As the August bank holiday approaches, UK travelers are bracing for widespread disruptions. Delays and congestion are anticipated across major roads, rail routes, and airports, with over 19.2 million leisure trips expected and more than 2 million people scheduled to fly abroad.
Travel analytics firm Inrix predicts the busiest periods on the roads will be Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The RAC forecasts the highest leisure travel figures since 2015, with significant traffic anticipated around major events like Creamfields in Cheshire and the Leeds and Reading festivals.
To alleviate congestion, National Highways has removed over 500 miles of roadworks from Friday through Tuesday. However, areas in Kent are expected to be particularly congested, with the Port of Dover anticipating over 20,000 cars this weekend. Doug Bannister, the port’s chief executive, cautioned that longer wait times might occur due to reduced processing areas caused by preparations for new EU entry regulations.
Rail travel will also face disruptions, particularly for those heading north from London King’s Cross. No long-distance services will operate from the station between Saturday night and Monday morning due to ongoing works between Biggleswade and Potters Bar. Additional engineering works will impact services between Euston and Milton Keynes, and track repairs will affect services in Stoke-on-Trent over the weekend.
Rail bookings are up by 182% compared to last August’s bank holiday, with increased demand for routes from London to Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Leeds.
Airports are preparing for a busy weekend, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s issues when over 700,000 passengers were disrupted by a National Air Traffic Services (Nats) system glitch. The travel trade organization Abta estimates that more than 2 million people will travel internationally from Friday to Monday, with Friday projected to be the peak departure day.