Chaos for drivers as busy motorway SHUT after lorry crash, trains delayed & stations rammed in dash to get home for Xmas
A BUSY motorway has shut after a lorry flipped over, sparking Christmas getaway chaos – as millions of last-minute shoppers hit the roads.
The HGV overturned on the M40 in Oxfordshire – causing all lanes to close between junctions J8A and J6.
The lorry has been left hanging over a safety barrier in the way of a public footpath – as staff attempt to safely recover it.
But National Highways said that the only way to do this was by closing the carriageway completely.
Drivers have been told to expect a 45-minute delay – with queues going back as far as junction 9.
Craig Sowden, operations manager for National Highways’ East region, said: “This collision has left an HGV balancing precariously over a footpath used by members of the public below.
“We have looked at all possible options but the only way to manage this situation safely is to close the carriageway.”
It comes as on the busiest single day for getaways, according to the RAC, with 3.8 car journeys expected to take place today.
This is nearly 800,000 more than yesterday, when an estimated 3 million people hit the roads.
Public transport is also packed-out with festive travellers, with disruption on some services threatening to further derail Christmas plans.
Passengers boarding South Western Rail trains between London Waterloo and Guildford have been warned of delays due to engineering works – as all lines in Clandon are blocked for the day.
A shortage of signalling staff also sparked disruption between York and Leeds via Knaresborough this morning, National Rail announced.
Some trains were delayed – while others were delayed by up to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, those travelling by train on London bound services from Rugby were told their trains would take a 30-minute diversion via Northampton – due to a fault on a train between Rugby and Milton Keynes.
The network has also warned that many rail services in and out of London Euston will face disruptions due to planned engineering work today – with crowds earlier seen mounting by the noticeboards.
Yesterday, severe weather conditions also sparked travel chaos.
In Scotland, travellers were warned of disruption on trains, flights and ferries – amid 82mph winds.
The same ferocious winds saw hundreds of Brits stranded in Portugal on Sunday, after their flights were cancelled.
The cancelled EasyJet flight from Madeira to Gatwick left passengers scrambling to find alternative routes.