BRITS are facing Christmas getaway chaos with most of the rail network shut on Boxing Day – leading to a mad rush on the bubble deadline.
Families have been granted a five-day relaxation of Covid rules that will allow them to mix with three other households between December 23 and 27.
But the majority of the UK’s rail network is shutting on December 27, with a reduced service already in place as it falls on a Sunday.
This is despite a government pledge to increase options for travelling over Christmas as many Brits are expected to leave their journey home until the last day of the reprieve.
Major routes connecting London with Edinburgh and Cardiff, as well as major cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield are among lines affected by the closures.
Avanti West Coast, LNER, Great Western Railway, Cross Country, Greater Anglia, London Northwestern, East Midlands and Transpennine Express are expected to be shut.
There will also be reduced service on airport lines as well as operators such as TfL Rail, Southern, London Overground and ScotRail.
It comes after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was warned he must put on more trains before the Covid rules are relaxed.
He has previously urged people to “look very carefully at the transport route they take” when they cross the country.
He added:”We have got to understand there are limitations to the (train) network caused by, for example, things like the need on some trains to pre-book tickets at this time, in order to prevent overcrowding.
“So we are going to be appealing to people to look very carefully at the transport route they take and of course even making a choice about whether they travel at all.
“It is the reality of the situation we’re in, we will try to do everything we can with the network to make it as good as possible, but I think it is worth people being aware that busy times of travel is a problem.”
He also warned there would still be significant disruption on the network from planned engineering works – which cannot be changed.
Mr Shapps said the fixes to the lines were often “18 months to two years in the planning” so could not be scrapped or postponed.
The government has provided Christmas coach services with a £3million boost in a bid to help Brits travelling across the UK.
This will enable firms such as National Express and Megabus to ramp up their networks to 75 per cent of normal levels with 80,000 more seats available.
And the AA has urged councils to remove roadworks where possible to make it easier for drivers travelling to see family.
The UK Government and devolved administrations have agreed a temporary easing of measures which will allow three households to mix in a bubble from December 23 to 27.
Social distancing will be relaxed within the bubbles, giving people the chance to hug friends and family for the first time in months.
Each bubble can meet at home, at a place of worship or an outdoor public location but not inside a restaurant or pub.
Ministers have also slashed the self-isolation period from two weeks to 10 days to help reunite families for Christmas.
But scientists have warned Brits to rethink their gatherings and suggested the festive bubbles could lead to a deadly third wave.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, earlier this week told the public to be “very, very sensible” and not go “too far” over Christmas, which he called a “very risky period”.
