Easter getaway disruption expected on railways, roads and at Gatwick
Millions of people are set to face disruption to their Easter travel plans this weekend due to major rail engineering works, strike action, heavy traffic and possible flooding.
More than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday, prompting warnings for passengers to check their journeys in advance.
The worst-affected routes include those serving London Euston, where no trains will run to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Sunday due to work to renew overhead electric lines and improve drainage.
A reduced timetable will operate on Good Friday and Monday, and services on the West Coast Main Line will begin and end at Carlisle from Saturday to Monday, with replacement buses covering northern stations.
Platforms 1 to 8 at London Victoria will be shut throughout the bank holiday, with Southeastern trains diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street. Routes around Southampton and Brockenhurst will also be hit by closures.
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.”
She added that Easter presented a key opportunity to carry out works because passenger numbers are lower and the double bank holiday allows more time for upgrades.
The company said £86mwill be invested in the rail network over the weekend.
Queues could be seen forming at the Port of Dover on Friday morning as many people sought to get away for the long weekend.
In a post on X, the port warned of “extended processing times” at Border Control with around a 40-minute wait both before the border and at the P&O Ferries check-in.
A crash on the M1 in Hertfordshire led to delays of up to an hour and five miles of congestion, National Highways said.
Two of four lanes were closed on the motorway northbound between junction 8 at Hemel Hempstead and junction 9 at Redbourn, with police, the fire service and ambulance service all at the scene.
At Gatwick Airport, more than 100 members of the Unite union who work for ground handling firm Red Handling are expected to strike across the weekend in a dispute over pensions and pay.
They include baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for airlines including Norwegian and Delta.
Norwegian said it was expecting “minimal disruption” to its flights from Gatwick on Friday despite the strike action.
The airline said its handling teams located at other major European cities including Dublin, Oslo and Copenhagen would be “on the ground” at Gatwick over the weekend to support their operation.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Workers have had enough of Red Handling playing fast and loose with their retirement plans and waiting weeks for pay they are rightfully owed for their hard work.
“The union will not stand back and watch members be treated in such an appalling way and they have the full support of Unite in this dispute.”
A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “We are aware of the recent ballot results and the planned industrial action by Red Handling UK which will impact thousands of passengers during one of our busiest times of year.
“We are supporting the airlines impacted, who hold the contracts directly with Red Handling, with their contingency plans.
“Passengers are advised to contact their airlines directly for latest information.”
On the roads, the AA estimates nearly 20mpeople will travel by car on Good Friday alone, with just under that number expected to make journeys on the remaining days of the weekend.
National Highways has lifted roadworks from more than 1,100 miles of motorway and major A roads, with 97.5 per cent of its network now free of traffic cones.
Traffic hotspots are expected on the M6 in Birmingham and near Blackpool, the south and western M25, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson warned of the potential for “big jams”, particularly if there is a break in the weather.
She said: “It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.”
The Met Office is forecasting “changeable weather for many”, with deputy chief meteorologist Steven Skeates warning of “heavy and possibly even disruptive rain” on Good Friday in parts of south-west England, South Wales and Northern Ireland.
There are also warnings of potential flooding in the South West into Saturday, with drivers urged to take extra care in affected areas.
Some 2.2m people are expected to head abroad this weekend, travel association Abta said, with Good Friday anticipated to be the busiest day for outbound travel.
A total of 11,282 flights are scheduled to leave UK airports over the four-day period, with popular destinations including Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.
Press Association