Christmas travel: cheap fuel may cause road delays

(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty)

last updated 18 December 2015

UK motorists could be forgiven for thinking they would never see petrol prices fall below a pound per litre again, but a drop in oil prices has brought about a corresponding surge in cheap petrol. However, the AA has warned that seasonal traffic jams may be the price drivers have to pay for their bargains at the petrol pump.

Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's have followed Morrisons' lead in bringing their petrol prices below the pound mark. With forecourt prices at their lowest in six years, drivers have been filling up their tanks for £10 less than a year ago, according to the Daily Telegraph.

But while this may be good news for motorists' wallets, it's likely to increase congestion around the festive season. Today is expected to be the busiest day of the year on Britain's roads, and AA Roadwatch warns that low fuel costs, combined with the unusually mild weather, mean that Britons are more likely than usual to take to the road. This increases the risk of congestion and delays for the 14 million cars predicted to be on the road today.

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The roads are not the only means of transport likely to face congestion problems over Christmas. An estimated four million people will be flying out of UK airports over the coming week, The Independent reports, making it the busiest festive season ever for the nation's airports. This week, Heathrow and Gatwick announced that rail connections to the airports would be suspended for works over some of the Christmas period, advising travellers to plan ahead and leave extra time for their journey.

Christmas travel: airport chaos expected as train routes close

16 December

Travellers planning to use Heathrow or Gatwick airport are being warned to plan ahead and leave extra time for their journeys after it was announced that key rail links to the airports will be suspended over Christmas.

Both Heathrow Connect and Heathrow Express trains, which run from London Paddington, will be out of action from Christmas Day until 29 December to make way for work on Crossrail. From 29 December to 2 January, the Heathrow Express will be running a reduced service.

A spokesperson for Heathrow reminded passengers that the Piccadilly line, which stops at the airport, will continue to operate a normal service. Additional bus and coach services will also be laid on over the affected period.

Gatwick Express trains, which connect the airport to Victoria station, will stop running at 9.15pm on Christmas Eve for ten days of engineering works. A spokesman told The Independent that the work, expected to inconvenience around 500,000 passengers, is an "essential part" of plans to double rail capacity at Gatwick by 2020. From 27 December onwards, passengers can take a train from Victoria which goes to Gatwick via Horsham, although this convoluted journey is expected to take three times longer than the usual express train.

Stephen Joseph, director of the Campaign for Better Transport, told The Guardian that the expected chaos highlights a "lack of surface transport options" which "the government is still failing to address in its plans for airport expansion".

Christmas travel: the train stations and dates to avoid

10 December

Christmas 2015 is set to be the railways' busiest festive period yet, with the majority of Britain's travellers choosing Saturday 19 December to make the trip home.

According to Trainline, 20,000 more passengers have already booked their train travel home this Christmas.

For those hoping to beat the crowds, Tuesday 22 December will be the best day to make a journey, says the independent train travel app.

"Christmas week is one of the busiest times of year for train stations, and packed stations can sometimes be a daunting thought for travellers," said Simon Darling, chief commercial officer at Trainline. He recommended booking tickets early to save money and skip the queues, adding that "planning your trip home for Tuesday 22 December could be an extra little win".

Data from Trainline also reveals that trips from London Euston are likely to be the busiest, with more train travellers heading home from the north London station than anywhere else, with Manchester Piccadilly and London Kings Cross in second and third respectively.

Passengers are being told to factor in extra time for their travel as some areas of the UK continue to feel the after effects of Storm Desmond.

Network Rail bosses have also been warned by the government that the failings of last year – when both London Kings Cross and London Paddington stations were closed – cannot be repeated, reports the Daily Express.

Meanwhile, union-backed research shows that rail prices have risen three times more than average wages in the last five years, despite government plans to cap fare rises next year.

Busiest Festive Travel Days for 2015: