Motorway gridlock fears as 16.4m to hit road and drivers warned of …
Storm Pia: 80mph winds batter Britain with ‘do not travel’ warnings issued
Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts
Get Simon Calder’s Travel email
Drivers are set to face Christmas travel chaos[1] as 16.4 million drivers hit the roads on the busiest day for travel of the year.
Motorists have been advised not drive before 11am or after 6pm to reduce the chances of being stuck on the road.[2]
The AA has issued an Amber Traffic Warning for today with millions of cars expected to travel on this day, causing lengthy jams [3]at traffic hotspots.
The AA president[4] 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.
Hundreds of drivers trying to catch ferries abroad in the festive getaway faced big snarl-ups at the port of Dover[5], some left stuck in long queues yesterday.
Port chiefs warned that only those who had booked would be able to travel, saying it was taking about 90 minutes to process cars with pre-booked tickets.
Show latest update
1703323802
What’s happening on the trains?
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.
Lydia Patrick23 December 2023 09:30
Motorway closures
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.
Lydia Patrick23 December 2023 08:54
60 minutes wait time at port of Denver
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.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 December 2023 08:00
Northern parts of UK to face rain and snow
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.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 December 2023 07:00
Yellow warning extended till Saturday afternoon
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.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 December 2023 06:00
Motorists advised to avoid roads between 11am and 6pm
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.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar23 December 2023 05:09
More car journeys than last Christmas
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.
(Getty Images)
Jane Dalton23 December 2023 05:00
Recap: Transport disrupted and trees uprooted as Storm Pia pummels UK
Jane Dalton23 December 2023 04:00
London’s Euston waits: in pictures
(EPA)
(EPA)
Passengers wait for train services from Euston Station
(EPA)
Jane Dalton23 December 2023 02:50
Winds and rain predicted to spoil Christmas
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.
Yellow warnings for Christmas Eve
(Met Office )
Jane Dalton23 December 2023 00:55
References
- ^ Port of Dover wait times at 60 minutes as travellers seek Christmas getaway (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Simon Calder’s travel year in review: chaos from beginning to end, plus five great destinations for 2024 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Port of Dover wait times at 60 minutes as travellers seek Christmas getaway (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Christmas travel delays for millions as strong winds set to batter UK on Christmas Eve (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Dover (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703323802 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703321675 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703318413 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703314807 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703311207 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703308168 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703307600 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703304000 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703299800 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1703292900 (www.independent.co.uk)