Easter travel disruption expected on rail and roads

More than 300 engineering projects will be carried out by Network Rail - including at London Euston - over the long weekend. On roads the RAC has warned there could be "big jams" with nearly 20 million people expected to make journeys on Good Friday. Weather could also affect travel with yellow warnings for rain issued for parts of south-west England, south Wales and eastern parts of Northern Ireland. Planned industrial action at Gatwick could impact "a small number of airlines" at the airport. The airport said it was "aware" of the strikes by some union members working for ground handling company Red Handling UK, adding that airlines affected are: Air Mauritius, Air Peace, Delta, Ethiopian Airlines, Norwegian, and TAP. Gatwick told all passengers travelling with these airlines to contact them directly for more information. For most rail users Network Rail said it was business as usual. Kevin Groves, Network Rail's head of media, said the "good news for passengers travelling today is that the vast majority of the rail network - well over 95% - is actually open for business as usual." But he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that there are "some pockets" of major work, most significantly at London Euston Station, which will be closed from Saturday to Monday. During this time, there will be no trains running from the station to Milton Keynes. A reduced timetable will operate during the long weekend, and services on the West Coast Main Line will begin and end at Carlisle from Saturday to Monday, with replacement buses covering northern stations. Meanwhile, half of London Victoria will be shut, with Southeastern trains diverted to London Bridge or London Cannon Street. Routes around Southampton and Brockenhurst will also be hit by closures. Mr Groves warned passengers travelling during the Easter period to "plan ahead" and check their journeys. He added that despite the roads being "really busy over Easter, from a railway's perspective, "if you compare it to any other Saturday, Sunday, Monday, it's actually quieter".   On road travel, an RAC spokesperson warned that there could be "big jams", and told people that it is "vital" to plan ahead and "be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion". Traffic hotspots are expected on the M6 in Birmingham and near Blackpool, the south and western M25, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire. The AA estimated that nearly 20 million people will be travelling on the roads on Good Friday, with just under that number expected to make journeys on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. National Highways has also lifted roadworks from more than 1,100 miles of motorway and major A roads, with 97.5% of its network now free of traffic cones. The Port of Dover has warned that traffic is causing "extended processing times at Border Control". Weather across the long weekend will be mixed with each day slightly different. Good Friday will see some dry and warm weather in eastern England but cloudiness and rain in the west. Northern Ireland, Wales and south-west England will see the wettest conditions with heavier and more prolonged rain, with a risk of some localised flooding in areas already saturated from recent rainfall. Met Office yellow warnings have been issued for parts of south Wales and most of south-west England valid from 14:00 BST to 09:00 BST on Saturday and eastern parts of Northern Ireland from 14:00 BST to 15:00 BST Saturday. The prolonged and occasional heavy rain in these parts might lead to difficult driving conditions and transport disruption. From Saturday, rain is expected to clear and temperatures will pick up for the rest of the weekend.