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Christmas travel this weekend is set to coincide with yellow weather alert warnings around the UK, as strong winds are likely to cause delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport.
Today, Friday, 20 December is set to be the busiest day for road travel according to the AA, with an estimated 23.7 million drivers planning a trip. Friday is also projected to be the busiest day overall this season for UK flight departures, with 2,807 departures alone.
London commuter travel in the final days before Christmas was thrown into disruption on Friday morning after the Piccadilly line closed its service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge after damage caused by leaf fall left the line with a shortage of trains.
Other travellers have encountered issues with ferry services. The service between Holyhead and Dublin, the main ferry link between Britain and Ireland, will remain suspended over Christmas and into the new year after Holyhead’s port suffered damage during Storm Darragh.
Signalling issues at Southampton Central means fewer trains
A fault with the signalling system at Southampton Central means that fewer trains are able to run on some lines, National Rail said at 1.30pm.
Trains running to and from this station may be delayed, or terminated at and started back from Portsmouth & Southsea and disruption is expected until the end of the day.
Amelia Neath20 December 2024 14:45
What time will the roads be busiest on Friday
The RAC says that the worst time to travel for getaway journeys will be between 2pm and 7pm today, Friday, 20 December, but the best time will be after 7pm, when traffic caused by leisure car trips ease.
The worst time to travel on Saturday will be between 1pm and 6pm, with the RAC advising to travel before 1pm that day, while Sunday’s traffic will be worse between 8am and 11am.
On 23 December and Christmas Eve, the worst time to travel will be the same between 10am and 4pm, with Christmas Eve predicted to be the busiest single day for getaway trips, such as those driving to see family and friends, in the last final flurry before Christmas Day.
Amelia Neath220 December 2024 14:29
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