Easter travel disruption 2025: Gatwick strikes, Euston shutdown and packed roads expected
It’s shaping up to be a bumpy ride for anyone travelling this Easter weekend, with Easter travel disruption already affecting everything from flights to trains and motorways. For Londoners hoping to make the most of the long bank holiday, a combination of rail closures, industrial action and record numbers of car journeys could make getting away more stressful than planned.
In one of the biggest disruptions to the rail network this year, London Euston will be completely closed from Saturday 19th April through to Monday 21st. That’s a major blow for passengers relying on one of the UK’s busiest stations to get north. Add to that reduced Elizabeth line services between Paddington, Heathrow Terminal 4 and Maidenhead, plus work at Paddington and other key points across the capital, and the message is clear: plan ahead.
It’s not just rail passengers who’ll need patience. Unite members working at Gatwick Airport, including baggage handlers, aircraft dispatchers and check-in staff for airlines like Norwegian, Delta and TAP, are walking out in a row over pensions. That means potential delays or disruption for thousands of travellers using the UK’s second-busiest airport. With over 11,000 flights scheduled across the country over Easter weekend, other hubs like Heathrow and Stansted are expected to feel the knock-on effects.
Motorists aren’t getting off lightly either. The AA expects more than 19 million car journeys on Good Friday alone, a 15% jump on last year, thanks to better weather and a late Easter. Hotspots include the western stretch of the M25, the M5 near Bristol, the A303 in Wiltshire and the M6 close to Birmingham and Blackpool.
In Kent, Operation Brock is back on the M20 to manage delays around the Channel ports, involving narrow lanes and a 50mph speed limit. Lorries heading for Dover or Eurotunnel will need to follow diversion lanes at Maidstone (junction 8), as holiday traffic builds.
For those sticking to public transport this Easter travel weekend, it’s worth knowing that services on Southern, Gatwick Express, Southeastern and Thameslink are also affected. Victoria Station will see reduced or diverted trains, while the Caledonian Sleeper to London will be rerouted to King’s Cross. HS2 bridge works are shutting the line between Marylebone and Aylesbury, and there’ll be rail replacements at Hitchin, Bedford, and along the East Coast main line.
Lines between Norwich, Colchester, Ipswich and London Liverpool Street will also close, with buses replacing trains between Billericay and Colchester. Further works are causing timetable changes in Manchester, Leeds, Huddersfield, Cambridge and Southampton. In Scotland, routes between Carlisle, Edinburgh and Glasgow are also being replaced with buses.
If you’re flying, driving, or catching a train this weekend, it’s worth checking your route – and the alternatives. National Rail and Transport for London both have live travel updates, and you can visit National Highways for the latest on road conditions.
For related updates on rail works and weekend Easter travel issues, see EyeOnLondon’s latest Silvertown Tunnel opening article, which covers future transport changes affecting London.
For more updates on bank holiday travel across the capital, visit EyeOnLondon.
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