Rail strikes to hit Boxing Day travel – with no trains running at all

There will be no trains running in the UK on Boxing Day due to fresh industrial action by rail workers.

Hundreds of trains usually run on the 26 December, but now thousands of people will be forced to make alternative plans to get where they need to be after the festivities, as a result of fresh strikes by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

Services such as the Stansted Express and Heathrow Express are often very popular as people race to airports for festive getaways – but they will now instead have to reach airports by the road.

Read more: Who is striking, and when will they happen?

Sporting fixtures will also be hit by the action, as domestic football gets under way after the break for the World Cup.

Around 15.2 million cars are expected to be on the road on Boxing Day, the AA estimates, while the RAC predicts the M25 will be a hotspot for queues.

Coach operators National Express and Megabus have also seen strong demand for Monday.

A spokesman for the AA 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.”

Services unable to run due to the action includes Merseyrail, which usually runs a regular Boxing Day service across its network, ScotRail, which was due to operate trains in Strathclyde, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Northern, which would have connected Liverpool and St Helens.

It will also bring disruption to the capital with Southern Trains unable to run its services between London Bridge, Brighton and Croydon, which usually operates on the 26 December.