Snowfall delays Christmas getaway
December 22nd, 2009 by FendyBt2
Article Source: FendyBt2 Official Website
Snow and ice continues to cause travel chaos in large parts of the UK, a day after thousands of motorists were stranded by wintry conditions.
Flights from Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are still disrupted.
Eurostar resumed a limited service on Tuesday, after being closed for three days due to extreme weather in France.
The freezing conditions are affecting parts of England and Wales, with the south east and London worst affected.
BBC forecaster Chris Fawkes said ice was the major problem, and there would be more snow in northern Scotland and north-west England during the day.
He said Aberdeen might have a white Christmas but the rest of the UK could expect dry conditions.
Christmas service
Roads in south-east England were brought to a standstill on Monday, forcing thousands to spend the night in their cars or emergency rest centres.
Many flights were also suspended, with people stranded at airports or unable to reach the terminals, and the disruption has continued on Tuesday.
EasyJet flights appear to be the worst affected – though it says it has operated more than 80% of its flights over the last few days, albeit with some delays.
Ice warning in Scotland Snow disrupts schools in Wales Manchester Airport hit by snow Icy roads in Northern Ireland
EasyJet flights from Luton are cancelled until 1130 GMT, and Easjet travellers can expect "severe disruption" at Gatwick.
Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, said although there were still delays and cancellations, it was not as bad as predicted.
"Easyjet cancelled 200 flights yesterday, leaving 30,000 people out of position and there could be a similar number today because the planes and the crews are in the wrong places," he said.
He also said Easyjet might, for the first time, operate flights on Christmas Day to help catch up.
All passengers are advised to contact their airline.
Channel crossings
The Eurostar train service reopened on Tuesday after being closed for three days due to the severe weather in northern France.
The company said it would be concentrating on easing the "massive backlog", rather than selling new tickets.
Eurotunnel said it was managing to clear the backlog of cars and lorries waiting to use its Channel Tunnel car service.
Anyone without a reservation or with a day trip ticket was being advised not to show up, as the priority would be to clear those people who were meant to travel over the weekend.
Problems also persist on public transport in many parts of the UK.
Southeastern trains said it would be operating a Saturday timetable service on mainline, metro and high-speed routes on Tuesday, with a normal weekday service for Thameslink trains run via Blackfriars.
The company said there would be additional high-speed services through the day and a shuttle service between London Bridge and Cannon Street during the morning and evening peak times.
In Scotland, police have advised drivers to take care in the wintry conditions and only make essential journeys.
Freezing temperatures have also affected much of Wales overnight, causing traffic problems and forcing schools to close.
Emergency centres
In Basingstoke in Hampshire, 2,000 vehicles ground to a halt on Monday, leaving about 3,000 people stranded, Hampshire Constabulary said.
Five emergency rest centres were set up in the Basingstoke area for those who could not get home.
Thousands of motorists and passengers were also stuck in Berkshire and south Oxfordshire.
Many spent the night in freezing conditions after roads in the counties became gridlocked on Monday afternoon.
South Central Ambulance, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, said there had been a 70% increase in calls.
There were also long delays on the M4, the M3 and the M40, to the north and west of London.
The AA said Monday was its busiest day in 10 years with its own patrols getting stuck.
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