18m car journeys and 261 rail works set to cripple bank holiday weekend travel in Britain

Holidaymakers face a weekend of disruption on Britain’s roads and railways as almost 18 million car journeys and widespread engineering works threaten to throw August bank holiday plans into chaos. The RAC has warned drivers to prepare for long delays, particularly on routes to coastal areas and airports, while Network Rail has urged passengers to check their journeys in advance as hundreds of projects close major lines.

The RAC’s forecast, based on survey data scaled to the UK’s 34 million licensed cars, suggests around 17.6 million journeys will take place between Friday and Monday. The busiest stretches are expected in the south-east and south-west, with the M5 between Bristol and Devon singled out as a pressure point. According to transport analytics firm Inrix, drivers could face holdups of more than 40 minutes between junction 15 north of Bristol and junction 23 for Bridgewater on both Friday and Saturday.

Cross-channel traffic is also predicted to be heavy. Motorists heading for Dover or Folkestone on Friday could see queues of over 30 minutes on the M20 in Kent as holidaymakers make their way to ferries and Eurotunnel services.

Experts say the best times to travel to avoid gridlock will be after 7 pm on Friday, before 9 am on Saturday and before 11 am on Monday. Traffic is expected to ease somewhat on Sunday, though popular destinations could still be congested if the weather turns warm and day-trippers head out.

Nick Mullender, the RAC’s repairs team leader, warned that breakdowns are also likely to spike during the long weekend. “More traffic on the roads will inevitably lead to more vehicle breakdowns, especially if the sun makes an appearance and people decide on the day to visit popular destinations. Anyone planning routes through these areas should set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic,” he said.

Travellers who opt for trains may not fare much better. Network Rail has scheduled 261 engineering projects across the country over the weekend, some of which will shut down long-distance routes. The East Coast Mainline between London King’s Cross and Peterborough will be closed on Sunday, disrupting services run by LNER and Lumo and hitting passengers travelling between London, the Midlands and Scotland.

On the west coast, Avanti will operate a reduced timetable to and from London Euston, while services between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International will not run at all from Saturday through Monday. CrossCountry and Avanti trains will be diverted, leading to longer journeys, and London Northwestern will only serve Birmingham International, leaving gaps elsewhere on the route.

Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s chief network operator, apologised for the disruption but defended the timing. “While the vast majority of the railway will be running, works on some parts of the network are unfortunately unavoidable as we complete major work to support a better, more reliable railway that we wouldn’t be able to complete in a normal weekend. So we’re asking passengers to check their journeys in advance to ensure their route isn’t affected.”

The August bank holiday is traditionally one of the busiest travel weekends of the year as families take advantage of the final break before schools return. With more than 17 million vehicles on the roads and large sections of the rail network disrupted, the potential for widespread delays is high. Authorities are advising travellers to plan carefully, allow extra time, and be prepared for queues, whether heading to the seaside, airports, or events around the country.