The AA has said this will be the busiest festive season on the roads since records began with almost 23 million Britons taking to the roads causing jams and delays, while rail engineering works will add to the travel chaos
This year is set to be the busiest festive season on the roads since records began.
The AA have predicted that 3.7 million drivers will be planning a trip on December 20 – more than the busiest Christmas getaway day of any year since the AA began recording data in 2010. The joint second worst days for traffic jams over the 2024 festive period are expected to be Saturday December 21 and Monday December 23, each with 22.7 million drivers on the road. Amber traffic warnings have been issued by the AA for all three days.
It said likely congestion hotspots include the M60 near the Trafford Centre, Manchester, the M25 near Heathrow airport, London, and the M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham. The AA said Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday may help spread festive journeys this year, but could also means more days of long delays as many people will embark on a getaway from work on December 20 followed by last-minute shopping trips and visits to friends and family.
Chris Wood, AA Patrol of the Year, said: “The best way to ensure hassle-free journeys is to plan them well. Check the traffic reports before you leave and try to travel when it’s quieter if you can, or consider taking a different route to beat the jams.”
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are expected to be the quietest days on the roads. Although December 25 usually has the fewest breakdowns on any day in a year, the AA said it will still have patrols available nationwide. It came to the aid of 2,400 members on Christmas Day 2023.
Rail engineering work will lead to more pressure on the roads with several lines closed this year. London Liverpool Street station will be closed from Christmas Day until January 2, and no trains will call at London Paddington between Friday December 27 and Sunday December 29.
There will be no direct services between Crewe and Liverpool – and a reduced service between Crewe and Manchester – from Saturday December 28 until Friday January 3. Services in the Cambridge area will be disrupted between Friday December 27 and Sunday January 5, affecting CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink.
Meanwhile the UK’s biggest airport, Heathrow, is gearing up for its busiest Christmas Day ever. It said it expects the number of passengers travelling through its terminals on December 25 to be 21% higher than Christmas Day 2023. It also predicts that passenger numbers for the month as a whole will exceed the previous record of 6.7 million last year.
Manchester Airport said its busiest December dates are 20, 21 and 28, with 120,000 passengers travelling through the terminals on those days last year.
