MILLIONS BRACED FOR RAIL AND ROAD CHAOS
Works wreak havoc as 18m drivers join getaway for Bank Holiday
RAIL passengers are being advised to stay home this weekend as a massive engineering programme paralyses busy Bank Holiday routes.
Some 17,000 Network Rail staff are working on a £133million upgrade – the biggest ever in August.
The knock-on effect is likely to cause chaos on the roads as more than 18 million cars are expected on main routes over the last long weekend of summer.
Drivers have been warned that a single breakdown could trigger huge tailbacks. Traffic is expected to peak on Monday with a predicted five million journeys – up 22 per cent on last year.
Early work on the HS2 highspeed rail line will shut London’s Euston station, the terminus for trains between the capital and Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, tomorrow and Sunday. Network Rail warned travellers only to make ‘absolutely essential’ journeys.
A spokesman said: ‘If you do travel, trains will be busier than usual, journeys will take longer and unless you have reserved one, you won’t be guaranteed a seat.’
Travel between Scotland, the North West, West Midlands and London tomorrow and on Sunday was ‘discouraged’.
The disruption is expected to be so severe that the country’s largest coach operator National Express is putting on an extra 4,000 seats to destinations affected by work at London rail stations.
Virgin Trains has also asked customers to avoid the busy East and West Coast Main Lines ‘unless necessary’. Services at London Waterloo – which have already been disrupted for more than a fortnight as part of a major project – have been slashed even further, with 14 platforms closed for engineering works until Tuesday.
A Network Rail spokesman said: ‘This all about delivering a bigger and better Waterloo station fit for the 21st century.’ There will also be no Southeastern services for a week at London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross.
Work on the ongoing Crossrail project will also hit services to Essex from London’s Liverpool Street on Sunday and Monday.
Modernisation work will affect passengers in major cities including Cardiff, Bristol and at Manchester Airport.
The sunshine forecast for many coastal hotspots this weekend is also expected to add to the travel woes. Bottlenecks are expected on the M5 towards Devon, the M6 near the Lake District, the M3 towards Bournemouth and the M1 north of London.
Highways England is lifting 98 per cent of its planned roadworks to ease the chance of jams.
The RAC recommended that drivers should avoid travelling at peak times. Spokesman Rod Dennis said: ‘It only takes a single breakdown on a congested road to cause real disruption, so we also advise drivers to complete some quick, basic checks that can reduce the chances of their vehicle being the culprit.’
Some 6.9 million Britons are planning a UK break this weekend, up from 5.1 million in 2016, tourism body VisitEngland said.
And 2.1 million holidaymakers are expected to travel abroad, with Spain, Turkey and Greece among the most popular destinations. Heathrow expects 243,000 departing passengers today alone, while an estimated 304,000 will fly from Gatwick over the weekend.
‘It only takes one breakdown’