Traffic chaos on roads and railways as 'Great Xmas Getaway' begins

60-minute wait at Dover port ahead of French border control

The Port of Dover has said there is currently a 60-minute wait ahead of French border control. In its latest update, the operator advised passengers waiting to get into Europe to check with their chosen ferry operator for further travel updates.

Disruption was caused by industrial action yesterday, which saw the Channel Tunnel temporarily suspend all services.

P&O Ferries said there are still "large queues" at border control, with passengers advised to allow extra time ahead of their crossing.

Congestion above normal

Location technology company TomTom said road congestion in cities across Britain was above normal levels at 3pm.

The time taken to cover 10km (6.2 miles) in London was 20 minutes and 15 seconds, some one minute and 51 seconds longer than usual at that time.

Other cities that saw an increase in journey times over the same distance include Birmingham (two minutes and 11 seconds), Manchester (two minutes and 33 seconds), Glasgow (two minutes and 24 seconds) and Cardiff (four minutes and eight seconds).

Traffic queuing on St Mary's Ring Way in Kidderminster (SWNS)

Horsebox overturns on M56

All traffic has been stopped on a stretch of the M56 this afternoon after a horsebox overturned in a crash.

The motorway is currently blocked between junction eight and junction nine near Bowdon. Traffic officers are on the scene, with a replacement horsebox 'en route'.

Pictures show the horsebox overturned in the carriageway. The horse appears to be walking and unhurt.

'World's first' driverless bus service will start on 14-mile route in UK city

A post by National Highways said: "Traffic is currently stopped on the #M56 in #Cheshire in both directions between J8 and J9 due to an overturned horsebox. Traffic Officers are in attendance and a replacement horsebox is en route for a horse transfer.

"More info to follow shortly, thank you for your patience."

Drivers make 21 million journeys

Drivers are planning 21m festive getaways between today and Christmas Eve with 60% of these trips crammed into the last three days before the 25^th, a study of 2,100 drivers by the RAC and INRIX suggests.

RAC Breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: “Since Christmas falls on a Monday this year, there’s no need for drivers to use annual leave for getaway trips as they can travel over the weekend before. For that very reason, our research suggests these days will be the busiest times to drive, so we urge people to set off as early as possible on Saturday and Sunday.

“Since festive trips to see friends and family are so important, drivers do everything they can to avoid their vehicles letting them down. We recommend using the ‘FORCES’ acronym to help remember the Fuel, Oil, Rubber, Coolant, Electrics and Screen wash checks you need to make before a long journey.

“This is especially important if your route involves a motorway or A-road, where most delays are expected this year."

RAC expected delays (Frank Ramspott)

Mum and daughter stuck in UK

A mother and daughter had to pay for a hotel for the night after their train back to France was cancelled on Thursday.

Sophie Lesaint, 53, and Mariane Tadebois, 23, arrived at St Pancras at 6.30am on Friday and managed to book a train for 2pm. Mrs Lesaint said: “We received an email at 1pm yesterday and then we were trying to find a solution to get a train as soon as possible, but it was not possible.

“We were refreshing our emails all the time. So this morning we came very early and we saw all the people queuing.

“When we get to Paris we have to take another train to another town in France, but there was only one seat so we are now travelling separately. It has changed everything, everything is booked up. We had to pay for a hotel, we’re going to try to get compensation after.

“We even looked at getting a ferry or a nine-hour bus. We have to be back with my mum for Christmas.”

Family stuck at Dover says "Send Help"

A family stuck in the chaos at Dover have contacted the Mirror as they wait for a ferry to France.

Alice, husband Andy and their two children, Joshua, seven and two-year-old Leo are trying to get to her parents house for their Christmas festivities in Northern France.

She said: "Saw your article re Christmas travel chaos. My husband and I are currently stuck in the chaos at Dover with two impatient kids! Send help! #notdrivinghomeforchristmas."

They shared a video from the standstill traffic, which shows outskirts of the terminal and the famous white cliffs as fellow travellers and HGVs wait to cross the channel.

Christmas traffic LIVE: Travel chaos as M20 closed and Dover gridlocked amid train delays https://t.co/3qwpg3gTI1 pic.twitter.com/kjRMAMsSO0

— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 22, 2023

Landslip in Surrey

Rail passengers in Surrey have been urged to only travel “if absolutely necessary” between Woking and Basingstoke stations on the days between Christmas and New Year. This is due to engineering works needed to continue repairs to a landslip that happened in November.

A “severely reduced” service will be available on the South Western Railway (SWR) route on Wednesday, December 27, Thursday 28, and Friday 29 as Network Rail engineers shut two of the four tracks between Woking and Brookwood, which will also affect trains travelling to Southampton, Exeter St David's, Portsmouth via Basingstoke, Salisbury and Alton.

Brookwood station will also be closed over the three days with replacement buses running from Woking.

Read the full story here

Northern rail disruption due to flooding

Northern trains between Rainford and Blackurn, and between Wigan North Western / Wigan Wallgate / Chester and Leeds are disrupted due to flood at Todmorden.

As service recovers, trains may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised. This is expected until 11:30.

M25 closed at Lakeside

A crash blocked the M25 in Essex today near Lakeside Shopping Centre with all traffic being held. The incident has taken place on the clockwise carriageway of the motorway, with traffic being held from around 9.40am.

Traffic is stationary near junction 31 with Lakeside Shopping Centre and Purfleet this morning (December 22) following the crash. Traffic has been held since 9.40am and there are considerable delays building in the area.

All lanes were being held while emergency crews attend the scene. It is not yet known how many vehicles are involved or if there have been any serious injuries. Three lanes have since reopened but one remains closed causing serious delays.

Read the full story here

Family spend £3,000 to get home for Christmas

A family have been left £3,000 out of pocket and stranded in France due to travel chaos following strikes by Eurotunnel workers.

Jack Cormack-Neto and his family were among the thousands of unhappy customers swept up in chaotic scenes in Paris and London yesterday, when wildcat industrial action shut the Channel Tunnel down and saw 30 Eurostar trains cancelled at the last minute.

Having travelled back the 11,000 miles from their new home in New Zealand for the festive period, the Cormack-Neto family found themselves "dumped in Paris" with "no help with accommodation, food or anything".

Read Travel Reporter Milo Boyd's full story here

Jack Cormack-Neto, his mum Louise, sister Olivia and sibling Hannah (Supplied)

London Underground strikes announced

London Underground workers will stage a series of strikes in the new year in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) have voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action over a 5% pay offer. Engineering and maintenance workers will be taking action over January 5 and 6, with no rest-day working or overtime until January 12.

London Underground control centre and power/control members will be taking action over January 7 and 8, and fleet workers will walk out on January 8.

Signallers and service controller members will take action on January 9 and 12 while all fleet, stations and trains grades will walk out on January 10.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said Tube workers who help bring “vast amounts of value” to the London economy were not going to put up with senior managers and commissioners “raking it in”, while they were given “modest below-inflation offers”.

He said: “The refusal of Transport for London to restore staff travel facilities and create a two-tier workforce is also unacceptable. Our members have made it clear that they are prepared to take action and we urge TfL to improve their offer to avert disruption in the capital.”

A TfL spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that RMT has announced strike action based on our full and final pay offer. We have been clear throughout our productive discussions with our trade unions that this offer is the most we can afford whilst ensuring that we can operate safely, reliably and sustainably.

“We encourage the RMT to engage with us to avoid disruption for Londoners at the start of next year.”

(Nigel Howard)

Major London stations closed

Network Rail is preparing to launch its festive engineering works, which will cause disruption to journeys.

London Paddington will be closed between Sunday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 27, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport during that period.

London King’s Cross will also be closed on Christmas Eve.

Outside of the capital, an engineering project near Southampton will cause some disruption to services, as will work to build the new Cambridge South station.

Some are on the move

A construction engineer from Hackney said the queues at St Pancras on Friday morning reminded him of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lesie Smith, 60, said he “panicked a little” when he saw the news of cancellations on Thursday, but his train to Paris on Friday at 9.30am had not been delayed.

Meanwhile, Bogdan and Irena Petris, from Plymouth, said they were “a bit anxious” on Thursday but when they heard by 11pm that the strikes were off, they felt “relief”.

The 50-year-olds were spending Christmas in Paris.

Passengers wait with their luggage at St Pancras station (AFP via Getty Images)

A French man received an email two hours before he was due to travel to Paris on Thursday saying his train had been cancelled.

Valentin Walch and Pauline Cerceau, both 26, stayed at a friend’s home overnight but said they saw people who had slept at St Pancras after their travel plans were disrupted.

The pair had been rebooked on a 2pm service on Friday and arrived at the London station at 7am to wait.

Mr Walch, a handball trainer from Chartres, said they were “stressed and a little bit angry” when they saw the email delaying their return to France after a visit to London.

Dover gridlocked

The overnight traffic chaos in Dover was completely unacceptable.

Kent Resilience Forum and @KentHighways failed to manage traffic appropriately in the town. I will be taking this up with them.

Pictured: local roads & Google Maps showing the congestion in Dover town. pic.twitter.com/nUnqkPFs63

— Natalie Elphicke MP (@NatalieElphicke) December 22, 2023

Motorway chaos expected

Traffic hotspots are expected on the M25 : clockwise between junction 7 (for the M23/Gatwick Airport) and junction 16 (for the M40/Birmingham); and anti-clockwise between junction 17 (Rickmansworth) and junction 12 (for the M3).

Other motorway stretches expected to see long queues included the M1 north from Woburn, Bedfordshire, to Daventry, Northamptonshire, and the M6 south from Wigan, Greater Manchester, to Stafford, Staffordshire.

Full timetable updates for buses and trains

Typically, bus and train services will finish earlier than usual or run reduced services on December 24 and that will be happening again so it's crucial you plan ahead properly to make sure you're not stranded on an empty platform as the celebrations get underway.

To make things even harder to juggle, Christmas Eve this year falls on a Sunday, when train services are often already reduced and engineering works take place.

There will be no trains or buses on Christmas Day, and no train services run on Boxing Day, except for a handful of airport transfer services.

Read the full story here about everything the rail companies are telling us about travel over the Christmas period.

British Transport Police officers watch as passengers wait at the Eurostar entrance in St Pancras (PA)

Passengers are missing ferries while stuck in queues

We’re stuck in Dover and about to miss the 0655, any idea what’s happening with the traffic control, I’m hoping we can get from Godwyne Road to you in less than 2 hours…

— Peter (@hopeandhonesty) December 22, 2023

Nope, not yet.

So, do you reckons we’l make the 10:35? pic.twitter.com/KEJutxJoy9

— Peter (@hopeandhonesty) December 22, 2023

Domestic train services cancelled

On the trains disruption from strong winds remains following chaos caused by Storm Pia on Thursday, affecting train services in the north. There are no LNER trains serving Inverness this morning. ScotRail services remain suspended between Inverness and Wick, Tain, Ardgay and Lairg.

Southeastern has also said it was forced to cancel a number of trains, but this is due to "a shortage of available train crew". There will be no service on the Sheerness line after 10am for the rest of the day, and there are cancellations on the high speed line to and from London St Pancras throughout the day.

Large queues are seen at St Pancras

Travellers queue for the Eurostar at St Pancras Station in London, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 (AP)

Travel early or late to avoid traffic

The RAC estimated 13.5 million leisure journeys by car would take place across the UK between Friday and Sunday, up 20% on the three days before Christmas Day last year. Road congestion is likely to peak today as drivers embarking on leisure trips competed for road space with commuters and business traffic.

Motorists were advised to travel before 11am or after 6pm if possible to reduce the chance of being stuck in long queues.

Motorway closures

The M62 motorway has been closed since about 11pm yesterday, between junctions 21 - near Rochdale, Greater Manchester - and 22 - near Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire - due to a police investigation following a crash in which a 19-year-old, male car passenger was killed. Greater Manchester Police said it arrested the 19-year-old driver of the car - which crossed from the westbound carriage onto the eastbound section - on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

A spokeswoman said: "GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are now appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

"They are also keen to speak to anyone who may have any footage, including dashcam, mobile phone footage from the area in the moments leading up to the collision.

"Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting reference number of 3685 of 21/12/2023."

Dover is gridlocked this morning

And Dover Town gridlocked !!! AGAIN!! Where are police or traffic wardens please ??

— Gill (@Gillywigs2806) December 22, 2023