GRTC will operate on Christmas Day and on New Year’s Day, but will cut back some runs in the afternoon and evening given the likelihood of lower ridership, the transit company announced this week.

The company also announced additional express service on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, with service added at 12:15 p.m. to leave Downtown.

Notices are being posted on each bus to alert customers to the service changes that will be in effect on the two holidays that both fall on a Wednesday this year.

Also, the company will have staff answering calls to its customer service center — (804) 358-4782 — from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, to help customers with bus tracking and trip planning.

Customer service also will take calls from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The Pulse will operate on a normal Sunday schedule on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, as will routes 7 Nine Mile, 13 Oakwood, 19 West Broad, 78 Cary/Maymont, 86 Broad Rock/ Walmsley, 87 Bellemeade/Hopkins and 91 Laburnum.

The cuts in afternoon and evening service will mainly affect routes 1 Chamberlayne/South Side, 2 North Avenue/South Side, 3 Highland Park/South Side, 4 Fulton, 5 Cary/Main, 12 Church Hill, 14 Hermitage, 20 Orbital, 50 Broad Street, 76 Patterson and 77 Grove.

Several routes that are not offered on Sundays, including 1B, 2B and 3A and 3B, also will not be available on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Regular weekday service will be offered on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and will resume on Thursday, Dec. 26, and Thursday, Jan. 2, the company stated.