Going on holiday today? Good luck
Roadworks, railway chaos… and 73F heat!
Strikes on three rail networks today are poised to cause major delays.
Motoring groups last night warned this is likely to contribute to gridlock on the roads as more people choose to drive rather than take their chances on the train.
With many schools having broken up for Easter and fine weather expected, traffic is already set to be heavier than usual today and tomorrow.
Among the worst affected will be the area around Liverpool as rail workers strike on the day 70,000 racegoers travel from all over the country to watch the Grand National at Aintree.
In what rail bosses describe as a ‘calculated and cynical attempt’ to disrupt the event, the Rail Maritime & Transport Union has orchestrated a 24hour strikes on Merseyrail coinciding with walkouts at Northern Rail and Southern.
The action is linked to disputes about the roles and responsibilities of conductors. Bosses say those travelling to Aintree will be prioritised but other services will be reduced or cancelled.
There will also be major disruption across Northern England as train guards who are members of the RMT strike on Northern Rail.
Almost a third of trains will be operating across the network which serves cities including Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. The strikes will affect tens of thousands travelling to premiership football games, and are expected to clog up the roads.
Rail engineering works are also set to blight travel plans. Track renewal works between Victoria in London and Gatwick airport plus the Southern dispute will lead to a reduced service throughout the weekend, which will affect families flying abroad.
Trains between Paddington and Bath or Bristol will be diverted, meaning longer journey times. The line between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury shuts from today until next Saturday, meaning replacement bus services and diversions in some cases.
Highways England plans to lift or complete 300 miles of roadworks in time for Easter, but there will be no respite for motorists this weekend.
Journeys will be plagued by roadworks across the country, including 34 miles of the A1 in Lincolnshire, ten miles of the A5 near Rugby and Towcester and 30 miles of the A14, near Rugby and Kettering.
Forecasters have predicted that today will be warm, dry and sunny, with temperatures expected to hit 20C (68F) in the South East.
Tomorrow, after a chilly start, it will be even hotter. Temperatures could reach 23C (73F) in the South East – making it the warmest day of the year
Despite the unseasonably warm weather, the RNLI have warned that sea temperatures will still be cool enough for illequipped swimmers to ‘freeze to death’ and have urged those wanting to take a dip to wear a wetsuit.
AA president Edmund King said: ‘With rail strikes this weekend, drivers planning to beat the Easter rush may find themselves stuck in a rabbit hole as people take to the roads to avoid the disruption.
‘ The mixture of good weather, lots of sport and train strikes means that plenty of drivers’ holidays could fall at the first fence.’
But the Easter weekend could be worse. The RAC estimates that motorists will make 14.3million leisure car journeys in the five days from Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday. And Network Rail is deploying an army of 13,000 workers to carry out 200 engineering works.