Easter travel LIVE: Millions face Friday getaway delays as Dover queues hit 90 minutes and flood warnings issued

More than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday

There are severe delays for travellers at Dover trying to sail to mainland Europe on their Easter holiday breaks.

Millions of people are set to face disruption to their travel plans this weekend due to major rail engineering works, strike action, heavy traffic and possible flooding.

The Port of Dover said it was taking up to 90 minutes for departing passengers to pass through border checks.

More than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail across Britain between Good Friday and Easter Monday, prompting warnings for passengers to check their journeys in advance.

The worst-affected routes include those serving London Euston, where no trains will run to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Sunday due to work to renew overhead electric lines and improve drainage.

A reduced timetable will operate on Good Friday and Monday, and services on the West Coast Main Line will begin and end at Carlisle from Saturday to Monday, with replacement buses covering northern stations.

Platforms 1 to 8 at London Victoria will be shut throughout the bank holiday, with Southeastern trains diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street.

Routes around Southampton and Brockenhurst will also be hit by closures.

Live updates

13 hours ago

Eurostar trains hit by delays after fire at Ebbsfleet International

Several Eurostar trains between London, Paris and Brussels have been hit by delays ahead of the Easter weekend.

At least one train has been cancelled and four others delayed by at least an hour.

A message on the Eurostar website says it is “currently experiencing delays on our routes due to technical and operational incidents”.

The delays have been caused by a fire near the tracks underneath a bridge at Ebbsfleet International, according to a post on X by Network Rail Kent and Sussex.

It said services had been impacted and replacement buses were now in operation.

18 hours ago

Chaos as train line blocked on Willesden to Clapham line at Shepherd's Bush

A fault with the signalling system at Shepherd's Bush means that the line between Willesden Junction and Clapham Junction is blocked.

Trains running through this station may be cancelled or diverted to or from Richmond.

National Rail said disruption is expected until at least 5pm.

Richmond services will run as normal to Stratford.

19 hours ago

Missing child found wandering on M25

Easter getaway
Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

A boy was found wandering on the M25 just metres from moving cars after he was reported missing.

Emergency services were called just after midday on April 7 to reports of the child walking on the hard shoulder near Brasted, Kent.

19 hours ago

Bad weather affecting ferries

PA

Ferries across the UK have been cancelled today due to bad weather.

All sailings have been postponed on the St Mawes Passenger Ferry between St Mawes and Falmouth because of poor conditions.

Meanwhile, Hebrides, Firth of Clyde and Skye Raasay sailings are experiencing disruption or cancellations on Calmac services.

20 hours ago

Buses running instead of trains on London Northwestern

Ross Lydall

Buses have replaced London Northwestern rail services between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey due to overhead line problems.

20 hours ago

Normal service resumes on Piccadilly Line

Normal service has resumed on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 following earlier signalling problems at Northfields.

20 hours ago

M3 queues form from holiday traffic

Queues have formed on the M3 Southbound at Junction 3 A322 (Lightwater/Bagshot) due to holiday traffic.

20 hours ago

Piccadilly Line plagued by delays

There are minor delays on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground between Acton Town and Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 due to signalling problems at Northfields.

21 hours ago

Dartford hit with disruption

Long delays on the M25 anticlockwise at Junction 1A A206 (Dartford Tunnel) due to an accident.

Congestion to just after Junction 3 M20 (Swanley Interchange).

There is also disruption on the hard shoulder on M25 clockwise before the QE2 Bridge.

Congestion to Junction 29 A127 (Romford).

22 hours ago

Manchester-Crewe delays due to broken train

PA

There are delays of up to 15 minutes and some cancellations on Northern, Avanti West Coast and Transport for Wales services between Manchester Piccadilly and Crewe due to a broken train.

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