Congestion, crashes and rail delays hit holiday getaway

THE Christmas getaway was hit by the “perfect storm” of accidents and congestion yesterday while a rail operator said sickness among train crew could cause dozens of cancellations.

There were more than 50 accidents on main roads and motorways, of which at least 18 were severe, while a plane that came off the runway at Bristol Airport caused major disruption.

A lorry fire closed the M40 southbound when 26 tons of bottled beer went up in flames, showering glass over the carriageway near Bicester, Oxon.

Dr Graham Cookson, chief economist at Inrix, the transportation analyst, said: “We had a potential three million on the roads facing a large number of severe accidents. The busiest time was between 2.30pm and 5.30pm when people hit the roads after finishing work early.”

South Western Railway said around 30 services were at risk of being cancelled or cut short due to “sickness among train crew”.

A spokesman said: “We know how important today is for passengers travelling home for the holidays and we will cover as many of these as possible.”

Major delays were also reported by Crosscountry, Great Northern, Greater Anglia, Southern and TFL Rail while a 24-hour walkout on Merseyrail led to a reduced service across its network.

It is estimated that 11.5 million car trips will be made between Dec 17 and Christmas Eve, and 17.5million between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.