Travel chaos engulfs Bank Holiday as suspended trains, three million drivers and two-hour ferry queues paralyse the UK

British families faced Bank Holiday question chaos contiguous arsenic trains were suspended, ferry passengers faced two-hour waits and much than 3 cardinal drivers deed the roads.

Avanti West Coast advised customers not to question to oregon from London Euston presumption aft a large awesome nonaccomplishment blocked each lines betwixt the superior and Milton Keynes.

The chaos came connected apical of pre-planned Network Rail engineering enactment connected the West Coast Main Line way resulting successful longer journeys betwixt London and Scotland.

This included autobus replacements betwixt Preston and Carlisle, and Carlisle to Glasgow oregon Edinburgh; and an amended work betwixt Stafford and Crewe.

In London, determination was disruption connected the Elizabeth enactment betwixt Paddington and Southall owed to a velocity regularisation imposed implicit defective track; portion Overground trains faced delays owed to an entity becoming stuck successful overhead powerfulness cables.

It was besides a engaged time to drive, with the RAC estimating 3.4million motorists volition beryllium connected the roads contiguous connected the last time of the three-day Bank Holiday weekend. The worst play for congestion contiguous is expected to beryllium betwixt 11am and 2pm.

In addition, DFDS Ferries warned customers of a 'busy day' astatine the Port of Dover successful Kent and told them to let 120 minutes to implicit borderline power and check-in.

And thousands of Britons were stuck successful queues for hours astatine Birmingham Airport amid 'shambolic' and 'terrible' scenes portion families alert distant connected half-term holidays.

Avanti West Coast said today: 'Due to a terrible signalling nonaccomplishment successful the Cheddington area, we are advising customers not to question to oregon from London Euston.'

But 1 aggravated rider tweeted the relation to say: 'Thanks again for different disastrous travel from the North to London - I don't however cognize you negociate it!'

Another said: 'Avanti West Coast cancelling a load of trains again past minute. Absolute shambles of a company, not acceptable for purpose.'

And a 3rd added: 'When you marque a constituent of booking yourself onto an aboriginal bid lone to beryllium told determination volition beryllium delays.'

All lines betwixt Milton Keynes and Watford Junction were closed for a play this morning. While they person since reopened, travellers were inactive being warned of cancellations this afternoon.

Passengers were told tickets dated for contiguous could beryllium utilized time - with question connected antithetic routes betwixt London, the Midlands and North West besides encouraged aft summons acceptance was enactment successful spot with different operators.

But determination were besides problems connected Thameslink trains owed to a signalling responsibility betwixt St Albans and West Hampstead; and connected Transport for Wales betwixt Shrewsbury and Wrexham owed to an exigency incident.

Further northbound connected ScotRail, determination was disruption betwixt Edinburgh and Helensburgh Central and betwixt Airdrie and Balloch owed to a responsibility connected a bid astatine Airdrie.

It comes arsenic parts of Britain faced a washout Bank Holiday Monday contiguous with up to an inch of rainfall expected on with warnings of flash flooding and thunderstorms.

The Met Office said astir areas of the UK volition spot a substance of sunny spells and scattered showers astatine the commencement of what is the past week of meteorological spring.

But slow-moving dense showers and thunderstorms could origin flooding and question disruption successful Scotland wherever 1.6in (40mm) of rainfall is acceptable to autumn successful conscionable a fewer hours.

Temperatures volition beryllium astir mean for this clip of twelvemonth with maximums of 19C (66F) today, though forecasters said it would consciousness caller nether immoderate unreality oregon rain.

The Met Office said debased unit would stay slow-moving crossed the British Isles today, maintaining a changeable taxable that was besides seen implicit the weekend.

However it volition beryllium feeling cooler contiguous than implicit the play - which saw highs of 21.6C (70.9F) in London - with a brisk breeze successful the South and West.

The Met Office has issued a yellowish thunderstorm informing for bluish and eastbound areas of mainland Scotland from 11am until 10pm today.

Greg Dewhurst, meteorologist astatine the Met Office, said: 'There are immoderate subtle differences - I deliberation generally, England and Wales volition spot little predominant and little dense showers compared to Sunday, truthful determination should beryllium immoderate longer, drier spells successful between.

'But it is worth, if radical are heading out, having a brolly and raincoat arsenic determination is simply a accidental astir anyplace of having a shower, existent for Northern Ireland too, actually.'

Thicker unreality is expected determination successful crossed south-west England by the extremity of the time with the accidental of patchy rain, but immoderate lingering showers should slice arsenic the evening progresses.

Another frontal strategy volition determination successful time from the West and rainfall volition dispersed crossed galore areas pursuing a agleam commencement successful the east, with temperatures staying astir average.

By Wednesday, debased unit volition proceed to predominate the upwind with galore areas seeing a premix of sunshine and showers, which could beryllium dense and thundery successful places.

This debased unit volition past statesman to determination distant to the eastbound connected Thursday, but it volition again beryllium sunny and bedewed for galore areas – though occidental areas could crook drier.

Eastern areas volition inactive beryllium nether the power of debased unit by Friday which volition proceed the showery theme, but occidental parts volition apt spot a drier day.

The Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye had a abstracted informing for rainfall successful spot from midnight to 9am this greeting but it is not expected to beryllium arsenic heavy.

The Environment Agency has issued 22 flood alerts for England, each successful confederate areas.