British families faced Bank Holiday travel chaos today as trains were suspended, ferry passengers faced two-hour waits and more than three million drivers took to the roads.
Avanti West Coast advised customers not to travel to or from London’s Euston station after a major signal failure blocked all lines between the capital and Milton Keynes.
The chaos came on top of Network Rail’s pre-planned engineering work on the West Coast Main Line route, which resulted in longer journeys between London and Scotland.
This included bus replacements between Preston and Carlisle, and Carlisle to Glasgow or Edinburgh; and a modified service between Stafford and Crewe.
In London there was disruption on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Southall due to a speed restriction due to faulty track; while overhead trains were delayed due to an object getting stuck in overhead power lines.
It was also a busy day for driving, with the RAC estimating that there will be 3.4 million motorists on the road today on the last day of the three-day Bank Holiday weekend. The worst period for traffic congestion today is expected to be between 11am and 2pm.
Click here to change the format of this module
In addition, DFDS Ferries warned customers of a ‘busy day’ at the port of Dover in Kent, telling them to allow 120 minutes to complete border control and check-in.
And thousands of Brits queued for hours at Birmingham Airport amid ‘shambolic’ and ‘horrible’ scenes as families flew away on holiday.
Avanti West Coast said today: ‘Due to a serious signal disruption in the Cheddington area, we are advising customers not to travel to or from London Euston.’
But an angry passenger tweeted the operator, saying: ‘Thanks again for another disastrous trip from the north to London – I don’t know how you manage it!’
Another said: ‘Avanti West Coast cancels another load of trains at the last minute. An absolute shambles of a company, not fit for purpose.’
And a third added: ‘When you tend to book an early train only to be told there will be delays.’
Click here to change the format of this module
All lines between Milton Keynes and Watford Junction were closed for a period this morning. Although they have since reopened, travelers were still warned of cancellations this afternoon.
Passengers were told that tickets with a date for today could be used tomorrow – with travel on several routes between London, the Midlands and the North West also encouraged after ticket acceptance was introduced with other operators.
But there were also problems with Thameslink trains due to a signaling error between St Albans and West Hampstead; and on Transport for Wales between Shrewsbury and Wrexham due to an emergency incident.
Further north on ScotRail there was disruption between Edinburgh and Helensburgh Central and between Airdrie and Balloch due to a train breakdown at Airdrie.
It comes as parts of Britain suffered a Bank Holiday outbreak today, with up to an inch of rain expected, along with warnings of flash floods and thunderstorms.
The Met Office said most parts of Britain will see a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers at the start of what is the final week of meteorological spring.
Click here to change the format of this module
But slow-moving heavy rain and thunderstorms could cause flooding and traffic disruption in Scotland, where 40mm of rain is expected to fall within hours.
Temperatures will be around average for this time of year, with highs of 19 degrees today, although forecasters say it will feel chilly with any cloud or rain.
The Met Office said low pressure would continue to move slowly across the British Isles today, maintaining a changeable theme that was also seen over the weekend.
However, it will feel cooler today than over the weekend – with highs of 21.6°C (70.9F) in London – with strong breezes in the south and west.
The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for the northern and eastern parts of mainland Scotland from 11am to 10pm today.
Greg Dewhurst, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘There are some subtle differences – I think England and Wales will generally see less frequent and less heavy showers compared to Sunday, so there should be some longer, drier spells in between .
Click here to change the format of this module
‘But it’s worth taking a brolly and a raincoat if people are heading out as there’s a chance of a shower almost everywhere, and that actually includes Northern Ireland.’
Heavier cloud is expected to move across south-west England towards the end of the day with a chance of patchy rain, but any lingering showers should dissipate during the evening.
Another frontal system will move in from the west tomorrow and rain will spread over many areas after a clear start in the east, with temperatures remaining around average.
Low pressure will continue to dominate the weather on Wednesday, with many areas seeing a mix of sunshine and showers, which could be heavy and thundery in places.
This low pressure will then start to move eastwards on Thursday, but many areas will be sunny and wet again – although western areas may become drier.
Eastern areas will still be under the influence of low pressure on Friday, which will continue the shower theme, but western parts are likely to see a drier day.
A separate rain warning was in force for the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye from midnight to 9am this morning, but it is not expected to be as heavy.
The Environment Agency has issued 22 flood warnings for England, all in southern areas.