Rail passengers are scrambling to get home for Christmas as train cancellations are twice as high as normal and competition for hiring cars intensifies.
Crowds gathered at London’s major stations on Thursday to start journeys to see family across the country, after Boris Johnson ruled out any coronavirus restrictions before Christmas.
Yet, rising coronavirus cases and high levels of staff absence have forced train operators to cancel services.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said that 8.7 per cent of all rail staff were absent in the week to December 20 and that 5.2 per cent of trains were cancelled, up from an annual average of 2.9 per cent.
Passengers travelling on CrossCountry trains face further disruption because of strike action. The operator has cancelled many of its services for Christmas Eve, including those between Derby and Nottingham. It has urged customers to avoid travelling on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve if they can, due to strike action.
Car rentals become more popular amid rail problems during omicron wave
Meanwhile, car hire firms are seeing a surge in demand for rentals as some travellers are keen to avoid packed trains for fear of contracting coronavirus. Rail passenger numbers are still well below their pre-coronavirus levels, but roads are getting busier.
According to the travel site Kayak UK, searches made this past week for car rentals over the Christmas period, from December 22 to January 1, have risen by about 50 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. Average prices have increased by about 40 per cent.
According to the RAC, there will be an estimated 5.3 million car journeys on Friday. Roads will be busiest between 11am and 2pm.
National Highways said there was already severe congestion on several motorways in England on Thursday, including the M25, M4 and M6.
There was more disruption for those looking forward to skiing holidays over the Christmas period after Austria joined France in tightening travel restrictions for British travellers. Crystal Ski holidays, a leading operator, was forced to cancel holidays departing on December 27 to Austria.
The company said: “We know that last-minute testing is extremely challenging, even more so given that the tests would need to be taken on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
“With limited testing availability and capacity nationwide, we’re aware the vast majority of our customers would’ve been unable to meet this new requirement to travel. We’re sorry for the disappointment this has caused.”
Families change their Christmas 2021 plans
While many are scrambling to reach their families in time for Christmas, others are making last-minute changes to their plans because positive Covid cases mean some households are having to split up into smaller groups.
Luckier families are now planning larger gatherings, after the Government cut the self-isolation period from 10 days to seven days.
This has caused many to re-evaluate their catering requirements. Supermarkets, including Tesco and Marks and Spencer, from Bristol to Crawley, were faced with considerable queues on Thursday as shoppers rushed out for groceries.
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group said: “To support a safe Christmas getaway, train companies are prioritising running the maximum number of trains possible this week.
“However, at a time when, like other industries, our colleagues are being affected by the omicron variant, this means some trains will be cancelled at short notice and we apologise sincerely for this.
“We know how important this Christmas is for people and our mission is to get everyone to where they are going. To help us do this, everyone should please check before they travel.”