EASTER GETAWAY SCRAMBLE BEGINS: DRIVERS FACE 'CARMAGEDDON' ON THE ROADS WITH 14 MILLION TRIPS PLANNED OVER FOUR-DAY WEEKEND AS PORT OF DOVER WARNS OF 'ROUGH' SEAS AND RAIL PASSENGERS BRACE FOR CLOSURES
The Easter getaway began today with drivers warned to expect 'carmageddon' as families on leisure journeys compete for road space with regular commuters.
Some 14million getaway trips across the weekend are set to cause gridlock on the roads, with some journeys expected to take twice as long as normal because the bank holiday coincides with the start of a two-week holiday for many schools.
The RAC and transport analysis company Inrix estimated two million trips will take place today, with the worst congestion anticipated to be between 2pm and 7pm.
The busiest route is expected to be the western section of the M25 between the M23 for Gatwick Airport and the M1 for Hertfordshire. Journeys on this stretch from 4pm are expected to take over two hours, which is more than twice as long as usual.
Meanwhile the Port of Dover warned those catching a ferry today that sea conditions in the English Channel were 'rough with a strong south-easterly breeze, force six'.
Journeys could also be delayed due to extra border security checks by the French after the concert hall attack in Moscow last Friday that killed more than 130 people.
It comes as the Met Office warned heavy rain and strong winds could cause travel chaos to Britons and even pose a risk to life in the run-up to the Easter weekend.
A yellow wind warning for gusts of up to 70mph was imposed from 7am to 6pm today for most of the south coast of England, from East Sussex to Cornwall.
Rail travel will also be disrupted by engineering works, with the southern section of the West Coast Main Line closed between tomorrow and Easter Monday.
Tourist board VisitEngland said around 11million people in the UK are planning an overnight Easter trip, generating an estimated £3.2billion boost to the economy.
The RAC and transport analysis company Inrix commissioned a survey which suggested 2.6million leisure journeys by car will be made on Good Friday.
Some 2.3million getaway trips are planned for each of Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, with 2.0million set to take place on each of Thursday and Easter Monday.
A further 3.3million Easter leisure journeys have been planned by drivers who are undecided exactly what day they will travel, leading to a total of around 14.5million getaway trips between Thursday and Easter Monday.
On Good Friday, the lengthiest delays are expected to be between 11am and 3pm, meaning drivers are advised to set off as early as possible in the morning or wait until later in the afternoon.
Two popular routes for holidaymakers - the M5 southbound between Bristol and Taunton, and the M3 between the M25 and the south coast - are likely to be congested, with estimated journey times more than double what they normally are.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: 'With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, it could be carmageddon for holidaymakers.
'Anyone who can delay leaving on Thursday until much later in the evening or set off as early as possible on Good Friday is likely to have a better journey than those who travel during the peak periods of the day.
'Lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots like the West Country, the Lake District and the south coast, especially during the middle of the day when most people make trips.'
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: 'Although travel times will peak on Thursday and Friday afternoons, drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend.
'To avoid the longest delays, we advise adjusting departure times so you're not travelling in peak commuter hours.'
Meanwhile the AA said Easter Saturday is expected to be busiest day of the holiday period, with at least 18.5million taking to the roads.
The organisation added that it expected there to be 5.2million bank holiday journeys to visit friends or family, while conditions could be unpredictable as the unsettled weather continues.
The AA advised drivers to carry out 'a few simple checks' on their car before embarking on Easter journeys.
Chris Wood, AA patrol of the year, said: 'Easter is the first opportunity many people have to go and see their family and we're expecting the roads to be busy.
'Before setting off on a long journey it's important to check your car. Take 10 minutes to check your oil, coolant and windscreen wash levels.'
Network Rail is urging train passengers to check their journey details before they travel as some major routes will be closed due to engineering work.
The West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes, used by Avanti West Coast trains to and from Scotland, will be shut for four days from tomorrow.
Network Rail said it was laying new track near Kensal Green tunnel in North West London and replacing a busy junction just south of Milton Keynes.
Buses will run from Potters Bar to Watford Junction and Milton Keynes to London.
There will also be disruption to ScotRail services because of work to renew tracks and points over a major junction between Glasgow Central and Cambuslang and Polmadie Depot.
And in West Yorkshire, work will continue on the TransPennine Route Upgrade, with new tracks being laid around Huddersfield. This will mean changes to trains on routes such as Sheffield to Leeds and all trains to Huddersfield itself.
Greater Anglia warned of disruption across its routes because of construction work for the new Beaulieu Park station in Chelmsford, as well as track maintenance work.
Train services between London and many East Anglia locations, including Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester, will be replaced by buses for part of the journey.
And in London, the Elizabeth line will be closed due to engineering work through the centre of the capital, between London Paddington and Stratford and Abbey Wood.
Network Rail's network strategy director Laurence Bowman said: 'We know how important Easter is for families and friends to catch up, and we try to keep as much of the network open as possible.
'There's never a good time to do the work we need to do but the four days of the bank holiday, when fewer people are travelling, give us the opportunity to do major work we couldn't do in normal weekend.
'We've got 493 different pieces of work taking place this Easter, most happening overnight, including laying over 8,000 metres of new rail and putting down over 40,000 tonnes of new ballast to support the tracks.'
VisitEngland chief executive Patricia Yates said: 'Tourism businesses and destinations will be looking to the critical Easter weekend for much-needed cash flow after the lean winter months so it's really encouraging to see so many of us are planning a holiday at home.
'We also know from our latest research that the cost of living remains a concern and while people are still keen to take a break, many are booking late, taking shorter breaks, wanting to save on accommodation, activities and eating out, highlighting the ongoing challenges for industry.'
The RAC and Inrix survey of 2,136 UK adults was conducted by research company Find Out Now last week.
Easter Sunday also sees the UK move to British Summer Time (BST) where clocks go forward by one hour.
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