Ferry passengers experienced delays as rows of cars built up at the Kent port, which expects nearly 30,000 outbound vehicles over the festive period. Peak congestion was forecast between 6am and 1pm, prompting operators to advise motorists to allow extra time for their journeys. Cross-country train services were also cancelled.
P&O Ferries, which operates several routes from Dover, warned customers to expect slower progress through the port due to high traffic volumes. Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, advised travellers not to arrive too early.
“To help ensure a smooth departure, we kindly ask all customers travelling with our ferry partners not to arrive more than two hours before their scheduled sailing, just as you would if departing from a UK airport,” he said. “We greatly appreciate everyone’s patience should there be any additional waiting time due to the high volumes of traffic.”
Rail passengers also faced delays after CrossCountry cancelled a number of services because of staff shortages. The operator said a lack of available drivers affected routes between Manchester and Birmingham.
On the roads, traffic was expected to ease slightly compared with Saturday, although delays remained on parts of the motorway network. National Highways reported slow-moving traffic on the M25 clockwise between Junction 15 near Heathrow and Junction 19 in Hertfordshire.
The RAC predicts about 3.5 million car journeys will be made on Sunday alone. Motorists planning last-minute travel before Christmas Day have been warned to expect heavy congestion. This week could see the busiest Christmas getaway on record, with 37.5 million leisure journeys forecast in the week before December 25, the highest figure since the organisation began compiling data in 2013.
Christmas Eve is expected to be the busiest day, with 4.2 million leisure trips planned. Drivers are advised to anticipate delays between 11am and 7pm when traffic is expected to peak.
Transport operators urged all passengers to check updates before travelling and to allow extra time for their journeys.
