Bank holiday weekend travel disruption expected on British roads and rail
The RAC said drivers should set off as early as possible to avoid heavy traffic, particularly on major routes to airports and coastal areas. The south-east and south-west of England are expected to see the heaviest congestion.
Heavy traffic is expected on the M5 between Bristol and Devon, according to the transport analytics company Inrix. On Friday and Saturday there are likely to be holdups of more than 40 minutes on the stretch between junction 15 north of Bristol and junction 23 for Bridgewater.
On Friday, drivers making Channel crossings via Dover or Folkestone are expected to face delays exceeding 30 minutes on the M20 in Kent.
The best times to travel will be after 7pm on Friday, before 9am on Saturday and before 11am on Monday, with traffic expected to be lighter on Sunday.
Approximately 17.6m car journeys are expected to be made during the long weekend. The figures are based on a survey of 2,080 UK adults, extrapolated to the 34m cars licensed in the UK.
Nick Mullender, the repairs team leader at the RAC, said: 'More traffic on the roads will inevitably lead to more vehicle breakdowns, especially if the sun makes an appearance and people decide on the day to visit popular destinations. Anyone planning routes through these areas should set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic.'
Rail passengers face their own challenges. Some major routes will be closed for engineering works as Network Rail carries out 261 projects over the long weekend.
Long-distance services will be suspended between London King's Cross and Peterborough on Sunday, affecting Anglo-Scottish routes along the east coast mainline by LNER and Lumo.
Avanti West Coast will run a reduced service to and from London Euston, with no trains between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International from Saturday to Monday. Affected services by Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry will be diverted, adding extra time to journeys. London Northwestern services will run to and from Birmingham International only.
Helen Hamlin, the chief network operator at Network Rail, said: 'While the vast majority of the railway will be running, works on some parts of the network are unfortunately unavoidable as we complete major work to support a better, more reliable railway that we wouldn't be able to complete in a normal weekend. So we're asking passengers to check their journeys in advance to ensure their route isn't affected.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Holidaymakers with pet separation anxiety simply pack the pooch
It's not a dog's life if you are a pet in Britain. Our national capacity to spoil our furry friends extends to taking them on holiday with us, according to research. A study has found that growing numbers of people are taking their dogs — and sometimes other animals — on trips because they cannot bear to be separated from them. The study found that roughly one in four (26 per cent) of owners have taken their pets on foreign holidays, and the trend is driven by young people. Half of 24 to 34-year-olds have travelled abroad with their animals, compared with less than one in ten over-55s (9 per cent). Londoners are the most likely to take their pets with them. Holidaymakers may not have noticed the trend because the law forbids pets, except guide dogs, from travelling in the cabin of aircraft to and from the UK. However, most flag carriers, such as British Airways and Air France, have long-established pet cargo schemes. You won't see touring pets in the cabin of the aircraft, they have their own area ALAMY The research found that two thirds of owners would like to be able to travel on a plane with their pets, a practice that is allowed for animals below a certain size and weight on many European and American routes. Most owners who take their dogs with them on holiday to Europe use ferries and Eurotunnel, which both accept animals. Pets are allowed to leave and return to the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme, provided they meet the entry and exit requirements, such as having a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an animal health certificate. The certificates must be issued by a vet within ten days of travel. Ferries and Eurotunnel allow for fuss-free travel, but get the paperwork in order ALAMY The survey of more than 1,200 pet owners by the Co-op found that more than half (56 per cent) of those who take their pets abroad do so because 'they're part of the family'. However, roughly one in eight (12 per cent) said they do so because pet boarding facilities are too expensive. Most licensed kennels charge £17 to £20 per dog per day. Rates in London are often far higher — up to £90 a night for standard kennels and even £120 a night for high-end 'canine country clubs'. A third (33 per cent) of owners said they take their pets along because it ensures they will stay active on holiday, but one in three (31 per cent) said they 'couldn't bear the thought of leaving them at home' and would miss them too much. Another factor is that veterinary services are considerably cheaper on the Continent. An investigation by The Times in 2023 found that some procedures are up to three times more expensive in the UK than in France. • 13 of the best dog-friendly Airbnbs in the UK The Co-op says owners need to be careful when travelling abroad with pets because most standard insurance policies do not cover them for emergency treatment overseas. Andrew Nevitt, of Co-op Insurance, said: 'If you are taking your pet abroad, it's important that you ensure you have the correct documentation and they have had the necessary vaccines.' He added: 'Having the right insurance policy in place is also crucial as it will provide you with peace of mind that, should your pet require any treatment, any vet bills will be covered.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Beachy Head cliffs warning after sightseers spotted near edge
Coastguards have warned sightseers to keep away from cliff edges, after dozens of people were photographed dangerously close to the edge of Beachy Head in East photos were taken on Sunday, when Eastbourne was hosting its annual Airbourne air show.A similar warning was issued in March, when a large crack appeared close to the Belle Tout lighthouse, while in April coaches were banned from dropping off and picking up passengers at Birling of the visitors spotted on Sunday had crossed a safety rope several feet from the cliff edge. In October a section of cliff collapsing at Birling Gap was captured on Coastguard described cliffs as "inherently unstable", with weather and the sea constantly eroding the base of a cliff becomes eroded, it said, someone standing on the edge above it is "practically standing on nothing".
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Charlie Partridge obituary
My father, Charlie Partridge, who has died aged 72 after suffering complications from cancer, was a journalist, broadcaster and champion of local media. Having begun his career at Radio Trent, he moved to the BBC's Radio Nottingham in 1978 before joining Radio Humberside, eventually presenting the breakfast show. Always up for an attention-grabbing stunt, he once broadcast from a RAF Lightning fast jet, and on one April Fools' Day claimed the town of Goole would be rebranding itself as 'Go Olé'. He moved on to become news editor at BBC Essex and despite being serious about his journalism he also starred in a regular feature on the station in which listeners would have to guess what song he was performing 'in a pub singer style'. In 1999 Charlie became managing editor of BBC Radio Lincolnshire, where his belief in the power of local media to create and bind communities together led to campaigns, alongside Lincolnshire Life magazine, for a Lincolnshire flag and a Lincolnshire Day (now marked on 1 October). Unusual sightings of the flag became a fixture of our family's WhatsApp group, with it appearing in the crowd at Glastonbury and at the Tour de France, and inspiring a number of Lincoln City FC away shirts. His biggest source of professional pride, however, was the number of successful journalists he had either trained or worked with early on in their BBC careers. Born in Plymouth to Ronald Partridge, a civil servant, and Vera (nee Harrington), Charlie moved with his family to Gloucester at the age of seven. He was educated at the Crypt grammar school and then the University of Nottingham, where he studied politics. It was in Nottingham that he alighted on the world of radio as a career, after a short detour into teaching. There, too, he met Jill Rowland, whom he married in 1981, and who later worked as an academic librarian at the University of Lincoln. They went on to have three sons, Simon, Dominic and me. A lifelong football fan, Charlie's passion for the game was sparked by childhood visits to Home Park and later on he was, I'm pretty sure, the only Plymouth Argyle supporter with a season ticket for Lincoln City, whose games he attended alongside his sons. He was also a keen skier and cyclist. Retiring from the BBC after 42 years amid the pandemic in 2020, he went on to work as mayor's officer at the Guildhall in Lincoln, where his duties included carrying the mace as part of the lord mayor's procession. He is survived by Jill, Simon, Dominic and me, and his grandchildren, Finlay and Anna, and sister, Caroline.
