Some cities do the opposite of a Sunday schedule. They add trains. It’s called “Enhanced Holiday Service.” Sounds fancy, right?
New York City, for example, often runs extra subway trains on New Year’s Eve. They want you to get to Times Square. On New Year’s Day? Back to Sunday slowness.
London’s Tube does a similar dance. They run a reduced service but sometimes keep the Night Tube humming. It’s a crapshoot. A joyful, confusing crapshoot.
Do trains run on Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day? (2026)
Quirky Fact #1: The Ghost Train
Did you know some trains run as ghosts on New Year’s? Not literally. But in Japan, the Yamanote Line runs all night on New Year’s Eve. Then, on January 1st, it switches to a special timetable that no one understands.
Tourists get stranded. Locals laugh. It’s tradition.
In the UK, heritage railways often run “New Year’s Day Steam Specials.” But they need enough coal and volunteers. If the boiler won’t light? No train. It’s a very British problem.
