The Easter holidays descend into CHAOS as major train stations are CLOSED for the bank holiday weekend and 20 million riders take to the streets

BIG train stations will be closed over Easter and more than 20 million drivers will take to the streets this weekend.

Engineering work, including for HS2, will close London Euston to all services from April 15-18.

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The closure will affect hundreds of thousands planning an Easter holiday as Euston, based in Camden, north London, is Britain’s fifth busiest railway station and the busiest intercity railway.

It connects the capital with the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland.

Southern and Gatwick Express trains will also all be canceled through London Victoria, Britain’s third busiest station, this weekend.

There are no Southern services from London to Brighton on Saturdays, while the Victoria to Brighton line departs from Gatwick on Sundays.

Passengers arriving from London must take a Thameslink train from London Blackfriars or London Bridge.

Train companies Thameslink and Northern will also be offering revised timetables over the bank holiday weekend.

20.8 million drivers are expected from Friday to Sunday.

Saturday is expected to be the busiest as 5.6 million drivers take to the streets, the RAC suggested.

And the car company recommended avoiding the M25 clockwise from J8 to J16 and the A303 at Stonehenge all weekend.

The quietest street times are after 8pm on Fridays and after 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Peak times include Friday 11am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm.

Spokesman Rod Dennis added: “We are expecting two big waves of Easter Bank Holiday traffic over the next few weeks – one over the coming weekend as many schools are closing and the other to coincide with the bank holiday and a long weekend for many people.

“With many people likely to be driving longer distances than they have been for several months, reducing the likelihood of their car letting them down is more important than ever.

“Checking oil and coolant levels, as well as tire pressure and tread depth, can drastically reduce the chance of a breakdown.

“We urge any driver planning a trip in the coming days to allow some time for it – it could mean the difference between a one-way trip or a curbside ride.”

It comes after the British were warned about long queues at the airport over Easter due to staff shortages.

Karen Dee, CEO of the Airport Operators’ Association, said: “Airports have been preparing for this for some time, but at peak times passengers may not have the experience they are used to.

“Airports are working hard to recruit more staff in a very competitive job market and are working with the UK Government to address any delays in required checks before staff can start work.”

Bottlenecks arose after airports and airlines came under financial pressure from the pandemic and many employees lost their jobs.

British Airways passengers have experienced a great deal of travel chaos in recent weeks due to a series of IT outages.

On Wednesday more than 40 flights were canceled due to a technical issue affecting the passengers flying yesterday.

And yesterday the low-cost airline EasyJet 100 flight cancelledIt is due to staff catching Covid.

Ferry passengers are also faced two hours late at Dover.

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