Drivers warned to expect ‘daily delays’ ahead of Christmas Eve as train passengers also face disruption
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There are warnings of daily delays ahead of Christmas Eve as drivers in the UK are expected to make 21 million leisure trips this week.
Getaway traffic will climb slowly at the beginning of the week before jumping from 2.2 million trips on Thursday to 3.2 million on Friday, the last working day before Christmas Day, the RAC said.
Some 13.5 million leisure journeys by car are expected between Friday and Christmas Eve, up 20% on the equivalent period last year.
Congestion is likely to peak on Friday as drivers heading away on getaway trips compete for road space with commuters and business traffic.
There are likely to be “daily delays of around 40 minutes” between Friday and Christmas Eve on the M25 clockwise west of London, transport analysis company Inrix warned.
Drivers heading anti-clockwise between junction 17 (Rickmansworth) and junction 12 (for the M3) on the same day are also being warned to prepare for hold-ups.
Other motorway stretches identified as potential hotspots include the M1 north of Woburn, Bedfordshire to Daventry, Northamptonshire and the M6 south from Wigan, Greater Manchester to Stafford, Staffordshire.
Between 12pm and 2pm is expected to be the busiest time to travel on the roads during the weekend before Christmas.
Drivers are advised to set out before 11am or after 6pm to reduce the chance of being stuck in long queues.
National Highways said it will remove more than 1,000 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major A roads by 6am on Tuesday, meaning more than 98% of its network will be free of roadworks until 2 January.
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Train disruption
People embarking on festive getaways by train also face disruption due to Network Rail carrying out engineering work.
London Paddington will be closed between Christmas Eve and 27 December, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport during that period, while London King’s Cross will also be closed on Christmas Eve.
Outside the capital, an engineering project near Southampton will cause some disruption to services, as will work to build the new Cambridge South station.
No trains will operate on Christmas Day and a very limited service will run on Boxing Day.
Network Rail said 96% of the rail network will remain open as normal but it is carrying out “some significant projects”, and added that engineering work is planned to “target the quietest times” to minimise disruption.
Heathrow Airport (file pic)
Busy airports
Airports will be busy as many head overseas for festive holidays or arrive in the UK to spend Christmas with loved ones.
Heathrow Airport expects 6.5 million passengers will travel through its terminals this month – with tens of thousands departing on Christmas Day.
