Getty ImagesPeople traveling over Christmas have been urged to plan ahead amid port closures, rail disruptions and the busiest roads for a decade.
Traffic analysts have predicted Friday, Saturday and next Tuesday – Christmas Eve – as the busiest days on the roads during the festive period, with Sunday and Monday not far behind.
Ferry passengers on the busiest sea route between the UK and Ireland will be affected. Continued closure of Holyhead Port on Angleseywhich will remain closed until at least January 15 after being destroyed by Cyclone Daragh.
Two of Britain’s busiest train stations will be closed between Christmas and New Year.
Both Liverpool Street and Paddington in London will remain closed – due to engineering work – affecting passengers on trains to the East Coast of England and South West services and to South Wales.
When will the roads be busy this Christmas?
Experts have said that with Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, traffic could spread for several days, but they predicted five days of congestion on the roads.
Traffic data firm Inrix It predicts around 30 million trips this Christmas. With over three million journeys estimated on each of Friday, Saturday and Christmas Eve.
Inrix and motoring group RAC have advised drivers that the worst time to travel will be between 13:00 GMT and 19:00, suggesting leaving early or in the evening and leaving plenty of time.
Where are the busiest Christmas traffic hotspots?
The M4 in South Wales – from Cardiff to Roadworks on the Prince of Wales Bridge – According to the AA, Friday will be among the busiest stretches of road.
Motorways around London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool and Chester are also predicted to be busy over Christmas.
Getty ImagesA boost for drivers is that most roadworks will be suspended for Christmas in both Wales and England.
But Traffic Wales, the Welsh Government’s information service, said: “Some major roadworks may have limited traffic management restrictions for safety reasons.”
Both Wales and England’s highways agencies say emergency repair works “will fall outside of this restriction period”.
What will the fairies be like this Christmas?
Traditionally, Christmas is the busiest time for ferry operators, but Holyhead on English, one of the UK’s busiest ports, is closed to traffic until the New Year.
Holyhead, the busiest route between the UK and Ireland, will not reopen to passengers until January 15.
Stena Line And Irish Ferries Each operates four daily ferries each way between Holyhead and Dublin. – and carries an average of 5,500 passengers and 1,200 lorries and trailers per day.
The port on Anglesey has already been closed for 10 days after it was damaged in Storm Drag and both ferry companies are offering passengers to travel on its second crossing between Ireland and Wales.
Will the trains run on Christmas?
Services on most UK rail routes will close earlier than normal on Christmas Eve, before the network closes on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Trains from South Wales, South West England and Heathrow Airport will be affected. Closure of London Paddington Between 27-29 December HS2 construction work will be carried out at the new Old Oak Common station in west London.
Getty ImagesGreat Western Railway Trains will start and end from London Euston. But passengers are warned that the station will be very busy due to these additional services.
Trains between North Wales and Manchester and London and South Wales will be affected after Christmas. Major signal upgrade in Crew Between December 27 and January 2.
The improvement of the station will be done. Turn off Liverpool Street. Between Christmas and New Year while some services in another major center of London St Pancras will also be affected. From December 20
“With railway engineering work taking place at Liverpool Street, Paddington and St Pancras over Christmas and the New Year, major roads to and from London are likely to be affected,” the RAC said.
Avanti West Coast“Major signaling work in Crewe and Cambridge will also affect services in the North West and East of England, meaning roads in these areas could also be busier than usual.”
After this, the rail passengers have been dealt another blow. The Christmas strike was called off. On the West Coast Main Line – which links London to North Wales, North West England and Scotland – there are now walkouts on New Year’s Eve and January 2.