9 million. Secondly while you are right to an extent about Christmas not being as big a deal, this is more the case that they don't embrace the stuff we do (decorations, music, community spirit) like we do. It is still a massive family occasion though, and the fact PT is free on this day shows that it is still a big deal, just in a different way to here.