Millions to Travel on UK Roads, Railways, and Airports During Christmas Period
The RAC forecasts that 4.2 million drivers will be on UK roads on Christmas Eve, with peak travel expected between 11:00 and 19:00, marking the highest traffic volume since the pandemic. Over 37 million people are anticipated to make road journeys in the week leading up to Christmas, representing the highest count since RAC began recording data in 2013.
The most congested routes are expected on the M25: clockwise from junction 15 (M4) to junction 19 Watford; anticlockwise from junction 10 Kingston to junction 6 East Grinstead; and on the Manchester M60 clockwise from junction 7 to Altrincham, continuing to junction 18 and M62 towards Leeds. Additionally, the M27 in Hampshire will be closed in both directions between junctions 9 and 11 from 8pm on Christmas Eve until 4am on 4 January, which may extend journey times.
Rail services are also affected with the last London to Edinburgh train departing at 16:30 and the last Newcastle to Birmingham train at 17:40 on Christmas Eve; there will be no trains on Christmas Day and very limited services on Boxing Day.
The Civil Aviation Authority forecasts three million air passengers in the week leading up to Christmas. Heathrow, Birmingham, and Manchester airports anticipate their busiest Christmas periods ever.
Local bus travel will also see increased activity, with the Confederation of Passenger Transport projecting over 100,000 local bus journeys on 25 December, the highest in a decade and up from around 87,000 in 2023.
