South East prepares for Christmas travel rush

South East residents have been told to prepare for a busy festive period with record numbers expected to hit the country's roads ahead of Christmas.

The RAC estimated 37.5 million leisure trips by car would happen nationally between 17 December and Christmas Eve - the most in the week before Christmas Day since it began recording the data in 2013.

The Port of Dover says it is also expecting to see 20% more Christmas traffic compared with last year.

Gatwick Airport expects 28 December to be the busiest day for travel over the festive break with 757 flights.

Andrew McConnell, of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, urged airport goers to check what they're packing and plan their journeys.

"A little preparation now means a smoother start to your holiday."

Gatwick Airport said it offered passengers a record number of destinations this year, with nearly 250 flights set for Christmas Day.

Drivers have been told to expect congestion on the M25 near both Bluewater Shopping Centre near Greenhithe in Kent and near Heathrow Airport.

Heavy traffic is also expected by the M3/M25 interchange near Chertsey in Surrey.

The AA said Friday was expected to be the busiest day of the festive period with 24.4 million cars on UK roads.

Drivers have been warned of gridlock near shopping hubs and motorway junctions.

Shaun Jones, from AA's expert patrol, said: "Our advice is simple. Plan ahead, check your route, and allow extra time."

Drivers have also been urged to pack essentials and to keep their tank or charge topped up.

Southeastern Railway said between 20 December and 5 January it was expecting 3.3 million journeys to be made on its network, up from 3.2 million the year before.

South Western Railway services are also set to be disrupted on 27 and 28 December when there are no trains between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction.

Stuart Meek, chief operating officer of South Western Railway and Network Rail in Wessex, said: "Tens of millions of customers travel on our lines between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction every year, and once this vital engineering work is complete, they can expect a more reliable railway and smoother journeys for years to come.

"There will be a limited number of additional services in the early hours of New Year's Day to support customers heading home from the celebrations in London."

Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Southern, Gatwick Express, and Thameslink services, is urging passengers to check their journeys online ahead of time.

On 4 January, engineering work means buses will replace trains between Purley in London and East Grinstead in West Sussex, and between Oxted in Surrey and Uckfield in East Sussex.

Trains between London Victoria and Reigate will also only run between Redhill and Reigate, both in Surrey.

Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said: "The festive period gives us a rare chance to make the most of lower passenger numbers to carry out vital work on the railway.

"The areas of track and infrastructure being worked on this Christmas are normally some of the busiest sections of railway in the country, so we will make the most of this window of opportunity to work while the railway is closed, as we aim to give passengers safer and more reliable journeys."

About 30,000 cars are expected to embark on outbound sailings from the Port of Dover during the festive period, which is 5,000 more than in 2024, the port says.

A spokesperson from the site said resources at the port had been increased and it had been working with ferry partners, as well as the French and UK border teams, to try and reduce wait times.

Traffic is expected to peak at the port between 06:00 GMT and 13:00 from Friday to Sunday.

"We actively encourage traffic heading to the port to arrive no more than two hours before their sailing, and to stick to the main A2 and A20 routes in, and to keep the local roads clear so our community can get about their town for the festivities and to finish their Christmas shopping," a Port of Dover spokesperson said.

UK airports are also expecting their busiest Christmas getaway in history, with the Civil Aviation Authority stating that passenger numbers for December were forecast to exceed the record 22 million seen in 2024.

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