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| Rail chief defends line closures for Christmas engineering works Rail chief defends line closures for Christmas engineering works | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Network Rail has defended its decision to bring parts of Britain’s train lines to a standstill for major engineering works over the festive period. | Network Rail has defended its decision to bring parts of Britain’s train lines to a standstill for major engineering works over the festive period. |
| A number of lines will be closed for an extended period as Network Rail carries out up to 200 improvement projects costing £103m. | A number of lines will be closed for an extended period as Network Rail carries out up to 200 improvement projects costing £103m. |
| Work on some schemes will begin on Saturday to give engineers and maintenance teams four days to carry out upgrades before the next working day. | Work on some schemes will begin on Saturday to give engineers and maintenance teams four days to carry out upgrades before the next working day. |
| This will hit rail passengers with added disruption, as the annual shutdown means no trains on Christmas Day and only certain services on Boxing Day. | This will hit rail passengers with added disruption, as the annual shutdown means no trains on Christmas Day and only certain services on Boxing Day. |
| The Network Rail chief executive, Mark Carne, defended the move, saying it was preferable for the work to be carried out over Christmas due to lower passenger numbers. | The Network Rail chief executive, Mark Carne, defended the move, saying it was preferable for the work to be carried out over Christmas due to lower passenger numbers. |
| “We’re making every effort that we can with our train operating colleagues to run the services in the best way that we can,” he told BBC Breakfast. | “We’re making every effort that we can with our train operating colleagues to run the services in the best way that we can,” he told BBC Breakfast. |
| “The reality is this is the best time of the year for us to do this sort of huge engineering project because the numbers of people travelling by train is about half of what it is on a normal weekend or a normal day. This is the time of year when we can do this sort of work with the minimum effect on the travelling public.” | “The reality is this is the best time of the year for us to do this sort of huge engineering project because the numbers of people travelling by train is about half of what it is on a normal weekend or a normal day. This is the time of year when we can do this sort of work with the minimum effect on the travelling public.” |
| No trains will operate to or from London Paddington between Saturday and Thursday because of work to build Crossrail. | No trains will operate to or from London Paddington between Saturday and Thursday because of work to build Crossrail. |
| That means the Heathrow Express service between Heathrow airport and Paddington will be suspended for six days and Great Western Railway trains will terminate at Ealing Broadway. | That means the Heathrow Express service between Heathrow airport and Paddington will be suspended for six days and Great Western Railway trains will terminate at Ealing Broadway. |
| Passengers travelling in Manchester and Cardiff will also be among the worst affected by engineering work. | Passengers travelling in Manchester and Cardiff will also be among the worst affected by engineering work. |
| Meanwhile, Southern has warned passengers to expect a severely reduced and disrupted service between 31 December and 2 January due to a strike by RMT conductors. | Meanwhile, Southern has warned passengers to expect a severely reduced and disrupted service between 31 December and 2 January due to a strike by RMT conductors. |
| Carne condemned the recent wave of industrial action, saying he “shared the frustration” of the travelling public at the “hugely damaging” disruption that had “blighted” the lives of some passengers. | Carne condemned the recent wave of industrial action, saying he “shared the frustration” of the travelling public at the “hugely damaging” disruption that had “blighted” the lives of some passengers. |
| Friday is expected to be the busiest day for traffic over the festive period as millions of people embark on the Christmas getaway. | Friday is expected to be the busiest day for traffic over the festive period as millions of people embark on the Christmas getaway. |
| The AA predicts about 12m cars will be on the roads due to a combination of people visiting loved ones, shopping trips and holidays, as well as those travelling to and from work. | The AA predicts about 12m cars will be on the roads due to a combination of people visiting loved ones, shopping trips and holidays, as well as those travelling to and from work. |
| It commissioned a poll of more than 19,000 motorists which found that 41% expected to drive more than 20 miles on Friday. | It commissioned a poll of more than 19,000 motorists which found that 41% expected to drive more than 20 miles on Friday. |
| The AA patrol of the year, John Snowling, said: “On Friday, it’s likely to be very busy at peak times on the major routes as the Christmas getaway coincides with commuter traffic. | The AA patrol of the year, John Snowling, said: “On Friday, it’s likely to be very busy at peak times on the major routes as the Christmas getaway coincides with commuter traffic. |
| “With Christmas falling on a weekend, many people will start their break from Friday, but almost a third of our members will be making their journey on Saturday and more than a fifth will be travelling on Christmas Day to visit friends and family.” | “With Christmas falling on a weekend, many people will start their break from Friday, but almost a third of our members will be making their journey on Saturday and more than a fifth will be travelling on Christmas Day to visit friends and family.” |
| Some 448 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major roads have been suspended or completed in a bid to reduce disruption. | Some 448 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major roads have been suspended or completed in a bid to reduce disruption. |
| Highways England said this would leave 98% of its network free of roadworks until 3 January. | Highways England said this would leave 98% of its network free of roadworks until 3 January. |
| Amid the alterations to rail services, coach operator National Express reported last month that its bookings for Christmas Day were up by more than a third compared with the same point last year while demand for seats on Boxing Day had risen by 19%. | |
| The firm will have 50% more coaches on the roads on 25 December this year than in 2015. | The firm will have 50% more coaches on the roads on 25 December this year than in 2015. |
| The travel association Abta said Friday is expected to be the busiest day for airports as people jet off to spend Christmas overseas. | The travel association Abta said Friday is expected to be the busiest day for airports as people jet off to spend Christmas overseas. |
| More than 4.5 million people will head abroad from the UK between 18 December and 2 January. | More than 4.5 million people will head abroad from the UK between 18 December and 2 January. |
| Heathrow said the most popular day for flights in the week leading up to Christmas would be Friday, with more than 118,000 departing passengers. | Heathrow said the most popular day for flights in the week leading up to Christmas would be Friday, with more than 118,000 departing passengers. |