Bank holiday travel warning

Forecasts show heavy congestion on key roads and rail disruption over the August bank holiday as millions plan trips.

Roads Set to See Major Bank Holiday Delays

The RAC warns that the August bank holiday weekend could bring heavy congestion on major routes as millions plan getaways. About 3 million car trips are expected on Friday, 3.4 million on Saturday, 2.4 million on Sunday, and 2.7 million on Monday, with around 17.6 million getaway trips by car across the long weekend.

On the roads, the M5 between Bristol and Devon is singled out by Inrix as the most congested corridor, with delays of more than 40 minutes forecast for Friday and Saturday. The M20 in Kent is also expected to see delays above 30 minutes on Friday as many vehicles head toward Channel crossings. Rail services face major engineering work with Network Rail running 261 projects nationwide. There will be no long-distance services between London King's Cross and Peterborough on Saturday, Avanti West Coast will operate a reduced and amended service to and from London Euston, and no services will operate between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International between Saturday and Monday. London Northwestern services will run to and from Birmingham International only.

These forecasts show travel demand leaning heavily toward car use during a holiday weekend, even as rail maintenance creates a complex timetable for passengers. The result is a weekend where some trips will be longer than expected and planning becomes essential.

The scale of Network Rail’s 261 projects highlights a broader challenge: keeping people informed as infrastructure work continues. The disruption won’t be uniform, and travelers may need to adapt plans at the last minute, which can ripple into local economies and everyday routines along busy corridors.

Highlights

Travelers should plan ahead and stay flexible as the weekend unfolds.