Practice strikes newest updates: Christmas Eve journey disruption as drivers advised ‘keep away from roads’

Motorists have been warned that their journey residence for Christmas might spiral right into a “nightmare” as visitors surges to pre-pandemic ranges and street staff stage 4 days of strikes.

Near 17 million drivers are anticipated on the roads on Friday and Christmas eve, in line with the AA, with others estimating {that a} third of normal prepare customers will select to journey by automotive as a substitute within the face of wide-scale industrial motion by rail staff.

However drivers might face a higher-than-usual threat of “life-threatening” delays for help within the occasion of a motorway breakdown, as frontline Nationwide Highways employees additionally stroll out from Thursday till Christmas in London and the South East as a part of an industrial dispute.

In regular years, trains usually end at mid-evening on Christmas Eve. However RMT union members working for Community Rail will cease work at 6pm, and prepare operators are racing to get rolling inventory and employees again to depots earlier than the walk-out begins. Final trains from many areas are within the morning, with all companies ending by mid-afternoon.

The ultimate direct prepare to London has already left Edinburgh, whereas no trains in any respect are working on East Midlands Railways’ essential line linking London with Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield attributable to a separate strike by members of the Unite union.

Our journey correspondent Simon Calder experiences:

Marketing campaign for Higher Transport’s Norman Baker advised Sky Information that he thinks it was a “public relations mistake” to name a strike on Christmas Eve.

The previous transport minister stated it was the mistaken transfer as the general public has been “fairly supportive” of rail staff.

Avanti West Coast has strongly urged clients to solely journey if completely needed and test their journey through the festive interval.

The final prepare from Glasgow to London will depart at 10.40am on December 24.

Barry Milsom, govt director of operations and security at Avanti West Coast, stated: “Over the festive interval there’ll be modifications to our companies attributable to deliberate enchancment work, in addition to strike motion by RMT members at Community Rail.

“Consequently, our final trains will depart earlier on Christmas Eve and companies will begin afterward December 27, so the recommendation to clients is just journey if completely needed on these days.

“As well as, we’ll be working an amended timetable and a few journeys will contain a change or rail alternative service.

“We’re urging our clients to plan forward and test earlier than they journey if making a journey on our West Coast route between December 24 and January 2.”

The RMT has additionally introduced plans for 4 days of strike motion early within the new yr, beginning on January 3.

Strike motion starting on Christmas Eve will severely restrict rail companies with folks being suggested to solely journey if “completely needed”, Scotland’s rail operator has warned.

Within the newest spherical of RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union strikes, hundreds of members are on strike attributable to an ongoing pay dispute.

The strike will start on Christmas Eve at 6pm, with companies winding down sooner than typical from 3pm – a lot sooner than typical.

No trains will run on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, with companies anticipated to renew at later within the day on December 27.

David Simpson, ScotRail Service supply director, stated: “We’re reminding clients that ScotRail companies can be disrupted over the Christmas interval on account of the dispute between Community Rail and the RMT.

“Providers can be stopping sooner than typical on Christmas Eve, there can be no companies on Boxing Day, and the primary trains will begin later than regular on Tuesday December 27.

“We all know that is actually irritating for everybody impacted and we’re urging clients to plan forward and test their complete journey upfront.”

Passengers arriving at a few of the UK’s main airports over the festive season might face lengthy queues as UK Border Drive employees go on strike – with a risk of Christmas flight cancellations.

The Public and Industrial Providers (PCS) union has introduced industrial motion from 23 December till the tip of the yr, excluding 27 December.

Our journey correspondent Simon Calder experiences:

The strike has worn out all of the restricted Boxing Day companies, together with all 43 deliberate Eurostar companies linking London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, our journey correspondent Simon Calder experiences.

When the RMT strike ends at 6am on Tuesday 27 December. Providers will slowly resume, although key operators will proceed to run a sharply diminished schedule. Final trains on South Western Railway from the UK’s busiest station, London Waterloo, are at round 9.30pm till the second week of January.

No trains will run in any respect to and from London Liverpool Road attributable to deliberate engineering works via to the New Yr – when nationwide rail strikes resume on 3 January.

“Don’t journey except your journey is crucial”: that’s the warning from the rail trade to folks hoping to catch a prepare on Christmas Eve, forward of the subsequent RMT nationwide strike by Community Rail employees starting at 6pm on 24 December, Simon Calder, our journey correspondent, experiences.

On East Midlands Railways’ essential line linking London with Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield, the final northbound prepare for 4 days will depart at 7.35pm this night. A separate strike by members of the Unite union means all later trains are cancelled, together with the complete schedule on Christmas Eve.

Elsewhere, prepare operators are racing to get rolling inventory and employees again to depots earlier than the walk-out begins. Final trains from many areas are within the morning, with all companies ending by mid-afternoon.