Brits face travel chaos over Christmas and New Year

Brits face travel chaos over Christmas and New Year. Over the festive period, the roads are expected to be packed and rail strikes will also impact travel as will airport disruptions.

Rail operator CrossCountry has warned travellers that on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve few trains will be running due to industrial action from the RMT union.

Christmas Eve has been nicknamed ‘frantic festive Friday’, and the RAC are predicting that around 5 million drivers will hit the road.

Boxing Day will bring issues for people using Heathrow. Engineering works mean that the airport will be cut off from the normal train and tube links.

Rod Dennis the RAC’s breakdown spokesperson commented: “Despite the increasing prevalence of the Omicron Covid variant, our research shows that the vast majority of drivers are still determined to do Christmas properly this year – in sharp contrast to 12 months ago.”

The RAC has predicted that more than 9 million journeys will be made over Thursday and Christmas Eve adding to the travel chaos as roads are predicted to be the busiest they have been over the festive period in five years.

According to Gatwick airport, from December 18 until the end of the year they expect to receive three-quarters of a million passengers. Jonathan Pollard Gatwick’s chief commercial officer commented on how coronavirus testing measures for travellers have “impacted some people’s travel plans over the holiday period’.

He explained: “While we understand the need for measures to stop the spread of the Omicron variant until more scientific information on its level of harm is available, it is vital these are in place no longer than absolutely necessary.”

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