London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Boxing Day bargain-hunters warned of traffic jams amid rail strike

Boxing Day bargain-hunters warned of traffic jams amid rail strike

The AA said it expects 15.2 million cars on UK roads on Boxing Day, with shoppers and football fans among those likely to travel
Shoppers hoping for a Boxing Day bargain could face traffic jams as rail strikes see train services brought to a halt.

Thousands of people planning to travel by train have been forced to make alternative plans amid continued industrial action.

Hundreds of departures usually run on December 26 after the Christmas Day shutdown but Network Rail said Britain’s railways will remain closed for a second consecutive day due to a walkout by employees from the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT).

The AA said it expects 15.2 million cars on UK roads on Boxing Day, with shoppers and football fans among those likely to travel.

A spokesman said: “Traffic is likely to build around shopping centres as lots of people seek a bargain in the sales, meanwhile football fans will travel to see their teams.

“There is scope for localised traffic congestion and more short trips, but traffic should be dispersed throughout the day as people take their time after Christmas Day.”

Airport transfers such as the Heathrow Express and Stansted Express are usually among the most popular services on Boxing Day, but airline passengers will be forced to find other ways of getting to and from Britain’s airports due to the industrial action.

Both the London Overground and Elizabeth Line are both closed, Transport for London said.

The District and Bakerloo lines are both experiencing part closures due to the national rail strike.

Southern will not be running, while services such as Merseyrail and ScotRail, which usually offer services, are cancelled. There also no services running via Thameslink.

Northern operated a service between Liverpool Lime Street and St Helens Central on Boxing Day last year.

Coach operators National Express and Megabus have experienced strong demand.

New data has predicted that shoppers will spend four per cent less this Boxing Day and during the post-Christmas sales due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Research by Barclaycard Payments found that the average shopper intends to buy £229 worth of items in the post-Christmas sales period, a reduction of £18 compared with 2021.

Passengers were warned about the impact of the rail strike a week ago – and heeded warnings appeared to lead to relatively smooth travel for most people on Christmas Eve when services finished up early.

The RAC highlighted two stretches of the M25 as likely hotspots for queues.

They are from junction 7 to 16 clockwise, and from junction 4 to 1 anti-clockwise.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×