Easter bank holiday weekend set to be busiest on roads in four years



This Easter weekend is set to be the busiest on the roads since 2022 with almost 21 million trips planned, despite fears over rising fuel prices.

Traffic levels are expected to be "consistently high" over the long weekend, according to research by the RAC and traffic information supplier Inrix, with over a million more trips planned than last year.

The increase in car journeys is likely to be due to the number of people choosing to stay in the UK rather than head abroad this year, experts at the AA suggested.

Some 12.5 million Brits are planning an overnight trip within the UK this Easter, which is more than the 7.4 million who are set to travel abroad, according to VisitEngland.

Lee Morley, AA expert patrol, told the BBC: "Some people may have changed their plans from travelling overseas and therefore travelling closer to home." He added that there had also been a steady rise in the number of journeys each year since the relaxation of Covid restrictions.

This year, 1.9 million more Brits have planned an overnight trip in the UK for Easter weekend than last year, VisitEngland said. However, 5.1 million people told the tourist board that they were undecided, with the top reasons being the weather and finances.

Traffic is set to be at its busiest on Good Friday, according to the RAC, although levels are expected to be consistently high from Thursday, when many schools break up. Drivers have been advised to set off early in the morning, as congestion is likely to be at its worst from 10:00 BST each day between Thursday and Saturday, and on Easter Monday.

Concerns about rising fuel costs have been raised over recent weeks, with almost a third of drivers increasingly worried about the cost of petrol as the war in the Middle East continues, according to a study by the RAC. However, this has had little impact of the amount of people taking trips this Easter.

Sean Kimberlin, RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader, said: "While a significant number of drivers are concerned about rising fuel prices, a much smaller contingent are actually changing their plans this Easter as a result."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has addressed concerns of petrol rationing, telling motorists that there was "no need to do anything other than what is normal". He added that petrol stations are "well-stocked nationally and any suggestion otherwise is incorrect".


The Port of Dover is expecting large numbers of travellers to pass through it this Easter

Rail travel will be relatively quiet over Easter weekend, according to Network Rail. The majority of routes will be open, but there is some work planned which is set to impact services.

Routes affected include:

• London Euston to Milton Keynes
• Preston to Carlisle
• Carlisle to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh
• London Waterloo to Clapham Junction and around Winchester
• Margate to Herne Bay and Ramsgate

Jake Kelly, Network Rail regional director for North West and Central, said bank holidays were "among the least busy times on the railway".

Ferries, meanwhile, are expected to be busy this weekend. The Port of Dover is preparing for an increase of traffic, and is set to welcome some 37,000 cars through the port between Thursday and Sunday. The port's chief executive Doug Bannister urged passengers not to arrive any earlier than two hours before their scheduled departure time to ensure a "smooth" process.

(BBC article continues)

Nice idea and good publicity.

Fuel rations and free buses: How countries are responding to rising oil prices

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57

13:14 Swindon to Westbury due 13:57 has been delayed at Melksham and is now 23 minutes late.
This is due to a points failure.

..............  and how desperately run down and dilapidated much of Liverpool was back then.  All those politicians and journalists who twitter on today about "Broken Britain " should have seen Liverpool 8 back then.

When did "points" become "switches" or is there a difference?  And surely crossings and not (usually) moveable?

Terriers are being welcomed aboard trains at a station which shares their name on a reopened railway line.

Bedlington Station finally opened on Sunday as part of the Northumberland Line between Ashington and Newcastle, which reopened in December 2024.

Operator Northern said the first 25 Bedlington terriers to arrive at the station on Monday between 10:00 and 12:00 BST would earn their owners a free travel pass.

REMINDER: Britain’s rail network open for business this Easter – but passengers asked to check before they travel on some key routes


The vast majority of Britain’s rail network will be open for passengers travelling over the Easter bank holiday weekend, helping them make the most of their spring break.

London Waterloo to Clapham Junction and around Winchester: From Friday 3 to Monday 6 April the renewal of switches and crossings (moveable sections of track that guide trains from one track to another) and structural repairs will mean reduced services between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction, while track improvements in Hampshire will mean buses replace trains between Winchester and Southampton over all four days of the bank holiday.

Plans for an open access service between Nottingham and Bristol Temple Meads have been dropped.

Consultancy firm SLC had proposed eight trains a day via East West Rail and Oxford, using the name Midland Central & Western Railway (MCWR).

However, the application has been withdrawn, with the expected introduction of Great Western Railway’s Oxford-Bristol services identified as a key factor.

GWR has applied to run two-hourly services six days a week, increasing to hourly in 2027. At present it runs two return trips on Saturdays.

I'd take the Torpoint Ferry over that rusty old tub full of Scousers any day of the week!