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Chaos for drivers as busy motorway SHUT after lorry crash, trains delayed & stations rammed in dash to get home for Xmas
It comes on the busiest day for Christmas getaways of the year
A BUSY motorway has shut after a lorry crash, sparking chaos for drivers - as trains are also delayed and stations rammed in the dash to get home for Christmas.
The HGV overturned on the M40 in Oxfordshire - causing all lanes to close between junctions J8A and J6.
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The lorry has been left hanging over a safety barrier in the way of a public footpath - as staff attempt to safely recover it.
Work to repair a damaged safety barrier will also be required.
National Highways said that the only way to do this is by closing the carriageway completely.
Drivers have been told to expect a 45-minute delay - with queues going back as far as junction 9.
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Craig Sowden, operations manager for National Highways' East region, said: "This collision has left an HGV balancing precariously over a footpath used by members of the public below.
"We have looked at all possible options but the only way to manage this situation safely is to close the carriageway."
It comes on the busiest single day for getaways, according to the RAC, with 3.8 car journeys expected to take place today.
This is nearly 800,000 more than yesterday, when an estimated 3 million people hit the roads.
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Queues were pictured on the M3 near Winchester, Hampshire this morning - as shopper flooded to the town for shopping.
To add to the mayhem, traffic on the M62 near Rochdale reached a standstill after horses escaped from a nearby field onto the motorway.
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Public transport is also packed-out with festive travellers, with disruption on some railway services threatening to further derail Christmas plans.
Passengers boarding South Western Rail trains between London Waterloo and Guildford were warned of delays due to engineering works - as all lines in Clandon are blocked for the day.
A shortage of signalling staff also sparked disruption between York and Leeds via Knaresborough this morning - with some trains cancelled and others delayed by up to 20 minutes.
And those travelling by train on London bound services from Rugby were told their trains would take a 30-minute diversion via Northampton.
This was due to a fault on a train between Rugby and Milton Keynes.
Meanwhile in Scotland, trains between Edinburgh and Tweedbank are delayed due to a signalling fault.
The network has also warned that many rail services in and out of London Euston will face disruptions due to planned engineering work today - with crowds earlier seen mounting by the noticeboards.
As well as train stations and motorways, high streets are also rammed today with last-minute Christmas shoppers - as social media users report "absolute carnage".
The Christmas chaos began last week, with severe weather conditions spelling trouble for flyers and rail passengers.
In Scotland, travellers were warned yesterday of disruption on trains, flights and ferries - amid 82mph winds.
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And the same ferocious gales saw hundreds of Brits stranded in Portugal on Sunday, after their flights were cancelled.
The cancelled EasyJet flight from Madeira to Gatwick left passengers scrambling to find alternative routes.
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