Have yourself a Zoom Christmas to avoid train chaos, urge ministers

The Government is asking people to consider having Zoom Christmases rather than travelling home to see relatives amid fears of chaos on trains.

Official advice urges people to think about using technology to see loved ones when Covid restrictions are relaxed from December 23.

The guidance comes as ministers and rail companies expressed concern over the train network's ability to handle a surge of people travelling during the five-day window.

This week, the Government announced that up to three households will be able to meet between December 23 and 27 so families can spend Christmas together.

During the period, people will be allowed to travel between different tiers of Covid restrictions and UK nations to see family. However, the guidance says they need to have travelled home by December 27 unless they have exceptional circumstances.

"You should consider ways to celebrate Christmas in other ways, such as the use of technology and meeting outdoors, without bringing households together or travelling between different parts of the country," it adds.

Earlier this week, Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, urged people to consider not travelling over the winter break over concerns about the rail system's "limitations" coping with large numbers of passengers.

Concerns have been growing that there could be scenes of crowded trains as people try to take advantage of the narrow Christmas window, and rail sources told The Telegraph companies feared a crush developing on the last day of the window, December 27, which is Sunday when only scaled-down services will be running.

On top of this, rail works that traditionally happen over the quieter Christmas period are due to start on Christmas Day, which could cause further disruption. Passengers on the East Coast Main Line have been advised not to travel between Christmas Day and January 3 due to long-planned upgrade works.

Rail sources said companies were currently monitoring ticket sales over the coming days to try and anticipate where the greatest demand will be over the Christmas period. One said: "This is completely unprecedented and very hard to predict."

One measure being considered by train operators to manage a surge in Christmas passengers is rolling out booking-only systems meaning people will not be able to simply walk on to services.

Meanwhile, figures released on Thursday laid bare the dire financial impact of the pandemic and first lockdown on the rail industry.

The Office for Rail and Road said ticket revenue dropped over 93 percent, from around £2.7 billion to £184 million in between April and June compared to the same period in 2019.