Millions of travelers across the UK are bracing for a challenging August bank holiday weekend, as a perfect storm of rail strikes, engineering works, heavy road traffic, and even air travel disruptions threaten to upend plans for getaways, family visits, and last-minute summer holidays. The convergence of these issues—some planned, some unexpected—has left transport operators and passengers alike scrambling for alternatives and backup plans.
On the railways, the most significant blow comes from industrial action by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at CrossCountry. According to Nation.Cymru, there will be no CrossCountry services at all on Saturday, August 23, 2025, as staff walk out in protest over unresolved disputes about staffing, safety, and pay. An RMT spokesperson explained, “Our members have voted strongly in favour of industrial action, and we are seeking further talks with management to bring about a negotiated settlement.”
The disruption doesn’t end there. Sunday, August 24, is expected to see widespread cancellations across all CrossCountry routes, and on Monday, August 25, only a “very limited” service will operate between 8:00 and 18:00. There will be no trains between Birmingham, Reading, and the South Coast, nor between Leicester, Cambridge, and Stansted Airport. Only a handful of trains will run to the South West and north of York, and those that do are anticipated to be extremely busy.
Shiona Rolfe, CrossCountry’s managing director, voiced her regret: “We are disappointed for our passengers that the RMT has announced strikes on Saturday and Monday. It is hugely disappointing to not operate any services on Saturday, knowing the inevitable disruption to many of our passengers’ journeys over the bank holiday weekend. We are committed to reaching an agreement with the RMT and remain available to continue talks.”
The CrossCountry strike is only part of the story. Network Rail is carrying out a staggering 261 engineering projects across the UK during the holiday period, which will force the closure of several key routes and lead to longer journey times. As reported by Sky News and The Independent, the West Coast Main Line between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International will shut from Saturday through Monday, with Avanti and CrossCountry services diverted and extended journey times. London Northwestern services will terminate at Birmingham International, making what is usually an 80-minute London-Birmingham trip stretch to two hours.
On the East Coast Main Line, the southern section connecting London King’s Cross with Peterborough, Yorkshire, and Scotland will close completely on Sunday, August 24. Rail replacement buses will ferry passengers between Bedford and Peterborough—a journey expected to take two and a half hours instead of the usual 47 minutes. Hull Trains will be forced to reroute via the East Midlands line, and further cancellations may occur due to a strike by Aslef, the train drivers’ union.
Other regional and local lines are not spared. Dry conditions are reducing speeds and services on South Western Railway between London and Exeter, and on the C2C line to south Essex. ScotRail lines southwest from Glasgow Central to Kilmarnock, Dumfries, and Stranraer will also be disrupted by engineering work on both Saturday and Sunday, according to The Independent.
With rail travel so uncertain, many are turning to the roads, but relief is unlikely there either. The RAC estimates that nearly 18 million drivers are planning holiday trips between Friday and Monday, with 3 million getaway journeys on Friday, rising to 3.4 million on Saturday. The RAC’s mobile servicing and repairs team leader, Nick Mullender, warned, “We’re expecting major roads to airports and coastal destinations to be extremely busy, especially the south-east and south-west regions which could end up bearing the brunt of most holiday hold-ups. Anyone planning routes through these areas should set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic.”
The M5 between Bristol and Devon is forecast to see delays of over 40 minutes on Friday and Saturday, while the M20 in Kent—a key route to Channel crossings at Dover and Folkestone—could see delays exceeding 30 minutes. The RAC recommends that drivers set off as early as possible for their getaways or brace for long hours in traffic. The busiest times are expected to be Friday from 10am to 7pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and Monday from 11am to 6pm.
Coach operator National Express is stepping in to help, adding 9,000 extra seats on intercity routes including Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Hull, London, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Swansea, and Wolverhampton. According to The Independent, this represents a 20 percent increase in passenger numbers compared to last year, as more people seek alternatives to disrupted rail services.
Travelers heading abroad can expect their own set of complications. The Port of Dover is warning of wait times up to 90 minutes at border controls and 40 minutes at check-in on Friday morning. Passengers who miss their scheduled ferries will be accommodated on the next available sailing at no extra cost, but the biggest bottlenecks are likely to hit Calais later in the weekend, as British holidaymakers return from continental Europe.
Air travel is also facing headwinds. Friday is expected to be the busiest day of the year at Manchester Airport, with around 118,000 passengers moving through the terminals. Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports are also predicting record traffic, while Gatwick is set to handle 900 flights on Sunday alone. Yet, air travelers are being warned to expect delays, as air traffic control staff shortages and strikes across Europe, coupled with summer storms, threaten to snarl schedules. According to aviation analyst Cirium, over 12,000 flights are scheduled to depart UK airports between Friday and Monday, equating to more than two million seats—though this is still 5 percent down compared to the same weekend in 2019.
Ryanair’s communications director, Jade Kirwan, expressed frustration over the impact of a 40-day air traffic control strike in Belgrade: “It is unacceptable that passengers not even flying to or from Serbia but are simply overflying Serbian airspace en route to their destination are being forced to suffer unnecessary disruption. It makes no sense and is abundantly unfair on EU passengers and families going on holidays.”
With all these factors converging, the advice for anyone hoping to travel over the bank holiday weekend is clear: check your plans, allow extra time, and be prepared for delays. Whether by rail, road, sea, or air, this holiday may test the patience and flexibility of travelers more than any in recent memory.
As the last bank holiday before Christmas, this weekend’s travel chaos is a stark reminder of the interconnectedness—and fragility—of the UK’s transport networks. For many, a successful journey may simply mean getting there at all.
