Peak days for travel

There is set to be a big uplift in travel demand before and after December 23-27 following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, according to data from Zipabout, which advises Government on overcrowding.

It’s expected that 1100 on December 23 will be the peak time for travel, and that some of the UK’s largest stations will experience an increase in demand of up to four times the normal levels in the week prior to December 23.

London Euston is expected to be the busiest station, with five other London stations in the top ten (Paddington, King’s Cross, Waterloo, St Pancras International and Victoria), as well as Leeds, Brighton, Edinburgh Waverley and Manchester Piccadilly.

Data also shows that while demand is set to be 1.4 times higher than usual on December 27 (the last day of eased restrictions), December 28 is expected to be three times higher, while December 29/30 will have more than twice the usual passenger loadings.