Christmas getaway begins for thousands

While 156 sets of roadworks are being lifted by Tuesday to cope with a surge in traffic, 63 are also going to stay in place, leading to warnings of delays on motorways.

Those staying put include the 50mph speed limit on the M6 between junctions 10A near Wolverhampton and 13 near Stafford.

Birmingham Airport is also expecting to see as many as 311,000 passengers between tomorrow and January 4, a 7.3 per cent rise on last year as people get away for the Christmas break.

Rail passengers are also being told to plan ahead as services are expected to be packed while others will not run due to engineering works.

David Lavender, spokesman for Birmingham Airport, said: "We expect the busiest day to be Sunday, when over 24,000 people will travel through the airport, to visit loved ones, catch some winter sun or hit the ski slopes.

"Popular destinations for passengers jetting off to visit family and friends over Christmas include Scotland and Ireland. Those seeking warmer weather are jetting off to Egypt, Cape Verde and Cyprus, as well as destinations in Spain and Portugal.

"The airport will remain open throughout Christmas and New Year, with around 6,400 passengers travelling through on Christmas Day. Flights will depart to Montego Bay, Istanbul, Dubai, Sharm El Sheikh and Delhi, as well as many other European destinations.

"Passengers are advised not to take wrapped presents in their hand luggage as security may ask you to open the wrapping, and do not take party poppers or Christmas crackers on board. If in doubt about what you can and can't take, please contact your airline."

Reduced timetables are in use on various rail routes on Christmas Eve with the frequency of trains winding down from 1pm, London Midland said. There will be no trains on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Major engineering work is also taking place on the weekend of December 27 and 28.

Normal timetabled services resume on January 3. David Sidebottom, of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Investment in maintenance and improvement is necessary.

"But, for passengers wanting to travel over Christmas, engineering works can be a major inconvenience, especially if it means having to use rail replacement bus services."