August bank holiday travel disruption is expected on some major rail routes and motorways, including on train lines into London.
Breakdown assistance provider the AA says Friday, 28 August is expected to be the busiest day on the roads of the weekend, with around 23.5 million expected journeys, followed by 22.9 million on Saturday, 21.7 million on Sunday and 21.6 million on Monday.
However, they predict that most people won’t be travelling long distances, with the majority of drivers making journeys of less than 50 miles. This means there could be pressure on local roads around leisure and shopping destinations, plus on traditional holiday routes to the coast and South West.
Elsewhere, a combination of planned engineering works and strike action means that some rail routes will be running a reduced or cancelled service. Replacement buses will be running as alternatives on some lines.
Here is everything you need to know about traffic and train journeys over the bank holiday.
Rail disruption over the bank holiday
Train passengers travelling on the bank holiday weekend are being warned to check their journeys ahead of travel due to planned engineering works affecting routes across the country.
While the vast majority of rail journeys will be unaffected, Network Rail is warning of some potential disruption.
Peterborough and London King’s Cross
There will be no trains between Peterborough and London King’s Cross on Sunday, 30 August to enable the installation of new “in-train” signalling technology.
The works are being carried out as part of a wider project on the East Coast Main Line to improve signalling, which promises to reduce the amount of delays and cancellations caused by signal failures.
Passengers instead can catch a limited number of LNER services travelling via Bedford and ending at London St Pancras, or rail replacement buses.
Sheffield, Nottingham and London King’s Cross
Elsewhere, a walkout by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at East Midlands Railway (EMR) will hit services on Sunday and bank holiday Monday.
The company said it will run a “significantly reduced” timetable to and from London on both days, advising passengers to only travel if their journey is absolutely essential on these dates and to check before setting out.
EMR advises that trains between Sheffield, Nottingham and King’s Cross are “likely to be extremely busy, with the potential for standing room only.”
Stafford and Wolverhampton
Also on 30 August, no trains will run between Stafford and Wolverhampton as a result of work to improve overhead power supply to trains. Rail replacement buses will be available.
Wrexham, Bidston and Shrewsbury
Work to repair Hawarden Swing Bridge in Flintshire means buses will replace trains between Wrexham and Bidston between Sunday 16 August and Sunday 30 August, with normal service resuming on Monday 31 August.
Buses will replace trains on the line between Wrexham and Shrewsbury until Sunday 30 August due to drainage improvements, with normal service also resuming on 31 August.
Leeds, York and Selby
Buses are also replacing trains between Leeds, York and Selby across the entirety of the bank holiday weekend due to ongoing upgrade work by operator Transpennine.
Dumfries and Barrhead; Kilmarnock and Ayr
There will also be no trains between Dumfries and Barrhead, and between Kilmarnock and Ayr, due to ongoing track improvement work, running from Saturday 29 August until 14 September.
Train journeys affected over the bank holiday
- 29-31 August: Buses replace trains between Selby and York / Leeds / Micklefield and also between York and Moorthorpe
- 29 August-14 September: No trains between Dumfries and Barrhead, nor between Kilmarnock and Ayr
- 30 August: No trains between Peterborough and London King’s Cross
- 30 August: No trains between Stafford and Wolverhampton
- 16-30 August: No trains between Wrexham and Bidston
- 17-30 August: No trains between Wrexham and Shrewsbury
- 30-31 August: Strikes impacting EMR, with a reduced service expected
Busy roads during the bank holiday, according to the AA
- Local routes around shopping centres, retail parks and garden centres
- Roads heading towards the east coast, including routes to resorts such as Skegness
- Routes towards the South West and Cornwall, including the A303, M5 and A38
- The M4 from London and routes leading towards Wales
- The M6 towards Blackpool and the North West coast
- Roads serving popular seaside towns, national parks, ports and airports
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