The Automobile Association (AA) predicts that almost 20 million car trips will take place across the UK on Boxing Day, with volumes jumping to 22 million on Saturday 27 December. The surge is fuelled by family visits (63 %), post-holiday shopping (52 %) and an earlier-than-usual return to work for many sectors on Monday.
Congestion ‘red zones’ identified by transport analytics firm Inrix include the M25 (J7-16), M1 (J16-6) and, most severely, the northbound M6 between Junctions 5 and 10A – a key artery for freight forwarding trucks serving Northern Ireland and Scotland via ferry links. Drivers heading to airports should also note the full closure of the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth until 4 January, forcing lengthy diversions to reach flights at Southampton or Bournemouth.
![AA Warns 19.7 Million Boxing-Day Car Journeys Will Collide with Rail Engineering Works]()
Road pressure will be compounded by a near-total rail blackout: there are no national-network trains on Christmas Day and only skeleton services on Boxing Day, while London Waterloo and stretches of the West Coast Main Line remain closed for engineering work until 4 January. That leaves overseas assignees reliant on hire cars or coach transfers to reach Heathrow, Gatwick and regional airports. Mobility coordinators are advising arrivals scheduled for 26–27 December to book guaranteed-fare taxis in advance and allow buffer time for immigration formalities.
For assignees who still need to arrange last-minute visa extensions or replacement entry documents before flying, VisaHQ’s London team can fast-track applications and courier passports nationwide, avoiding an extra journey into the capital. Full details and online order forms are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
National Highways has lifted 90 % of roadworks but warns that breakdown call-outs spike by 25 % when traffic rebounds on 2 January. The AA urges drivers unfamiliar with UK winter motoring to perform tyre, battery and fluid checks before setting off. Employers should circulate emergency contact numbers and remind staff that some insurance policies exclude cover if official ‘do not travel’ warnings are issued.
Congestion ‘red zones’ identified by transport analytics firm Inrix include the M25 (J7-16), M1 (J16-6) and, most severely, the northbound M6 between Junctions 5 and 10A – a key artery for freight forwarding trucks serving Northern Ireland and Scotland via ferry links. Drivers heading to airports should also note the full closure of the M27 between Southampton and Portsmouth until 4 January, forcing lengthy diversions to reach flights at Southampton or Bournemouth.
Road pressure will be compounded by a near-total rail blackout: there are no national-network trains on Christmas Day and only skeleton services on Boxing Day, while London Waterloo and stretches of the West Coast Main Line remain closed for engineering work until 4 January. That leaves overseas assignees reliant on hire cars or coach transfers to reach Heathrow, Gatwick and regional airports. Mobility coordinators are advising arrivals scheduled for 26–27 December to book guaranteed-fare taxis in advance and allow buffer time for immigration formalities.
For assignees who still need to arrange last-minute visa extensions or replacement entry documents before flying, VisaHQ’s London team can fast-track applications and courier passports nationwide, avoiding an extra journey into the capital. Full details and online order forms are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/.
National Highways has lifted 90 % of roadworks but warns that breakdown call-outs spike by 25 % when traffic rebounds on 2 January. The AA urges drivers unfamiliar with UK winter motoring to perform tyre, battery and fluid checks before setting off. Employers should circulate emergency contact numbers and remind staff that some insurance policies exclude cover if official ‘do not travel’ warnings are issued.
