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| Warning of weekend getaway delays | Warning of weekend getaway delays |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Motorists and train passengers face delays and congestion over the bank holiday weekend, as millions take breaks in the UK and abroad. | |
| Half of Britain's drivers are expected to take to the roads, with many heading for music festivals. | Half of Britain's drivers are expected to take to the roads, with many heading for music festivals. |
| Rail users face replacement buses and diversions, with the West Coast Main Line between London and Scotland bearing the brunt of the disruption. | Rail users face replacement buses and diversions, with the West Coast Main Line between London and Scotland bearing the brunt of the disruption. |
| A mix of sunshine, showers and windy conditions are forecast until Sunday. | A mix of sunshine, showers and windy conditions are forecast until Sunday. |
| Latest travel news on UK roads | Latest travel news on UK roads |
| According to the AA, congestion will be up by a third compared with a normal weekend, with 14m drivers expected to be on the roads. | |
| The numbers in England and Wales are likely to be swelled by families taking a last summer break before the schools return. | The numbers in England and Wales are likely to be swelled by families taking a last summer break before the schools return. |
| Schools in Scotland - the only part of the UK which does not have a public holiday this weekend - have already gone back. | Schools in Scotland - the only part of the UK which does not have a public holiday this weekend - have already gone back. |
| On Friday an accident on the anticlockwise M25 in Surrey, between J6, Godstone and J5 M26, caused queues of up to six miles. | On Friday an accident on the anticlockwise M25 in Surrey, between J6, Godstone and J5 M26, caused queues of up to six miles. |
| Drivers on the M5 near Bristol were also facing major delays mid-afternoon after northbound lanes were closed between junctions 18a and 19 due to a police incident. | |
| Traffic is also likely to be affected by around 40 sets of roadworks around the country. | Traffic is also likely to be affected by around 40 sets of roadworks around the country. |
| The Highways Agency, which has suspended 31 of its roadwork schemes, has pinpointed music festivals as the areas most likely to suffer congestion, along with routes to coastal resorts and Channel ports. | The Highways Agency, which has suspended 31 of its roadwork schemes, has pinpointed music festivals as the areas most likely to suffer congestion, along with routes to coastal resorts and Channel ports. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYWho wants to wait hours in traffic/airport queues, change trains three times to get to your holiday or pay a premium for everything? I'm going away next weekend instead!G Bagri, London Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAYWho wants to wait hours in traffic/airport queues, change trains three times to get to your holiday or pay a premium for everything? I'm going away next weekend instead!G Bagri, London Send us your comments |
| Holidaymakers heading to the Lake District and major shopping centres are also likely to face delays. | Holidaymakers heading to the Lake District and major shopping centres are also likely to face delays. |
| On the trains engineering work means buses will replace trains on more than 1,000 miles of rail routes over the weekend. | On the trains engineering work means buses will replace trains on more than 1,000 miles of rail routes over the weekend. |
| Many northbound services from London Euston - run by Virgins Trains and London Midland and Southern - are affected by engineering works on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. | Many northbound services from London Euston - run by Virgins Trains and London Midland and Southern - are affected by engineering works on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. |
| At points over the weekend there will also be buses replacing trains in parts of Kent, central London, East Sussex, West Sussex, Lanarkshire, Lancashire, Mid Glamorgan, East Midlands and Yorkshire. | At points over the weekend there will also be buses replacing trains in parts of Kent, central London, East Sussex, West Sussex, Lanarkshire, Lancashire, Mid Glamorgan, East Midlands and Yorkshire. |
| Current engineering work between Folkestone Central and Dover Priory, due to finish on Saturday, is extending journeys by up to 50 minutes. And major engineering work on the North Cotswold Line is continuing until Monday. | Current engineering work between Folkestone Central and Dover Priory, due to finish on Saturday, is extending journeys by up to 50 minutes. And major engineering work on the North Cotswold Line is continuing until Monday. |
| But the Association of Train Operating Companies has said 3,500 more trains were running than during the last August Bank Holiday and there were 15% fewer replacement bus services than last year. | But the Association of Train Operating Companies has said 3,500 more trains were running than during the last August Bank Holiday and there were 15% fewer replacement bus services than last year. |
| Late bookings | Late bookings |
| Although to date more people have been holidaying in the UK this year, travel organisation Abta said a late booking surge meant up to 1.9m Britons would be travelling abroad over the holiday weekend. | Although to date more people have been holidaying in the UK this year, travel organisation Abta said a late booking surge meant up to 1.9m Britons would be travelling abroad over the holiday weekend. |
| Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are expecting to handle more than 1.5m in and outbound passengers between them. | Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are expecting to handle more than 1.5m in and outbound passengers between them. |
| Abta chairman John McEwan said: "Many families see the Bank Holiday as their last-ditch attempt to get a holiday abroad to get some guaranteed sunshine. | Abta chairman John McEwan said: "Many families see the Bank Holiday as their last-ditch attempt to get a holiday abroad to get some guaranteed sunshine. |
| "Obviously people have been holding on to their money until they are sure they have enough to go away with and, as a result, we have seen a surge in late bookings." | "Obviously people have been holding on to their money until they are sure they have enough to go away with and, as a result, we have seen a surge in late bookings." |
| Festival season | Festival season |
| Meanwhile in the UK, large music festivals are taking place in Reading and Leeds, as well as the Creamfields Festival in Merseyside. | Meanwhile in the UK, large music festivals are taking place in Reading and Leeds, as well as the Creamfields Festival in Merseyside. |
| The AA said it had received reports of drivers getting lost on their way to the Leeds Festival, as their sat navs are sending them the wrong way. | The AA said it had received reports of drivers getting lost on their way to the Leeds Festival, as their sat navs are sending them the wrong way. |
| It warned that many of the navigation systems have not been updated to take into account the renumbering of junctions on the A1 (M). | It warned that many of the navigation systems have not been updated to take into account the renumbering of junctions on the A1 (M). |
| The weekend will also play host to Notting Hill Carnival in west London and two festivals on south London's Clapham Common, as well as Retrofest in Ayrshire, Wizard festival in Aberdeenshire, Greenbelt festival at Cheltenham Racecourse, Solfest in Cumbria, and Shambala in Northamptonshire. | The weekend will also play host to Notting Hill Carnival in west London and two festivals on south London's Clapham Common, as well as Retrofest in Ayrshire, Wizard festival in Aberdeenshire, Greenbelt festival at Cheltenham Racecourse, Solfest in Cumbria, and Shambala in Northamptonshire. |
| The planned Beachdown festival in East Sussex was cancelled due to financial problems. | The planned Beachdown festival in East Sussex was cancelled due to financial problems. |
| The major congestion points for the bigger events are expected to be the M1 J48/49, the A1 and A64 for Leeds; M56 for Creamfields and the M4 into Reading. | The major congestion points for the bigger events are expected to be the M1 J48/49, the A1 and A64 for Leeds; M56 for Creamfields and the M4 into Reading. |
| Elsewhere, about 70,000 people are expected to use the Eurostar for trips to the continent, with a further 500,000 heading abroad by ferry or on Eurotunnel services. | Elsewhere, about 70,000 people are expected to use the Eurostar for trips to the continent, with a further 500,000 heading abroad by ferry or on Eurotunnel services. |
| Port of Dover authorities said they expected a 16% increase in holidaymakers using the port compared with this time last year, with 50,000 drivers expected. | Port of Dover authorities said they expected a 16% increase in holidaymakers using the port compared with this time last year, with 50,000 drivers expected. |
| Ferry operators had reported a rise in the number of last-minute bookings, they said. | Ferry operators had reported a rise in the number of last-minute bookings, they said. |
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| For more detailed information visit BBC Travel | For more detailed information visit BBC Travel |