Latest news with #StevenSkeates
Telegraph
17-04-2025
- Telegraph
Eurotunnel rule change could see families charged twice over Easter
A Eurotunnel rule quietly introduced last month could lead to families on Easter getaways being forced to pay twice for their journeys. Holidaymakers have been hit with surprise extra charges on the Eurotunnel for failing to comply with a 'technocratic and irresponsible' change in its rules. LeShuttle – formerly known as Eurotunnel – has changed its terms and conditions for travellers who booked day trips and overnight tickets. The new rules, brought in on March 5, mean holidaymakers who arrive less than one hour before departure will have their tickets declared void. The changes affect both outbound and return legs, meaning families trying to reach their Easter getaway destinations could have to pay for their travel all over again. It comes after Kent Police imposed Operation Brock – the plan for stacking freight lorries on the M20 – in expectation that heavy Easter traffic would lead to miles-long tailbacks on the crucial south-east London to Dover motorway. Meanwhile, drivers are being advised to prepare for congestion around town and city centres, retail parks and major routes such as the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25 between the M23 and M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire. Steven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said there will be 'changeable weather for many' during the bank holiday weekend. An area of low pressure could bring 'heavy and possibly even disruptive rain' on Good Friday for parts of south-west England, Northern Ireland and South Wales, he added. Train passengers are also being warned over disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin its Easter engineering work. The government-owned company said it will carry out work on more than 300 projects across Britain between Good Friday and Monday, causing a number of lines to be closed. LeShuttle and the Channel Tunnel are not affected by planned rail closures, although the ticketing changes may catch a large number of travellers unawares. Previously, drivers who arrived up to two hours after their booked LeShuttle departure time could exchange their tickets free of charge. Now, Britons travelling across the Channel could face paying hundreds of pounds for premium tickets on the spot if traffic delays mean they are delayed on arrival for their train. 'It will ruin people's holidays' Jean-Claude Gonneau, 70, discovered at the train station that his €144 return journey had been cancelled because he was slightly late arriving for his intended journey. He had to pay €252 to rebook on the spot. When an automated ticket machine rejected the retired investment banker's ticket to Britain, he contacted Eurotunnel customer services – only to be told both legs of his trip had been voided because of his late arrival. The Paris resident said: 'For most families going away for a weekend, if they get cheated and stuck with a £300 to £400 bill, it will completely ruin their holiday.' He added: 'It's just unbelievable – because I was caught in a terrible traffic jam, I was forced to pay more than €250 for new tickets. A spokesman for LeShuttle said its new tickets give 'more flexibility and control to our customers'. 'After reviewing customer preferences and behaviours, we decided that we need a new simpler ticket structure that matches the needs of our customers,' said the spokesman. 'If opting for the most restricted ticket, customers must arrive in time to travel on their booked departure and this cannot be changed. 'Our check-in time for this ticket type is at least 60 minutes prior to the booked train and this was explained in the ticket terms, which the customer would have been made aware of at the time of booking. 'Customers must confirm that they have read the ticket terms prior to making a booking. 'We feel that the information provided on our website is in line with other travel providers and our revised ticket terms are displayed clearly.'
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Last-minute Easter holiday bookings surge ahead of miserable UK weather
As the recent glorious sunshine gives way to April showers and cooler temperatures, there has been a spike of last-minute Easter holiday bookings as Britons search for warm weather elsewhere. Around 2.2 million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, with Good Friday the busiest day for travel, according to ABTA, the travel trade association. But with gloomy forecasts, many are hopping on last-minute Easter trips, according to On the Beach, which saw a 30 per cent increase on Sunday and Monday compared to the previous 48 hours. According to the Met Office, the weather over the weekend is set to be changeable, with rain and sunny spells. Steven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'The Easter weekend is set to bring changeable weather for many. Some areas may experience near dry conditions all weekend, whilst others may see heavy rain.' Tenerife, Antalya and Rhodes, however, are all set to bask in temperatures rising higher than 22 degrees next week. In the past 10 days, bookings for Easter holidays with On the Beach have risen by 96 per cent. Airports in the South East are reporting strong numbers with hundreds of thousands leaving from Heathrow and Gatwick, 187,000 from Stansted and 105,000 from Luton, according to ABTA. Other airports will also be busy, with Birmingham expecting its busiest ever Easter period and thousands departing from the Scottish airports. Ferry terminals and the Channel Tunnel will also be extremely busy, and thousands are booked to travel by Eurostar this weekend. Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, said: 'On Sunday, the UK summer ended for another year. 'I'm joking but that's what it felt like for thousands, because they all turned to their laptops and booked holidays out of here. 'It seems they wanted more than that small dose of vitamin D we experience, so instead of searching for eggs this weekend, they'll be searching for the bar with the fancy cocktails and I'm all for it.' Top last-minute destinations include Antalya in Turkey, which is set to reach 26 degrees next week, as well as the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. A spokesperson at Jet2holidays said: 'Easter always sees a ramp up in customers travelling to the sunshine, and 2025 is certainly no different for us with a very busy flights and holidays programme in operation and lots of customers choosing to get away, particularly with the UK weather looking gloomy as Easter comes around.' However, anxiety over potential delays at airports and on roads has led many to opt for a last-minute holiday in the UK despite the poor weather forecasts. Bookings at its London and Edinburgh hotels this weekend have seen an increase, with 45 per cent of plans made two weeks before Easter, says hotel chain Yotel. Hubert Viriot, CEO of Yotel, said: 'With planned strikes at Gatwick and considering our research, we are expecting a large volume of Brits set to stay in the UK this Easter visiting the nation's most popular cities and cultural hubs.'
The Independent
17-04-2025
- The Independent
Warning to anyone planning on catching a train this Easter weekend
Easter engineering works are set to disrupt train services across Britain, impacting passengers travelling over the bank holiday weekend. More than 300 projects are planned between Good Friday and Easter Monday, leading to numerous line closures and revised timetables. London Euston, one of the UK's busiest railway stations, will be particularly affected. Passengers travelling to or from Milton Keynes will face significant disruption, with no services operating on Saturday and Easter Sunday. A reduced timetable will be in effect on Good Friday and Easter Monday. These disruptions are due to essential engineering works, including overhead electric line renewals and drainage improvements. Further north, West Coast Main Line services will terminate at Carlisle between Saturday and Monday. Passengers travelling to stations further north will need to use replacement bus services. Network Rail advises passengers to check their journey details before travelling and allow extra time for their journeys. Platforms 1-8 will be closed at London Victoria, meaning no Southeastern trains will serve the station over the four-day bank holiday period. Services will be diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street. Engineering work in the Southampton and Brockenhurst areas will close various lines in the region. Helen Hamlin, Network Rail's director of system operations, said: 'The vast majority of the rail network will be open as usual for people wanting to travel over the Easter bank holiday, but there will be changes to services in some areas, so we're asking passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel. 'We carry out a large amount of our work over the Easter period as passenger numbers are lower than they typically would be, disrupting fewer journeys, and the two bank holidays either side of the weekend give us a unique opportunity to get more work done whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.' Network Rail said it will deliver investments totalling £86 million over the Easter period. Meanwhile drivers are being advised to prepare for congestion around town and city centres, retail parks and major routes such as the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25 between the M23 and M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire. The AA estimated that 19.1 million people in the UK will drive on Good Friday, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday. Steven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said there will be 'changeable weather for many' during the bank holiday weekend. An area of low pressure could bring 'heavy and possibly even disruptive rain' on Good Friday for parts of south-west England, Northern Ireland and South Wales, he added. RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said if the heavy rain becomes a reality 'many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends'. She added: 'It's vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.' Ms Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are 'undecided' on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means 'any sign of sun' could spark 'big jams'. National Highways said it has removed roadworks from 1,127 miles of motorways and major A roads in England, meaning 97.5% of its network is free of traffic cones for Easter getaways. Tourism authority VisitEngland estimates that around 10.6 million British adults are planning to take a holiday in the UK over the bank holiday period. Meanwhile travel trade organisation Abta said approximately 2.2 million Britons will head overseas during the long weekend, with Good Friday being the busiest day for travel. Some 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Good Friday and Monday, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. That is 6% more than during last year's Easter, but remains 4% down from Easter 2019. The most common international destinations for UK departures this Easter are Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Easter train journeys to be disrupted by more than 300 engineering projects
Train passengers are being warned over disruption as Network Rail prepares to begin its Easter engineering work. The Government-owned company said it will carry out work on more than 300 projects across Britain between Good Friday and Monday, causing a number of lines to be closed. The most significant impact will be at London Euston – the UK's 10th busiest railway station – which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, and a reduced timetable on Good Friday and Monday. That is because of work including renewals of overhead electric lines and drainage improvements. Services on the West Coast Main Line between Saturday and Monday will start and terminate at Carlisle, with replacement buses serving stations to the north. Platforms 1-8 will be closed at London Victoria, meaning no Southeastern trains will serve the station over the four-day bank holiday period. Services will be diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street. Engineering work in the Southampton and Brockenhurst areas will close various lines in the region. Helen Hamlin, Network Rail's director of system operations, said: 'The vast majority of the rail network will be open as usual for people wanting to travel over the Easter bank holiday, but there will be changes to services in some areas, so we're asking passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel. 'We carry out a large amount of our work over the Easter period as passenger numbers are lower than they typically would be, disrupting fewer journeys, and the two bank holidays either side of the weekend give us a unique opportunity to get more work done whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.' Network Rail said it will deliver investments totalling £86 million over the Easter period. Meanwhile drivers are being advised to prepare for congestion around town and city centres, retail parks and major routes such as the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25 between the M23 and M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire. The AA estimated that 19.1 million people in the UK will drive on Good Friday, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday. Steven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said there will be 'changeable weather for many' during the bank holiday weekend. An area of low pressure could bring 'heavy and possibly even disruptive rain' on Good Friday for parts of south-west England, Northern Ireland and South Wales, he added. RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said if the heavy rain becomes a reality 'many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends'. She added: 'It's vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.' Ms Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people are 'undecided' on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means 'any sign of sun' could spark 'big jams'. National Highways said it has removed roadworks from 1,127 miles of motorways and major A roads in England, meaning 97.5% of its network is free of traffic cones for Easter getaways. Tourism authority VisitEngland estimates that around 10.6 million British adults are planning to take a holiday in the UK over the bank holiday period. Meanwhile travel trade organisation Abta said approximately 2.2 million Britons will head overseas during the long weekend, with Good Friday being the busiest day for travel. Some 11,282 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Good Friday and Monday, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. That is 6% more than during last year's Easter, but remains 4% down from Easter 2019. The most common international destinations for UK departures this Easter are Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Will it rain this weekend? Easter weather forecast revealed by Met Office
Britons hoping to bring out the barbeque for Easter weekend may have to rethink their plans, as the weather forecast promises to bring plenty of rain along with patches of sunshine. The Met Office has warned that the Bank Holiday weekend is set to be 'changeable' in a stark contrast to the sunshine experienced in recent weeks, with sunny spells largely interspersed by cloudy conditions and showers. It follows a flood warning being issued for Devon on Wednesda y, as the popular tourist destination faced hours of heavy rainfall with risk of flooding. However, the rain, cloud and winds are expected to move north throughout the day, disrupting any hopes for a weekend of pure sunshine. The Met Office said many people should see dry and bright conditions with a few showers on Thursday, with spells of rain between brighter interludes into the Easter weekend. The unsettled conditions are expected to continue throughout the weekend, with a risk of hail and thunder from Sunday, before a spell of more dry and sunny weather next week. Deputy Chief Meteorologist Steven Skeates said: 'The Easter weekend is set to bring changeable weather for many. Some areas may experience near dry conditions all weekend, whilst others may see heavy rain. 'We are keeping a close eye on an area of low pressure which sinks away to the south on Friday. This could bring with it some heavy, and possibly even disruptive rain for parts of southwest England, and also parts of Northern Ireland and south Wales. 'This will bring the potential for some difficult travelling conditions, with a lot of spray on the roads, and it's important people keep an eye on our forecast as things evolve over the coming day or so.' According to the Met Office's forecasts, Easter Sunday is likely to be the most promising day with bright and sunny spells, with a varying amount of cloud. Temperatures are set to hover around the seasonal average for this time of year, reaching highs of 17 degrees in London on Good Friday. 'Easter Sunday looks to be the widely drier day of the weekend. Cloud amounts will vary, but most places should see some bright or sunny spells at times. Parts of the far south and west may remain cloudier with a few showers around. Temperatures look generally close to the seasonal average. RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: 'If the heavy rain expected in the westcountry and south Wales on Good Friday becomes a reality, many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends. 'It's vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion. 'With an estimated 6.2 million people undecided exactly when they'll travel, the big question is whether any sign of sun leads to big jams on a single day. Whatever happens, it's wise to travel as early as possible or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased.' Here's the five day weather forecast: Tonight: Rain in the north gradually becoming confined to Scotland and northern England overnight. Otherwise, largely dry with clear spells, allowing it to turn chilly, with a rural frost developing. Thursday: Cloud and rain across Scotland easing but perhaps lingering all day in places. Elsewhere, a day of sunshine and a few showers. Feeling a little warmer, especially in any sunshine. Friday to Sunday: Remaining changeable as we move into the Easter weekend. Further spells of rain likely, especially across western areas, although some sunnier intervals also expected. Temperatures likely to remain near average.
