Christmas getaway chaos as Dover traffic builds and AA issues travel warning for 16m drivers – latest
Drivers are set to face Christmas travel chaos[1] as 16.4 million drivers hit the roads and two major London railway stations are closed today.
Train disruption is likely as two of London’s railway stations, King’s Cross and Paddington[2], will be shut due to engineering works. The closure of London Paddington will continue until Wednesday, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport.
Motorists have been advised not to drive before 11am or after 6pm today to reduce the chances of being stuck on the road.[3]
The AA has issued an Amber Traffic Warning for today with millions of cars expected to travel on this day, causing lengthy jams[4] at traffic hotspots.
In addition, gusts as high as 70mph are due to hit much of Scotland and northern and central areas of England. Two separate yellow wind warnings have been issued by the Met Office, saying people should expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts, while the rest of the country may see showers during the day.
Key Points
-
Motorists advised to avoid roads between 11am and 6pm
-
Millions of car journeys under way as London stations set to close Christmas Eve
-
Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas
-
Network Rail Christmas Eve travel warning
-
What’s happening on the trains?
Government statement on Christmas travel
05:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We know that Christmas is a busy time on our roads - and we work closely with train operators, ports and airports to ensure people can get to where they need to be during the festive period.
“To keep congestion to a minimum, National Highways is ensuring more than 98% of motorways and A-roads are roadwork-free, with over 96% of the rail network also open during Christmas and New Year.
“This Government has made unprecedented investment in transport infrastructure and to suggest otherwise is factually wrong.
“We are providing a record £44.1 billion for Network Rail to run a safe rail network.
“Our Network North plan - backed by £36 billion - will further revolutionise the country’s transport infrastructure with investments in hundreds of local transport projects that matter most to people.”
The best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK
04:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
One of the world’s most spectacular natural phenomena, at certain periods during the year the Northern Lights[5] regularly light up the skies of northern countries[6] that sit in the ‘aurora zone’ of the Arctic Circle.
The light show happens when electronically charged particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere from space, producing dazzling displays of green, yellow, purple and even red lights.
This is visible every year in some areas of European countries like Finland[7], Iceland[8], Sweden[9] and Norway, while there are regular sightings in parts of Canada and Greenland[10] too. Fortunately for Brits, you don’t necessarily need to trek to these countries to see the aurora borealis; sightings have become more frequent in the UK, with the lights seen as far south as Wiltshire[11] in February 2023.
The best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK[12]
Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas
03:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
If you are searching for a white Christmas[13], the Scottish mountains are your best bet this festive season.
The Met Office[14] expects record mild temperatures[15] across the rest of the UK this Christmas, with highs of 13C or 14C.
But the forecaster paints an entirely different picture for Christmas Eve as three yellow weather warnings[16] are in force for Sunday.
Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas[17]
Rail is on track for managed decline, with fare rises only part of the problem
02:00 , Simon Calder
Rishi Sunak[18] has been called many things, but here’s a particularly crisp description from one of the railway industry’s most respected figures, Nigel Harris: “The most anti-rail prime minister we’ve ever had.”
That succinct characterisation was made in an episode of the Green Signals podcast, which Mr Harris co-presents.
At the Conservative conference in Manchester, Mr Sunak announced with relish that he was overturning a decade of consensus that Britain needs a new, comprehensive high-speed rail network – and scrapping HS2 to Manchester[19].
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:
Rail is on track for managed decline, with fare rises only part of the problem[20]
Millions face long traffic queues as motorists drive home for Christmas
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Christmas Eve[21] travel[22] plans have begun as millions brave the weather[23] to hit the road and rail[24] on their journeys home[25].
The AA issued an Amber Traffic Warning today as more than 16.4 million cars[26] were expected to travel on Saturday.
Motorists[27] were advised by the RAC[28] to travel before 11am or after 6pm if possible to reduce the chance of being stuck in long queues[29].
Millions face long traffic queues as motorists drive home for Christmas[30]
Met Office forecast for Christmas Eve
00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Eurostar offers extra trains on Christmas Eve to make up for Thursday’s chaos
Saturday 23 December 2023 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Eurostar, which operates passenger rail services to and from London St Pancras, is operating two extra trains per day between London and Paris including on Christmas Eve to help people whose trains were cancelled on Thursday.
Vehicle-carrying train service Eurotunnel is running its usual timetable but is only accepting customers who have pre-booked.
Yellow weather warnings in force for UK on Christmas Eve
Saturday 23 December 2023 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Met Office has warned Christmas Eve travel plans could be affected with heavy winds set to batter parts of the country.
Gusts as high as 70mph are due to hit the north of Scotland and northern and central areas of England.
Two separate yellow weather warnings for wind have been issued, saying people should expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts, while the rest of the country may see showers.
Meteorologist Liam Eslick said: “People should make sure to leave more time, especially in exposed areas, it could affect rail networks and ferries.
“People travelling on roads should take care and stay away from high-sided vehicles, and for people who are at home and are going for walks, stay away from coasts.”
A yellow weather warning for rain is currently in force covering much of Wales, with forecasters warning that flooding and travel disruption is possible, and will last until 6pm on Christmas Eve.
Between 20 to 40mm of rain is expected widely and 60 to 80mm on higher ground.
Another yellow weather warning for rain is in force for western Scotland until 11.45pm on Saturday, with 20 to 55mm of rain expected widely and 80 to 100mm on higher ground.
Millions of car journeys under way as London stations set to close Christmas Eve
Saturday 23 December 2023 20:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Christmas getaway travel disruption is expected, with millions of car journeys under way and major London railway stations set to close on Sunday.
The AA estimated that 16.4 million car journeys will take place on Saturday and warned of “lengthy jams”.
And rail disruption is likely on Christmas Eve as two of London’s railway stations, King’s Cross and Paddington, will be shut due to engineering works.
The closure of London Paddington will continue until Wednesday, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport.
Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas
Saturday 23 December 2023 20:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
If you are searching for a white Christmas[31], the Scottish mountains are your best bet this festive season.
The Met Office[32] expects record mild temperatures[33] across the rest of the UK this Christmas, with highs of 13C or 14C.
But the forecaster paints an entirely different picture for Christmas Eve as three yellow weather warnings[34] are in force for Sunday.
Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas[35]
Watch - Christmas travel chaos in full swing as queues build at Port of Dover
Saturday 23 December 2023 20:00 , Lydia Patrick
The busiest day of the year to travel
Saturday 23 December 2023 19:00 , Lydia Patrick
The AA has issued an Amber Traffic Warning today with more than 16.4 million cars expected to travel on this day, causing lengthy jams at traffic hotspots.
The AA president Edmund King said: “While Friday 22 December and Saturday 23 December look set to be the busiest travelling days, the unsettled weather forecast could lead to additional delays so drivers should drive to the conditions and slow down where necessary.”
Network Rail Christmas Eve travel warning
Saturday 23 December 2023 18:02 , Lydia Patrick
Major engineering work is taking place on Christmas Eve which will affect journeys to and from London Paddington[36] and London Kings Cross[37] stations.
Amongst many other destinations, this will affect journeys to South Wales, Bristol, the West Country and Heathrow Airport; also Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle and Peterborough.
If you were planning on travelling to these destinations on Christmas Eve, you may have to use replacement buses, use services from alternative London terminals, and possibly change trains once or more during your journey.
Many train services are not running as late as usual, so passengers are advised to check their journey before they travel.
Eurostar running extra services
Saturday 23 December 2023 17:30 , Lydia Patrick
Chaos unfolded yesterday when a shock strike hit Eurotunnel train services, at least 30 trains were cancelled on Thursday with services not resuming until Friday.
Eurostar, which operates passenger rail services to and from London St Pancras, is operating two extra trains per day between London and Paris including on Christmas Eve to help people whose trains were cancelled on Thursday.
Vehicle-carrying train service Eurotunnel is running its usual timetable but is only accepting customers who have pre-booked.
Motorists advised to avoid roads after 6pm
Saturday 23 December 2023 17:00 , Lydia Patrick
Motorists have been advised to travel before 11am or after 6pm to reduce the chances of being stuck on the road.
The RAC estimated 13.5 million leisure journeys by car would take place across the UK between Friday and Sunday, up 20 per cent on the three days before Christmas Day last year.
Storm Pia has unleashed Christmas travel chaos as flights are grounded due to high winds, after a sudden French strike forced the Eurotunnel to close on Thursday.
Severe weather conditions could impact travel
Saturday 23 December 2023 16:30 , Lydia Patrick
The Met Office has warned Christmas Eve travel plans could be affected with heavy winds set to batter parts of the country.
Gusts as high as 70mph are due to hit the north of Scotland and northern and central areas of England.
Two separate yellow weather warnings for wind have been issued, saying people should expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts, while the rest of the country may see showers.
Meteorologist Liam Eslick said: “People should make sure to leave more time, especially in exposed areas, it could affect rail networks and ferries.
“People travelling on roads should take care and stay away from high-sided vehicles, and for people who are at home and are going for walks, stay away from coasts.”
More road delays
Saturday 23 December 2023 16:15 , Lydia Patrick
Drivers are being warned to expect delays on the A1 in Northumberland after a serious crash.
The road was closed in both directions on Saturday morning after the incident, which happened between the A1167 and B1340 near Belford.
More road delays
Saturday 23 December 2023 16:14 , Lydia Patrick
Drivers are being warned to expect delays on the A1 in Northumberland after a serious crash.
The road was closed in both directions on Saturday morning after the incident, which happened between the A1167 and B1340 near Belford.
Warning to those driving (or catching trains) home for Christmas
Saturday 23 December 2023 15:48 , Lydia Patrick
Christmas getaway travel disruption is expected, with millions of car journeys under way and major London railway stations set to close on Sunday.
The AA estimated that 16.4 million car journeys will take place on Saturday and warned of “lengthy jams”.
And rail disruption is likely on Christmas Eve as two of London’s railway stations, King’s Cross and Paddington, will be shut due to engineering works.
The closure of London Paddington will continue until Wednesday, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport.
Small chance of hottest Christmas Day and only Scottish mountains to see snow
Saturday 23 December 2023 15:30 , Lydia Patrick
Christmas Day could reach record temperatures, with only the Scottish mountains likely to see snow, the Met Office has said.
The forecaster said December 25 will be damp and windy but especially mild, with highs of 13C or 14C.
The hottest Christmas Day on record was 15.6C in 1920, so there is a “small chance” of it being a record, the Met Office added.
Meteorologist Liam Eslick said there may be snow on Christmas Day on mountains in Scotland, but it is “not looking likely that there will be a white Christmas in England”.
Wait time at Dover now zero
Saturday 23 December 2023 15:17 , Lydia Patrick
Good news for those crossing the channel- the queues have finally subsided.
There remains no wait time at French border controls. Wishing all our passengers a pleasant transit and safe onward journey this Christmas 🎅
— Port of Dover Travel (@PoD_travelnews) December 23, 2023[38]
The busiest day of the year to travel
Saturday 23 December 2023 15:00 , Lydia Patrick
The AA has issued an Amber Traffic Warning today with more than 16.4 million cars expected to travel on this day, causing lengthy jams at traffic hotspots.
The AA president Edmund King said: “While Friday 22 December and Saturday 23 December look set to be the busiest travelling days, the unsettled weather forecast could lead to additional delays so drivers should drive to the conditions and slow down where necessary.”
Still a 90-minute wait at Port of Dover
Saturday 23 December 2023 14:30 , Lydia Patrick
Drivers are still waiting in 90-minute-long queues to reach the Port of Dover.
Watch - Christmas travel chaos in full swing as queues build at Port of Dover
Saturday 23 December 2023 13:45 , Lydia Patrick
Rail disruption between Peterborough and Stevenage
Saturday 23 December 2023 13:38 , Lydia Patrick
Passengers travelling on services out of London between Peterborough and Stevenage may face disruption or delays due to a tree touching overhead signalling wires.
Kent residents share their annoyance
Saturday 23 December 2023 12:45 , Lydia Patrick
The delays are a familiar state of affairs for Dover residents.
Many have taken to Facebook to share their annoyance.
Jan Hill said:
Every year we encounter this mayhem. Why do they do this and make all the long distance drivers wait at the side of the road? Shouldn’t they prepare more ferries and run more routes to prevent this. Dover deserves so much better. The HGV drivers should be priorities. They have families they don’t see for weeks on end because they have to work. Their families and the HGV drivers deserve to be together for the holidays. We also should give them more stations to stop safely, that provide hot meals, drinks, toilet and washing facilities. They are humans and should be treated as such.
Jan Hill
Where are the road delays?
Saturday 23 December 2023 12:12 , Lydia Patrick
Unsettled weather is likely to add to journey times on some stretches of the motorway network including the M25, the M5 between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare and the M6 around Birmingham.
In addition, stretches of the M1 ‘smart’ motorway from Luton northwards can often suffer congestion from incidents or breakdowns, as can the M62 and M60 in the North West. Both the M4 and the A34 are also set to suffer from significant delays.
Rail disruption continues
Saturday 23 December 2023 11:30 , Lydia Patrick
The rail disruption is set to continue on Christmas Eve as London King’s Cross will be closed due to engineering works.
The closure of London Paddington will continue until Wednesday, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport.
Shadow transport minister Louise Haigh said the infrastructure has been “totally underinvested in”, causing “record delays and cancellations”.
She told Times Radio on Saturday that anyone who has tried to catch a train in the last couple of years will “almost certainly” have experienced delays, cancellations and poor service because the Government has “presided over the managed decline of our railways and has been totally prepared to accept status quo”.
Ms Haigh said the Labour Party has set out plans to reform railways to bring them into public ownership and “to bring decisions around infrastructure and the operations of the railways together”.
‘Kids are crying’ - Traveller shares her annoyance from Dover queue
Saturday 23 December 2023 11:14 , Lydia Patrick
Maeve Patterson who is travelling through the Port of Dover took to X to share her irritation whilst waiting in line.
Why are your staff at Dover only moving vehicles in 2 out of the approx 7 lanes , with no explanations to all of us stuck here. Kids are crying and it is as ever a total mess - no information or coordinated management in line with booked boats …. Anyone here to support?
— Maeve Patterson (@maeve_patterson) December 23, 2023[39]
Dover queueing time reaches 90 minutes
Saturday 23 December 2023 11:07 , Lydia Patrick
People travelling over to France for Christmas can expect an even longer wait.
The Port of Dover shared on X: “There is currently a 90-minute wait time ahead of French border controls as we help passengers get away for Christmas. Please check with your chosen ferry operator for further travel updates.”
Pictured: Port of Dover travel chaos
Saturday 23 December 2023 10:29 , Lydia Patrick
Remnants of Storm Pia could lead to further disruption
Saturday 23 December 2023 10:15 , Lydia Patrick
The Met Office has warned there could be more weather-related travel issues in parts of the UK this weekend.
Christmas Eve travel plans could be ruined with heavy winds set to batter parts of the country ahead of a rain-soaked December 25.
Gusts as high as 60 to 70 mph are due to hit the north of Scotland and northern and central areas of England.
Two separate yellow wind warnings have been issued, saying people should expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts, while the rest of the country may see showers.
A yellow warning for rain covers much of Wales, with forecasters warning flooding and travel disruption is possible.
What’s happening on the trains?
Saturday 23 December 2023 09:30 , Lydia Patrick
Passengers have faced severe delays this week due to Storm Pia, here is the railway situation today.
Network Rail warned severe weather was likely to impact some ScotRail routes.
Eurostar, which operates passenger services to and from London St Pancras, is operating two extra services per day between London and Paris up to and including Christmas Eve to help people whose trains were cancelled on Thursday.
Vehicle-carrying train service Eurotunnel is running its usual timetable but is only accepting customers who have pre-booked.
The Elizabeth line suffered severe delays on Friday afternoon between London Paddington, Reading and Heathrow Airport after two trains broke down.
Network Rail said disruption was expected between Mansfield and Worksop for the end of the day, as well as between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley, caused by damage to the overhead electric wires in the Aston area of Birmingham.
Motorway closures
Saturday 23 December 2023 08:54 , Lydia Patrick
The A66 in Cumbria is closed in both directions between the A595 south (Bridgefoot) and the A595 north (Cockermouth) due to a serious collision.
Traffic has been diverted via local routes causing delays.
The M20 motorway in Kent has reopened between junctions 8 and 9 after it was closed due to Operation Brock, which involves organising a queue for freight traffic during disruption to cross-Channel services.
60 minutes wait time at port of Denver
Saturday 23 December 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Travellers making cross-Channel journeys at the port of Dover have been urged to prepare for potential long waits as Christmas getaway disruption continues across the country.
P&O Ferries said there were estimated wait times of 60 minutes at border control.
The port has attributed the delay to a surge in demand for ferries after the Channel Tunnel rail link was closed on Thursday due to unscheduled industrial action by French workers, which ruined the travel plans of tens of thousands of people.
The ferry company advised travellers in a post on X: “There is an estimated wait time of 60mins to reach border control after entering the port.
“There are limited toilet facilities, we recommend stopping en route.
“Please come prepared with refreshments to make your wait more comfortable. Thank you for your patience.”
Northern parts of UK to face rain and snow
Saturday 23 December 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Scotland on Saturday would be lashed with rain and snow in the north, leading to some icy stretches.
The snow is expected to reach Northern Ireland and northern England later in the day, the Met Office predicts.
Southern parts of the country would be drier with bright or sunny spells, although it would be windy.
Generally windy and rather cloudy overnight, according to the Met Office. “Rain mostly in the west, particularly persistent for northwest England and west Wales.”
Yellow warning extended till Saturday afternoon
Saturday 23 December 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The yellow weather warning for snow and ice for north and northeast Scotland has been extended till Saturday afternoon.
“The warning cessation time has been extended into Saturday afternoon and now finishes at 3pm,” it said in an update.
Motorists advised to avoid roads between 11am and 6pm
Saturday 23 December 2023 05:09 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Motorists have been advised to travel before 11am or after 6pm to reduce the chances of being stuck on the road.
The RAC estimated 13.5 million leisure journeys by car would take place across the UK between Friday and Sunday, up 20 per cent on the three days before Christmas Day last year.
Storm Pia has unleashed Christmas travel chaos as flights are grounded due to high winds, after a sudden French strike forced the Eurotunnel to close on Thursday.
More car journeys than last Christmas
Saturday 23 December 2023 05:00 , Jane Dalton
The RAC estimated 13.5 million leisure journeys by car would take place across the UK between Friday and Sunday, up 20 per cent on the three days before Christmas Day last year.
Motorists were advised to travel before 11am or after 6pm if possible to reduce the chance of being stuck in long queues.
Recap: Transport disrupted and trees uprooted as Storm Pia pummels UK
Saturday 23 December 2023 04:00 , Jane Dalton
In Pictures: Transport disrupted and trees uprooted as Storm Pia pummels UK[40]
London’s Euston waits: in pictures
Saturday 23 December 2023 02:50 , Jane Dalton
Winds and rain predicted to spoil Christmas
Saturday 23 December 2023 00:55 , Jane Dalton
The Met Office has warned there could be more weather-related travel hold-ups in parts of the UK this weekend.
Christmas Eve travel plans could be ruined with heavy winds set to batter parts of the country ahead of a rain-soaked Monday.
Gusts as high as 60 to 70 mph are due to hit the north of Scotland and northern and central areas of England.
Two separate yellow wind warnings have been issued, the Met Office saying people should expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts, while the rest of the country may see showers.
Passengers hit by rail cancellations and delays
Friday 22 December 2023 23:35 , Jane Dalton
Rail travel problems hit passengers trying to get away three days before Christmas.
Southeastern said a shortage of available train crew was continuing to disrupt its services on Friday.
Services on the Sheerness line were suspended at 10am for the rest of the day, and there are cancellations on the high-speed line to and from London St Pancras throughout the day.
The Elizabeth line suffered severe delays on Friday afternoon between London Paddington, Reading and Heathrow Airport after two trains broke down.
Network Rail said disruption was expected between Mansfield and Worksop for the end of the day, as well as between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield Trent Valley, caused by damage to the overhead electric wires in the Aston area of Birmingham.
No LNER trains served Inverness on Friday morning.
References
- ^ Christmas travel chaos (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ King’s Cross and Paddington (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ g stuck on the road. (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ causing lengthy jams (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Northern Lights (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ skies of northern countries (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Finland (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Iceland (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Sweden (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ regular sightings in parts of Canada and Greenland (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ seen as far south as Wiltshire (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ The best places to see the Northern Lights in the UK (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Christmas (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ temperatures (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ weather warnings (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas (www.aol.co.uk)
- ^ Rishi Sunak (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Mr Sunak announced with relish that he was overturning a decade of consensus that Britain needs a new, comprehensive high-speed rail network – and scrapping HS2 to Manchester (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Rail is on track for managed decline, with fare rises only part of the problem (www.aol.co.uk)
- ^ Christmas Eve (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ travel (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ weather (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ rail (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ their journeys home (www.aol.co.uk)
- ^ more than 16.4 million cars (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Motorists (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ RAC (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ long queues (www.aol.co.uk)
- ^ Millions face long traffic queues as motorists drive home for Christmas (www.aol.co.uk)
- ^ Christmas (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ temperatures (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ weather warnings (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Met Office’s verdict on if it will be a White Christmas (www.aol.co.uk)
- ^ London Paddington (www.nationalrail.co.uk)
- ^ London Kings Cross (www.nationalrail.co.uk)
- ^ December 23, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ December 23, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ In Pictures: Transport disrupted and trees uprooted as Storm Pia pummels UK (www.independent.co.uk)