Christmas travel latest: Drivers told to avoid roads until after 6pm
Exasperated drivers say they have been stuck in queues at Dover for more than six hours as travellers faced further disruption on planned Christmas getaways.
The Port of Dover warned against anyone travelling to the ferry terminal without a booking after unexpected strike action on Thursday led to delays at French border controls on Friday.
It comes as drivers were urged to avoid travelling until after 6pm on what is expected to be busiest day on the roads for Christmas getaways.
Latvian national Alex Serbkovski claimed he has waited up to six-and-a-half hours at Dover meaning a 24-hour drive to see relatives for a Christmas reunion would take even longer.
“I came into Dover at 7.20am and I am still here. My ferry is at 2pm. I don’t know whether I am going to make it,” he said.
Motorists looking to drive as an alternative to the railways face the peak of road congestion on Friday as those embarking on leisure trips compete for road space with commuters and business traffic.
Follow the developments below.
Cities congestion above normal levels
Major cities across the UK are experiencing congestion above normal levels on Friday afternoon, according to location technology company TomTom.
As of 3pm, the time taken to cover 10km (6.2 miles) in London was 20 minutes and 15 seconds, some one minute and 51 seconds longer than usual at that time.
Other cities that saw an increase in journey times over the same distance include Birmingham (two minutes and 11 seconds), Manchester (two minutes and 33 seconds), Glasgow (two minutes and 24 seconds) and Cardiff (four minutes and eight seconds).
’24 hour to drive home and this is making it worse’
Exasperated motorists caught up in traffic queues at the Port of Dover have told how the congestion has frustrated their Christmas plans amid fears they would miss their ferry bookings.
Catherine Toon, 44, an events and conference manager, was stuck in traffic following a five-hour drive from her home in Lancashire to the French Alps with her daughter and best friend for a skiing trip.
“We drive every year to France and this is the worst I’ve seen it.
“There’s no logic to the queues, it’s totally haphazard. It’s not 90 minutes like they’re saying – it took us two and a half hours to get to border control.”
Alex Serbkovski, 32, said his journey home to Latvia for a long-overdue family reunion at Christmas had been delayed
“I have been in the queue or trying to get through Dover for six-and-a-half hours. I came into Dover at 7.20am and I am still here.
“My ferry is at 2pm. I don’t know whether I am going to make it. It’s already going to take me 24 hours to drive home and this is just making it longer.”
Suzanne Browers and her family of three had been in the queue at the Port of Dover for 45 minutes, but said that it took “ages to get here in the first place” from their home in Bournemouth due to the traffic in and around the coastal town.
“It’s bad. It’s a bit stressful because we have no idea whether we can get our ferry at 2pm and if we miss it whether we will be able to get a refund or get on another. I think we will probably not get any money back.”
M4 shut after crash in Berkshire
The M4 has been closed in Berkshire after a crash on the westbound carriageway between junctions 10 and 11.
Diversions are in place.
The #M4[4] in #Berkshire[5] is CLOSED westbound between J10 (#A329M[6]) and J11 (#Reading[7]) due to a collision.
Traffic on the approach is being diverted.
Further details to follow. pic.twitter.com/NKEcBEojLu[8]
— National Highways: East (@HighwaysEAST) December 22, 2023[9]
2:29PM
[10]
Pictured: Euston station packed ahead of Christmas getaways
Travellers at Euston station on Friday afternoon
The concourse was packed with travellers
1:56PM
[11]
M56 closed after horsebox overturns
The M56 motorway in Cheshire was closed in both directions after a horsebox overturned between junctions 8 and 9.
National Highways traffic officers are in attendance and a replacement horsebox is said to be on its way. Manchester Evening News has reported the horse was seen walking and is believed to be unhurt.
Diversion routes were put in place. The eastbound carriageway has since reopened.
The #M56[12] in #Cheshire[13] has re-opened eastbound between J9-J8 following an overturned horsebox.
We’re just preparing to re-open the westbound carriageway, lane 1 & 2 will remain closed for recovery of the overturned vehicle.
Thank you for your patience. pic.twitter.com/NMaEoUfERG[14]
— National Highways: North-West (@HighwaysNWEST) December 22, 2023[15]
12:41PM
[16]
Christmas Eve travel plans face disruption, forecasters warn
Met Office forecasters have warned plans to travel on Christmas Eve could be disrupted by heavy winds, while rain is predicted for Christmas Day.
Gusts as high as 60 to 70 mph are due to hit the north of Scotland and northern and central areas of England on Sunday, meteorologists have said.
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.
Forecasters said: “Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. “
Christmas Day morning is set to be neither merry nor bright for most, with rain across parts of England and Wales.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “There’s potentially going to be some travel disruption on Christmas Eve, to the east of the Pennines in particular, because of that wind.
“It’s also going to be a very windy day in Scotland as well, so a chance of some travel disruption and power cuts, particular given the wind we saw recently with Storm Pia.”
Eurostar add extra eight services
Passengers queue ahead of boarding the Eurostar train at London St Pancras
Eurostar has confirmed an additional eight services have been introduced until Christmas Day with more than 10,000 seats available after its trains were unexpectedly cancelled on Thursday, Jack Simpson reports.
Services from London St Pancras to European stations were suddenly halted as a result of industrial action by French workers for Eurotunnel. An agreement was reached last night to end the strike.
Eurostar initially promised to run six extra trains between Paris and London into the weekend – an extra two trains each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday but that has since increased to eight services.
A spokesperson said: “At such an important time of year for families and friends getting together, extra trains have been organised to help customers whose plans were disrupted, and all staff have been mobilised to provide support. Customers can exchange their tickets for free or claim a refund.
“Although yesterday’s events were out of Eurostar’s control, the team is working around the clock to provide support to all customers affected and is committed to ensuring they reach their destinations in time to have a fantastic festive period.”
Pictured: Travellers flock to London station for Christmas getaways
Passengers at St Pancras International station, London
Passengers pack the departure lounge at St Pancras
11:46AM
[19]
Engineering works at key London stations
Major engineering works will be carried out at several London hubs during the Christmas and New Year period.
Let’s take a look at the stations and services affected:
London Kings Cross
- Works on Sunday, or Christmas Eve, will affect services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle, York, Peterborough plus many other stations.
London Paddington
- Works scheduled to take place between Sunday and Wednesday, December 27 affecting journeys to and from South Wales, Bristol, the West Country and the Thames Valley. In addition, Heathrow Airport will have no direct National Rail services to or from central London between Sunday and Wednesday
London Victoria
- No Southeastern services between Saturday, December 23 and Monday, January 1 2024. Southeastern trains, which run between London and Kent, will use alternative terminal stations.
London Liverpool Street
- Services to Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester journeys will be disrupted through the Chelmsford area between Wednesday 27 December and January 1.
Rail fares in England to increase by up to 4.9pc from March 3
Further misery for rail passengers today as the Department for Transport confirms regulated rail fares in England will increase by up to 4.9pc from March 3 next year.
The DfT has set a cap of 4.9pc for increases to most fares regulated by the Government, which include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. The previous cap on increases in regulated fares was 5.9pc.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Having met our target of halving inflation across the economy, this is a significant intervention by the Government to cap the increase in rail fares below last year’s rise.
“Changed working patterns after the pandemic mean that our railways are still losing money and require significant subsidies, so this rise strikes a balance to keep our railways running, while not overburdening passengers.
“We remain committed to supporting the rail sector reform outdated working practices to help put it on a sustainable financial footing.”
Pictures: Bristol airport braced for busiest Christmas
Holiday-makers and commuters face early morning queues at Bristol airport
Credit: Lee Thomas/Lee Thomas
Bristol Airport is gearing up for its busiest ever Christmas
Bristol Airport is braced for its busiest ever Christmas with passengers forming huge queues at the terminal.
Officials say up to 26,000 passengers could fly in and out of Bristol on Friday with popular destinations including Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Geneva and Tenerife.
Up to 390,000 people were said to planning to travel through the airport from December 16 until January 2.
‘We know some people who slept at St Pancras’
Passengers at St Pancras say some travellers had bedded down for the night at the station after their travel plans were disrupted on Thursday.
Valentin Walch and Pauline Cerceau, both 26, stayed at a friend’s home overnight but said they saw people who had slept at St Pancras after their travel plans were disrupted.
The pair had been rebooked on a 2pm service on Friday and arrived at the London station at 7am to wait.
Passengers Valentin Walch and Pauline Cerceau, both 26, at St Pancras station
Mr Walch, a handball trainer from Chartres, said they were “stressed and a little bit angry” when they saw the email delaying their return to France after a visit to London.
He said: “We prefer to be here early. We know some people who slept in the train station, we’re lucky we stayed at a friend’s.”
A construction engineer from Hackney said the queues at St Pancras on Friday morning reminded him of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lesie Smith boarded a train to Paris
Lesie Smith, 60, said he “panicked a little” when he saw the news of cancellations on Thursday, but his train to Paris on Friday at 9.30am had not been delayed.
Meanwhile, Bogdan and Irena Petris, from Plymouth, said they were “a bit anxious” on Thursday but when they heard by 11pm that the strikes were off, they felt “relief”.
The 50-year-olds were spending Christmas in Paris.
Roads: what’s the latest?
The RAC estimated 13.5 million leisure journeys by car would take place across the UK between Friday and Sunday, up 20pc on the three days before Christmas Day last year.
Road congestion is likely to peak on Friday as drivers embarking on leisure trips competed for road space with commuters and business traffic.
Let’s take a look at the situation as of Friday morning:
M20
- A stretch of motorway remains closed in the coastbound direction between junctions 8 and 9 due to Operation Brock, which involves organising a queue for freight traffic during disruption to cross-Channel services. National Highways said this is causing 45-minute delays.
M62
- A stretch of motorway between junctions 21 (near Rochdale, Greater Manchester) and 22 (near Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire) has been closed since about 11pm on Thursday because of a police investigation following a crash in which a 19-year-old, male car passenger was killed.
Likely traffic hotspots on the M25 identified by transport analysis company Inrix include: clockwise between junction 7 (for the M23/Gatwick Airport) and junction 16 (for the M40/Birmingham); and anti-clockwise between junction 17 (Rickmansworth) and junction 12 (for the M3).
Other motorway stretches expected to see long queues included the M1 north from Woburn, Bedfordshire, to Daventry, Northamptonshire, and the M6 south from Wigan, Greater Manchester, to Stafford, Staffordshire.
Picture: Queues build at London St Pancras
Queues at London St Pancras station on Friday morning
Credit: Jeremy Selwyn/Jeremy Selwyn
Queues have began to build at London St Pancras station as passengers hope to avoid any further disruption after services were unexpectedly cancelled because of strike action.
Eurostar said it will operate two extra services per day between London and Paris up to and including Christmas Eve to help people whose trains were cancelled on Thursday.
Railways: what’s the latest?
Avanti, which runs services between London and Glasgow on the west coast line, has already cancelled 13 trains on Friday, with the majority due to staff shortages, Jack Simpson reports.
The operator, which was forced to cancel and delay trains yesterday, said that this includes a number of services from Manchester and Liverpool down to Euston.
Meanwhile, LNER has said that it is experiencing minor delays on some routes.
It said speed restrictions that were in place yesterday because of Storm Pia have now been lifted with the only exception on services to and from Inverness.
ScotRail services remain suspended between Inverness and Wick, Tain, Ardgay and Lairg.
Southeastern, which operates into London from Kent, Surrey and Sussex, has said that a shortage in train staff is causing delays across its network, with a number of trains being cancelled today.
Dover passengers face 90-minute wait at French border control
Travellers passing through French border control at Dover face delays of 90 minutes as a result of “exceptionally heavy traffic” on what is predicted to be the busiest day on the roads for Christmas getaways.
Passengers have been urged not to visit the Kent terminal without a ferry booking as tailbacks more than a mile-long were reported by motorists from as early as 5am.
There is currently a 90-minute wait for French border controls upon entry to the Port. Please travel to the Port via main routes only (A2/A20) to avoid causing congestion for local residents.
— Port of Dover Travel (@PoD_travelnews) December 22, 2023[27]
The Port of Dover warned tourists passing through French border controls face a 90-minute wait following earlier widespread disruption on Thursday.
Officials explained unexpected strike action staged by French workers at Eurotunnel on Thursday afternoon had helped to create “exceptionally heavy traffic” in Kent.
Drivers warned avoid roads until after 6pm
Drivers have been urged to avoid travelling until after 6pm on what is expected to be busiest day on the roads for Christmas getaways.
Motorists looking to drive as an alternative to the railways face the peak of road congestion on Friday as those embarking on leisure trips compete for road space with commuters and business traffic.
The RAC has estimated 13.5 million leisure journeys by car would take place across the UK between today and Sunday, up 20 per cent on the three days before Christmas Day last year.
Good morning
The Telegraph will be providing live travel updates on what is expected to be the busiest days on the roads for Christmas getaways.
Motorists have been warned they face peak congestion when travelling today, which could be exacerbated by widespread disruption on Thursday.
We will bring you the latest updates and developments on roads, railways and at airports and ferry terminals.
References
- ^ 3:29PM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 3:16PM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 2:49PM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ #M4 (twitter.com)
- ^ #Berkshire (twitter.com)
- ^ #A329M (twitter.com)
- ^ #Reading (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/NKEcBEojLu (t.co)
- ^ December 22, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ 2:29PM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 1:56PM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ #M56 (twitter.com)
- ^ #Cheshire (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/NMaEoUfERG (t.co)
- ^ December 22, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ 12:41PM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
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- ^ December 22, 2023 (twitter.com)
- ^ 9:41AM (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ 9:41AM (www.telegraph.co.uk)