JINGLE HELLS
THIRTEEN different train lines cancel services on huge Christmas getaway day as millions of Brits suffer travel misery
Scroll down to find out which trains and motorways are affected
AT LEAST 13 different train lines have cancelled services on a huge Christmas getaway day - with millions of Brits suffering travel misery.
The railway chaos comes as motorways have been shut and flights cancelled on what is believed to be the busiest day of the festive season.
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It is understood that British Airways ten flights have been cancelled at Heathrow following Storm Pia.
A BA spokesman said that the airline has contacted customers to offer them rebooking options.
Virgin said it has also cancelled nine flights since yesterday due to "operational issues".
On the roads, drivers are being urged to travel at certain times so they do not get stuck in gridlock.
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Traffic has built up at the Port of Dover as French border control staff go on strike.
Kent Police said the the M20 coastbound carriageway between junctions 8 and 9 is temporarily closed due to the suspension of Eurotunnel services.
It said the closure was an emergency measure which would allow freight bound for Europe to queue on the empty motorway.
Ferry passengers face long delays, with P&0 and DFDS both confirming their services will be packed.
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The RAC says 3.2million festive motorists will today share the roads with shoppers and commuters.
It is urging motorists to avoid travelling until after 6pm on what is expected to be the worst day for traffic this festive season.
Snaps also showed massive queues for the Eurostar at St Pancras, after passengers were left stranded by another French strike yesterday.
Eurostar said: "A full Eurostar timetable out of London, Paris and Brussels is running today with eight extra services added and over 10,000 extra seats available for the next three days.
"Eurostar’s full focus today and over the weekend is on getting people home and on holiday for Christmas.
"At such an important time of year for families and friends getting together, extra trains have been organised to help customers whose plans were disrupted.
"All staff have been mobilised to provide support. Customers can exchange their tickets for free or claim a refund.
"Although yesterday’s events were out of Eurostar’s control, the team is working around the clock to provide support to all customers affected.
"It is committed to ensuring they reach their destinations in time to have a fantastic festive period."
Greater Anglia, ScotRail, LNER, West Midland Railway, Transport for Wales, Southern and South Western Railway, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and Southeastern have all announced train delays or cancellations.
On the London Underground, there are delays on the eastern and western ends of the Central line.
Scott Brightwell, Southeastern’s Operations and Safety Director, said: “Unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel a very small number of trains today because of a higher than usual rate of sickness absence.
"We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused to any of our customers.
"While we’ve been able to run the overwhelming majority of the 1,700 trains we run every single day, we have been unable to operate one train on our metro route, four on our mainline route and nine on our high-speed routes spread throughout the day."
The M62 near Manchester has been closed in both directions between junction 21 and junction 22 following a "serious collision" last night.
Greater Manchester Police said that a 19-year-old man died after a Vauxhall Astra lost control on the motorway and hit the barriers.
Delays are also expected on the M4, M25, M1 and M6, with the AA issuing an "amber traffic warning".
The A5 in Staffordshire has also been closed off following another "serious collision".
Bus and rail services have been halted in Northern Ireland as Translink workers go on strike for the third day in just over a week.
In Scotland, journeys by road, rail and air are all likely to be longer following a Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice.
Snaps taken this morning show delayed passengers queuing up at Manchester Airport's Terminal 1.
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These are the 13 train lines which have cancelled services today:
- Greater Anglia: No trains between Norwich and Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft until at least midday due to major flooding on the line
- ScotRail: All trains suspended between Inverness and Wick, Tain, Ardgay and Lairg following strong winds
- Northern: Disruption between Rochdale, Hebden Bridge and Burnley in Greater Manchester following flooding at Todmorden
- London North Eastern Railway (LNER): No services to or from Inverness with replacement buses connecting the city with Edinburgh
- West Midlands Railway: No trains between Birmingham New Street and Lichfield City until at least 11am after a tree fell on the line at Wylde Green
- Transport for Wales: Disruption between Cardiff Central and Penarth due to a train fault
- South Western Railway: Trains blocked by a points failure in Portsmouth
- Gatwick Express and Southern: Disruption between London Victoria and Clapham Junction due to a fault with the signalling system
- CrossCountry and Great Western Railway: Broken-down train in Worcester affecting services
- Southeastern: Major disruption on various routes due to a shortage of train crew, with no service on the Sheerness Line in Kent after 10am for the rest of the day; and cancellations on high speed routes, particularly on services via Gravesend to and from London St Pancras
- London Underground: Delays on the Central line between Leytonstone, Hainault and Epping and between North Acton and West Ruislip due to a shortage of trains
- London Overground: Delays between Willesden Junction and Richmond after a fault with the signalling system at Gunnersbury
- Elizabeth line: Severe delays between London Paddington, Reading and Heathrow Airport after a train broke down in the Acton Main Line area. Another Elizabeth line train later broke down at Farringdon
It comes after Storm Pia yesterday sparked Christmas getaway chaos as 80mph winds battered Britain and halted festive travel plans.
Strong winds blasted most of the country, with felled trees blocking roads, dozens of flights grounded and trains cancelled.
The Eurostar was suddenly halted yesterday by a workers' strike, trapping those trying to get home for their winter holiday.
British Airways grounded two dozen domestic and European flights to and from London Heathrow, including multiple links to and from Amsterdam.
One easyJet flight was forced to divert from Gatwick to Luton after it was buffeted by crosswinds.
Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow were also among the routes experiencing cancellations.
All trains to and from London Euston were cancelled after overhead electric wires toppled onto the lines at Watford Junction.
The concourse at Euston was packed with passengers who had hoped to get a train home for Christmas from the station.
Pilots battled to land a diverted plane at Birmingham Airport in 50mph crosswinds.
A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Manchester also aborted its landing moments before its wheels touched the tarmac.
TransPennine Express issued a "Do Not Travel" warning until 3pm for customers planning to head to and from Edinburgh.
ScotRail had also cancelled trains along seven routes including Inverness to Aberdeen.
Kings Cross St Pancras was flooded with distraught travellers left stranded by the Eurostar walkout earlier.
All schools in the Shetland Islands were shut as locals bunker down against the storm.
Locals reeled as the wind blew smashed glass into the entrance of an M&S in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
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Christmas markets in Liverpool and Hereford shut following the yellow warning.
A man was taken to hospital after the storm toppled a tree onto a car on the A515 in Derbyshire.
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