Thousands of Britons embarking on their Christmas getaways are confronting severe travel disruption, with lengthy queues at the Port of Dover and significant rail cancellations casting a shadow over festive plans.
Ferry Passengers Face Long Delays at Dover
Ferry passengers travelling via the Port of Dover have been told not to arrive more than two hours before their scheduled sailing due to major delays on approaches to the Kent port. The advice, issued on Sunday 21 December, mirrors procedures at UK airports and aims to manage the high volumes of traffic.
Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, appealed for patience, stating the port greatly appreciates everyone's cooperation during this exceptionally busy period. Nearly 30,000 cars are estimated to use outbound sailings over the festive break, with peak traffic expected between 6am and 1pm.
Operator P&O Ferries has urged customers using its services from Dover to allow considerable extra time for their journeys.
Rail Cancellations and Road Congestion Warnings
Meanwhile, rail travellers have also been hit by disruption. Cross Country trains cancelled a number of services on Sunday afternoon, primarily between Manchester and Birmingham, citing a shortage of drivers. The operator warned that remaining services would be far busier than usual.
On the roads, while Sunday was forecast to be quieter than Saturday, significant delays were reported on the M25 clockwise from Junction 15 to Junction 19. The RAC predicts a staggering 37.5 million leisure trips will be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, which would be the highest number since it began recording this data in 2013.
Christmas Eve Set for Worst Hold-Ups
The RAC has pinpointed Christmas Eve as the single busiest day of the festive travel period. It forecasts 4.2 million separate getaway journeys, with the worst traffic hold-ups expected between 11am and 7pm.
For those planning last-minute travel, heavy congestion is almost guaranteed. In total, the RAC research suggests 3.5 million car journeys were made on Sunday alone, setting the stage for a record-breaking and congested Christmas getaway across all modes of transport.
