Navigating Travel Chaos Over Bank Holiday Weekend With Strikes, Delays, And Traffic Disruptions Loom: All You Need To Know

Published on August 20, 2025

The August Bank Holiday play is quickly approaching, but it won’t beryllium soft sailing for travelers. With train strikes, awesome engineering works, and roadworthy postulation congestion, galore will find their trips delayed. Here’s a look astatine nan cardinal issues travelers whitethorn face.

Train Strikes and Disruptions

Anyone readying to recreation by train complete nan agelong vacation play is facing sizeable disruptions. CrossCountry, nan usability stretching from England into Wales and Scotland, announced that each 1 of its services is disconnected this coming Saturday because of RMT national onslaught action. The business isn’t expected to afloat amended nan pursuing day: Sunday will spot a scaled-back timetable pinch further wide cancellations, moreover though nary business action is successful effect.

On Monday, only a limited service will run betwixt 6 americium and 6 pm, and passengers should expect crowded trains. Major routes for illustration those from Birmingham to Reading and nan southbound coast, and from Leicester to Stansted airport, will beryllium unopen down.

The East Coast Main Line will besides acquisition closures, peculiarly betwixt London and Peterborough, making recreation betwixt London and bluish regions highly difficult. Passengers will beryllium forced to usage obstruction replacement buses, extending their travel clip by hours. ScotRail is besides facing important disruptions successful nan southwest of Scotland, which will effect travelers heading to places for illustration Kilmarnock and Dumfries.

Extended Journey Times

In summation to nan strike, engineering useful will hold journeys. The West Coast Main Line betwixt Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International will beryllium closed complete nan weekend, which affects services to Birmingham Airport. Passengers walking connected trains to aliases from London will acquisition longer journeys, pinch immoderate taking up to 2 hours alternatively of nan accustomed 80 minutes.

Good news for some: nan span replacement activity astatine Stockport will decorativeness connected Friday, easing recreation retired of Manchester Piccadilly.

Road Traffic and Congestion

If you’re readying to deed nan road, nan RAC warns that postulation will beryllium astatine its heaviest complete nan weekend. Friday and Saturday will spot nan astir vehicles connected nan road, pinch predictions that up to 3.4 million trips will beryllium made. The M5 south towards Devon will look important delays, particularly betwixt nan M4 junction and Bridgwater.

The M20 done Kent will besides look slow-moving traffic, pinch nan imaginable for half-hour delays arsenic travelers caput to coastal destinations.

Although Sunday will person somewhat reduced congestion, nan pursuing day—Monday—will still beryllium busy, pinch a forecast of 2.7 cardinal vehicles connected nan roads. In ray of this, nan RAC recommends steering clear of highest periods, particularly connected nan attack to nan slope holiday. The tightest windows autumn connected Friday from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., Saturday betwixt 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Monday betwixt 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Air Travel Delays

If you’re taking to nan skies this weekend, brace yourself for sluggish lines and airtime. Friday’s forecast astatine Manchester Airport expects a blistering spike, pinch 115,000 departing guests—an airdrome record. Most are heading for sun-warmed slots for illustration Palma and Alicante, while a touch further afield, Dubai is besides pulling crowds.

The busiest time astatine Gatwick will beryllium Sunday, pinch flights departing each minute. Liverpool John Lennon Airport will beryllium busiest connected Monday.

Air recreation crossed Europe is apt to look much disruption arsenic staffing gaps astatine aerial postulation power creep into operations, particularly successful France, Spain, and Greece. When you adhd emblematic summertime weather—thunderstorms and debased unreality layers—the ripple effect connected departure and presence times becomes much pronounced. Expect other waiting periods connected a sizeable number of flights, including those leaving from airports successful nan UK.

Ferry and Border Delays

If you’re readying to return a ferry crossed nan Channel, expect agelong delays astatine Calais. Travelers will look agelong waits owed to UK Border Force checks and French passport control. The business has been described arsenic “juxtaposed”, pinch some countries’ officials conducting abstracted checks connected motorists and passengers.

What Can You Do?

With strikes, delays, and cancellations each complete nan place, it’s important to scheme ahead. Here are a fewer tips:

1. Check train schedules earlier departure and see replacement routes.
2. Arrive early astatine nan airdrome and hole for imaginable delays.
3. If walking by road, debar highest times arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and cheque for postulation updates earlier mounting out.
4. Make judge your ferry bookings are confirmed, and beryllium prepared for agelong queues astatine nan border.

The upcoming Bank Holiday play promises nan accustomed temptations of short getaways and an other time of rest, yet nan forecast already hints astatine momentary frustrations crossed journeys. Whether you plump for rail, road, aliases runway, packing a small much patience than accustomed will beryllium astatine slightest arsenic captious arsenic nan sunscreen you don’t want to forget.