If you’re planning to use the tube on Boxing Day, you need to do what I call the “Festive Reconnaissance.” Wake up, make a terrible cup of instant coffee (because the coffee shop is closed), and open the TfL app with the caution of someone defusing a bomb. You’ll see a glorious rainbow of “Service suspended,” “Reduced service,” and the classic “Please ignore previous message.”
It’s like reading a horoscope—try to make sense of it, but expect disappointment. I’ve learned to always have a backup plan. If the Northern Line says it’s running but “no trains between Camden and Morden,” that means you’re walking in the cold with your hands in your pockets, muttering about the benefits of a Victorian Christmas. You’ll pass a man walking a dog dressed as a reindeer, and you’ll think, “Well, at least I’m not that dog.”
The Christmas Cracker of Transit
Let’s not forget the joy of the late-night Boxing Day tube. After a day of too much cheese and too many arguments about Monopoly, you might think you can just hop on a train home. Wrong. The last train leaves at 9:45 PM, which is basically a threat. You’ll sprint through the station like you’re in an action movie, but instead of explosions, you’re just dodging a man carrying a giant, inflatable snowman.
I once missed the last tube by three seconds. The guard just looked at me, shrugged, and said, “Happy Boxing Day, mate.” I ended up sharing an Uber with a group of strangers who were all eating cold leftovers out of Tupperware. We sang “Fairytale of New York” until the driver begged us to stop. It was perfect—a spontaneous, messy, human moment that no tube schedule could ever provide.
So, are the tubes running on Boxing Day? Kind of. Maybe. Sort of. It’s like asking if your grandad is going to tell the same story about the war—you know the answer, but you have to be patient. My advice? Embrace the chaos. Check the app, but bring a good coat, a backup bus pass, and a sense of humour. Because if the tube doesn’t run, you’ll end up somewhere unexpected, and that’s where Boxing Day memories are made. Just don’t forget the leftover stuffing sandwiches.
