Bank holiday getaway chaos warning

Holidaymakers in the Midlands were today warned to expect a weekend of packed roads and disrupted rail services as millions of people take a short break.

The big bank holiday getaway will see around 18 million cars take to the country's roads over the weekend, with the RAC urging drivers to allow around 50 per cent more time than normal for journeys. But there is some good news for West Midlands motorists, with all but one set of roadworks on major roads in the region suspended for the weekend.

The only set of Highways Agency roadworks to remain will be those on the link between the M42 Junction 8 and M6 Junction 4a near Water Orton in Warwickshire.

Bosses hope the move will help ease congestion and prevent further motoring misery. Across the UK almost half of all major roadworks are also being halted.

Meanwhile travellers planning on catching trains to London will face longer journey times due to work on the busy West Coast Main Line.

No Virgin Trains or London Midland services will run in or out of Euston station on Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday.

Passengers needing to get to the capital are advised by Network Rail to use the slower Chiltern to Marylebone service which leaves Snow Hill station in Birmingham twice an hour.

Birmingham International Airport is also expecting bumper numbers of air travellers. Traditionally the airport has around 30,000 passengers at the start of the spring break.

Spokesman, Daniel Scaife, said: "Following three straight months of record passenger figures we are delighted to see an increase in the numbers of people jetting off over the bank holiday period which, in comparison, is nearly five per cent up on the same period in 2007.

"With a number of new routes having been launched and with many more starting in the coming weeks, passengers are taking advantage of an increasing choice of destinations."