Traffic congestion and rail closure to disrupt UK bank holiday travel

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Drivers and train passengers are being warned of possible disruption during the early May bank holiday weekend, with motoring groups predicting the largest number of getaways for seven years.

The RAC expects 17.2 million leisure trips by car to be made between Friday 28 April and Monday 1 May, the most for the May holiday since 2016.

Congestion is expected to be worse on the first bank holiday than the subsequent long weekend for the coronation. However, transport analytics firm Inrix predicts that there will be no repetition of Easter’s worst traffic delays.

In addition, fewer travellers are anticipated at the Port of Dover, where additional measures deployed over Easter to avert gridlock will be put in place.

However, rail passengers have been advised to check schedules in advance, with no trains running out of London Euston station on Sunday, while services will be limited on Saturday.

Engineering work, worth £73m ($99m), will take place around the UK, affecting some South Western Railway, Cross Country, C2C and Scotrail services. Network Rail has pledged that 95% of the rail network will remain open.

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