Families planning Christmas getaways face travel chaos from the end of this week as they were warned to expect long queues because of record traffic levels.
The AA predicts this Friday will be the busiest day on the roads during the festive period, with an estimated 23.7million drivers planning a trip – more than the busiest Christmas getaway day of any year since it began recording data in 2010.
The joint second worst days for traffic jams over the 2024 festive period are expected to be this Saturday and next Monday, each with 22.7million drivers on the road.
So-called amber traffic alerts have been issued for all three days by the breakdown rescue company, which has also identified a series of likely congestion hotspots.
These include five motorways – the M4/M5 interchange near Bristol; the M25 near London Heathrow Airport; the M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham; the M60 near the Trafford Centre in Manchester; and the M1 near Meadowhall in Sheffield.
The AA said Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday may help spread festive journeys, but also mean more days of long delays as many people go on a getaway from work this Friday followed by last-minute shopping trips and visits to friends and family.
And the RAC urged drivers not to travel on major routes for six hours on both this Friday and Saturday to avoid the worst traffic. The RAC and transport analytics firm Inrix said roads were likely to be busiest between 1pm and 7pm on those days.
Hotspots could include the M3 between the M25 and the south coast, the M25 anti-clockwise between the M1 and the M23, and the M53 from Chester to Liverpool.
Meanwhile rail engineering work will lead to more pressure on the roads with several lines closed – including key routes out of London at Liverpool Street and Paddington.
In Scotland, festive holiday makers have been told to expect travel chaos at Edinburgh Airport amid strike action by fuel tank drivers from this Wednesday until January 6 – potentially grounding flights in the run up to Christmas.
Workers at the airport said they made the decision amid a pay dispute with North Air which provides fuelling services for 17 UK sites.
The AA traffic hotspots for Christmas 2024
Friday, December 20
- M4/M5 interchange
- M3/M25 interchange
- M25 around Heathrow Airport
- M5/M6 interchange
- M6 J4-11 (M42-Wolverhampton)
- M27 J14-13 (Southampton to Portsmouth)
- M4 around Cardiff and Newport
- A38 in Somerset
- A34 Oxford to Newbury
Saturday, December 21
- M1 around Meadowhall
- M25 around Bluewater
- M60 around the Trafford Centre
- A34 Oxford to Newbury
- M62 Simister Interchange
Monday, December 23
- M1 J10-15a (Luton to Northampton)
- M42 J3A-J8 (M40 to M6 interchanges)
- A64 around York
- A303 around Stonehenge
- M5 J16-25 (Bristol to Taunton)
- A34 Oxford to Newbury
The Unite union has accused North Air of not entering renegotiations after a pay offer of 4.5 per cent was rejected. A spokesman said: ‘North Air can fully afford to make a fair offer to our members but has refused to do so.’
North Air said it was ‘disappointed’ with Unite’s decision but remained ‘open to discussion’. The airport said contingency plans were in place to ‘minimise’ disruption.
On the trains, London Liverpool Street station will be closed from Christmas Day until January 2.
And no trains will call at London Paddington between Friday December 27 and Sunday December 29. This is so HS2 engineers can carry out work for a new HS2 station at Old Oak Common.
There will be no direct services between Crewe and Liverpool – and a reduced service between Crewe and Manchester – from Saturday December 28 until Friday January 3.
Services in the Cambridge area will be hit nu engineering works between Friday December 27 and Sunday January 5, affecting CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink.
There are also major works taking place between Bedford and London St Pancras between December 21 and 29, meaning disruption for passengers traveling into the capital.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said he was ‘worried’ problems would be exacerbated for rail operators by chronic staff shortages.
He told MPs on the Commons transport committee last week that it ‘may or may not be the case’ that there will be enough staff to run a full timetable.
This is because the industry is ‘over-reliant’ on overtime working during the festive period, he added.
He said: ‘I’ve been through this a lot with Alex (Alex Hynes, director general for the rail services group at the Department for Transport) recently and will continue to be into, right up to and over Christmas.
HOW FAR DRIVERS ARE PLANNING TO TRAVEL THIS CHRISTMAS (AA SURVEY)
| Distance |
Fri 20 Dec |
Sat 21 Dec |
Sun 22 Dec |
Mon 23 Dec |
Tue 24 Dec |
| 0-50 miles |
58% |
57% |
55% |
57% |
54% |
| 51-100 miles |
7% |
6% |
5% |
6% |
6% |
| 101-150 miles |
2% |
2% |
1% |
2% |
2% |
| 151-200 miles |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
| 201-250 miles |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
| 251+ miles |
1% |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Not driving |
15% |
17% |
20% |
18% |
23% |
| Don’t know |
15% |
16% |
16% |
15% |
13% |
| Millions on the road |
23.7 |
22.7 |
21.3 |
22.7 |
21.6% |
Traffic queues for ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent on December 23 last year
‘That, we are concerned about with several train operators, exacerbated by the fact that inevitably the closures close parts of the railway and put more pressure on others.’
Major rail closures for Christmas 2024
- London Liverpool Street: Closed from December 25 until January 2
- London Paddington: Closed between December 27 and 29
- No direct services between Crewe and Liverpool; reduced service between Crewe and Manchester: December 28 until January 3
- Cambridge area: CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink services disrupted between December 27 and January 5
- Harpenden to London St Pancras: No trains between December 21 and 29
- Heathrow Express: No service between December 25 and 29
- Great Western Railway: Diverted to/from Euston, or stopping/starting at Reading or Ealing Broadway
Mr Hynes said: ‘Generally as a system, we’re over-reliant on overtime working for train crew. That’s a risk, which may be worse at Christmas time than other times.’
The situation looked even worse when the militant Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) union ordered Avanti West Coast train managers to strike on December 22, 23 and 29.
But that industrial action was called off last Friday – and the union members will now vote on a revised offer aimed at resolving a row over rest day working.
Avanti runs the West Coast Main Line connecting London with Birmingham and Manchester.
Meanwhile London Heathrow Airport, Britain’s biggest hub, warned that it was expecting a record number of passengers this month – including a surge of a fifth on Christmas Day.
Numbers for the month are expected to exceed the previous record of 6.7 million in 2023.
The AA advised drivers to pack essentials such as warm clothing, food, water and a fully-charged phone in case their journey takes longer than expected.
More than half of journeys over the Christmas period are anticipated to be no more than 50 miles.
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are expected to be the quietest days on the roads.
Chris Wood, AA Patrol of the Year, said: ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past shows that each year, avoidable breakdowns snowball into miles of queues on the roads.
Passengers at London Euston station during the Christmas getaway on December 22, 2023
‘Drivers can maintain the Christmas cheer by performing basic checks on their car before any journey.
‘This includes topping up the windscreen wash and anti-freeze, checking your lights and adjusting tyre pressures for a full load if necessary.
‘With people driving fewer miles, it means there will be more localised congestion as record numbers head out on the roads this festive period.
‘The best way to ensure hassle-free journeys is to plan them well.
‘Check the traffic reports before you leave and try to travel when it’s quieter if you can, or consider taking a different route to beat the jams.’
Although December 25 usually has the fewest breakdowns on any day in a year, the AA said it will still have patrols available nationwide.
It added that it came to the aid of 2,400 members on Christmas Day 2023.
Passengers at London St Pancras wait for Eurostar train information on December 22, 2023
The RAC said it commissioned a survey of 2,100 UK adults which suggested 3.0 million leisure trips by car are planned for Friday, rising to 3.7 million for Saturday.
Getaway traffic is expected to peak on Christmas Eve, with 3.8 million journeys.
An estimated total of 29.3 million festive journeys will be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, which is the most since the RAC began recording the data in 2013.
A separate RAC poll of 1,074 adults indicted that 53 per cent of people planning such journeys by car said they will use that form of transport because it gives them more flexibility and convenience.
More than a third (35 per cent) said their journey would take too long via public transport, while 34 per cent said public transport was not a practical option because they were travelling with several people or will have lots of luggage.
RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said: ‘Our research suggests that with Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, many drivers will be squeezing in their getaway trips right up until the big day itself.
‘While the getaway starts to ramp up from Friday, snarl-up Saturday looks particularly challenging, as does Christmas Eve.
Traffic on the M42 close to Birmingham during the Christmas getaway on December 23, 2023
‘Travelling outside peak hours might be the only way drivers miss the worst of the jams.’
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: ‘With so many people expected to hit the road this holiday season, drivers should expect delays in and around major cities.
‘Planning ahead is key to avoiding the country’s worst traffic jams.’
National Highways said more than 95 per cent of roadworks on its network of England’s motorways and major A roads will be lifted from 6am on Friday and will not be reinstated until January 2.
This includes 45 miles of roadworks on the M1, which were put in place while additional emergency smart motorway stopping areas were installed.
National Highways customer service director Andrew Butterfield said: ‘With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads.
‘To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95 per cent of the roads we manage.’
National Highways uses the acronym Trip to remind drivers to: Top-up fuel, water and oil; Rest every two hours; Inspect tyres and lights; and Prepare by planning for severe weather.
Transport for London’s Christmas and New Year services: Full list for each day throughout festive period
Here is a day to day breakdown of services provided by Transport for London between December 23, 2024 and January 2, 2025:
Monday 23 December
- DLR: A special service with no service from Beckton to Prince Regent and from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: Normal service
- London Buses: Normal service
- London Overground: Normal service on most lines, with closures on the Mildmay line westbound from Stratford to Camden Road after 23:45
- London Trams: A Saturday service
- London Underground: Normal service on all lines
Tuesday 24 December
- DLR: A special service terminating at 22:30 with no service from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: Normal service in the AM and a Saturday service in the PM
- London Buses: A weekday service on all day routes but no night services or 24-hour routes will operate into Christmas Day
- London Trams: A Saturday service
- London Overground: Normal services terminating at 21:30
- London Underground: A Saturday service to 20:00 across all lines followed by reduced service levels
Wednesday 25 December
- No service on the majority of the network
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- Dial-a-Ride: Will operate for registered members only
- Ultra Low Emission Zone: Not in operation
- Victoria Coach station: Will be open for a limited number of services across the UK and Continental Europe. Please refer to individual coach company websites for full details – Coach companies – Transport for London
Thursday 26 December
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A special service commencing at 08:30 with no service from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: No service on the whole line
- London Buses: A Sunday service on all day routes with a Sunday night service into Friday morning
- London Trams: A Sunday service
- London Overground: A reduced service to operate on the Mildmay line from Clapham Junction to Stratford, and on the Windrush line from West Croydon to Highbury & Islington. No services on the Mildmay line from Willesden Junction to Richmond, the Lioness line from Euston to Watford Junction, the Suffragette line from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside, the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford and the Liberty line from Romford to Upminster
- London Underground: A reduced Sunday service on all lines.
- Ultra Low Emission Zone: Back to normal operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Friday 27 December
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A special service with no service from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: A reduced service from Ealing Broadway to Reading/Heathrow Airport, and Paddington to Shenfield/Abbey Wood. There will be no service between Paddington and Ealing Broadway. Some early and late services to Liverpool Street mainline station will start and terminate at Stratford
- London Buses: A Saturday service on all day routes and a Sunday night services on all night and 24-hour routes
- London Overground: A normal service on a majority of lines with a Saturday service on the Lioness line, from Watford Junction to Euston and the Suffragette line from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside. There will be no service on the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to London Fields and reduced services on the rest of the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt.
- London Trams: A Saturday service
- London Underground: A Saturday service on all lines, with a reduced festive service on the Waterloo & City line. There will be no District line services to Kensington Olympia
Saturday 28 December
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A special service with no service from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: A reduced service from Ealing Broadway to Reading/Heathrow Airport and Paddington to Shenfield/Abbey Wood with no service from Paddington to Ealing Broadway. Some early and late services to Liverpool Street mainline station will start and terminate at Stratford
- London Buses: A normal service
- London Overground: A normal service on the majority of lines with no service on the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to London Fields. There will be a reduced service on the rest of the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt. Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed
- London Trams: A Saturday service
- London Underground: A normal service on most lines. There will be no District line services to Kensington Olympia
Sunday 29 December
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A special service with no service from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: A reduced service from Ealing Broadway to Reading/Heathrow Airport and Paddington to Shenfield/Abbey Wood with no service from Paddington to Ealing Broadway. Some early and late services to Liverpool Street mainline station will start and terminate at Stratford
- London Buses: A normal service
- London Overground: A normal service on the majority of lines with no service on the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to London Fields. There will be a reduced service on the rest of the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt. Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed
- London Trams: A Sunday service
- London Underground: A normal service on most lines. There will be no District line services to Kensington Olympia
Monday 30 December
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A special service with no service from Bank to Shadwell
- Elizabeth line: A Saturday service. Some early and late services to Liverpool Street mainline station will start and terminate at Stratford.
- London Buses: A Saturday service on all day routes with a normal Monday night service on all night and 24-hour routes
- London Overground: A normal service on the majority of lines with a Saturday service on the Lioness and Suffragette lines. There will be no service on the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to London Fields and westbound on the Mildmay line from Camden Road to Willesden Junction after 23:45. There will be reduced services on the rest of the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt. Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed
- London Trams: A Saturday service
- London Underground: A Saturday service on most lines with a reduced Christmas Holiday Service on the Waterloo & City line. There will be no District line service to Kensington Olympia
Tuesday 31 December
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A Saturday service with a special overnight service
- Elizabeth line: A Saturday service with a special overnight service on the whole line, except Heathrow Airport. Some early and late services to Liverpool Street mainline station will start and terminate at Stratford
- London Buses: A Saturday service on all day routes. There will be a Saturday night service on all night and 24-hour routes. A special timetable will see increased service on certain routes and the extension of certain day routes overnight.
- London Trams: A Saturday service with a special overnight service
- London Overground: A normal service on all lines during the day with a special overnight service on some lines. There will be a Saturday service on the Lioness line, from Watford Junction to Euston, and the Suffragette lines, from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside. There will be no service on the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to London Fields. There will be reduced service on the rest of the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt, and no southbound service on the Mildmay line from Willesden Junction to Shepherd’s Bush until 06:15. Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed. This special service will cover the Windrush line from Highbury & Islington to West Croydon/Crystal Palace, the Mildmay line from Stratford to Clapham Junction/Richmond, and the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt.
- London Underground: A reduced Saturday day service with Night Tube running on all lines. There will be a reduced Christmas Holiday Service on the Waterloo & City line. There will be no District line service to Kensington Olympia
Wednesday 1 January 2025
- Congestion Charge zone: Not in operation
- DLR: A Saturday service
- Elizabeth line: A Saturday service. Some early and late services to Liverpool Street mainline station will start and terminate at Stratford
- London Buses: A Sunday service on all day routes, with a Sunday night service on all night and 24-hour routes
- London Trams: A Sunday service
- London Overground: There will be normal service on a majority of lines with a Saturday service on the Lioness line, from Watford Junction to Euston, and the Suffragette lines, from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside. There will be no service on the Weaver line from Liverpool Street to London Fields. There will be reduced service on the rest of the Weaver line from London Fields to Chingford/Enfield Town/Cheshunt. Liverpool Street mainline station will be closed
- London Underground: A reduced Sunday service on a majority of lines, with no service on the Waterloo & City line. There will be no District line service to Kensington Olympia
Thursday 2 January
- Congestion Charge zone: Back to normal operation between 7:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday, and between 12:00 and 18:00 Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays
- Normal service resumes on the entire transport network