Easter travel warning: 14 million holiday journeys planned, busy airports, and extensive rail maintenance scheduled

The number of journeys during the Easter break in the UK is predicted to be high, with over 14 million journeys expected on the roads and record numbers of passengers predicted to travel through airports. 

The RAC has issued a cautionary note, stating that popular routes could experience double the usual travel time due to the bank holiday weekend. 

The situation could be further compounded by the fact that many schools will be on a two-week holiday, leading to a significant increase in the number of people on the move.

Network Rail has scheduled engineering works on the West Coast Main Line, which connects London to Scotland, between London Euston and Milton Keynes. These works are likely to result in train delays. 

In addition, airports in Bristol, Newcastle, and Edinburgh are expected to witness unprecedented traffic, with Geneva routes anticipated to be particularly congested.

Around two million Britons are expected to fly away over the holiday weekend, with Bristol predicting 30,000 holiday-goers on Easter Sunday alone. 

Luton Airport expects to see approximately 38 passengers per minute on April 5th. Gatwick and Southampton will experience their busiest days on Sunday, April 7th.

Network Rail's Network Strategy Director, Laurence Bowman, stated there is never a good time to do the necessary work. Still, the bank holiday weekend allows for carrying out major work that cannot be done during a typical weekend.

He explained that 493 different work would occur over Easter, including laying over 8,000 meters of new rail and putting down over 40,000 tonnes of new ballast to support the tracks.

The RAC has warned that heavy traffic and lengthy queues are predicted along routes to popular holiday destinations. Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue has advised drivers to prepare for longer journeys than usual throughout the weekend.