The misery for drivers braced for the M25 closure has started early on Friday with a lane closure causing a six mile tailback during rush hour.
The big queue is stretched from junction 27 to 25.
It comes before the motorway – which is Britain’s busiest – will be closed in both directions between junctions 9 and 10 in Surrey until 6am on Monday while concrete beams for a new bridge are installed.
The RAC has advised drivers on the route, especially those going on days out to attractions such as Chessington World of Adventures, that they should take extra food and drinks on their journey.
Diversion routes will take cars on a 19-mile journey on A roads, crossing from Surrey into London’s Ulez area, though National Highways has assured drivers “no enforcement action will be taken”.
But the highways authority said anyone who ignores official diversion signs in an attempt to find shorter alternative routes will be liable for the £12.50 daily Ulez fee if their vehicle does not meet minimum emissions standards.
Meanwhile train companies have warned of amended timetables due to the overtime ban being observed by Aslef drivers.
Southern, Thameslink & Great Northern are aong the services affected, with the Gatwick Express not operating at all.Scroll down for the latest travel updates across London’s travel network.
Heathrow strikes called off after new deal over outsourcing jobs
10:31 , Will Mata
Planned strikes by hundreds of workers at Heathrow Airport have been called off after a new offer was made in a bid to resolve a dispute over the outsourcing of jobs.
Around 800 members of Unite were due to walk out on Thursday until next Monday but the action will not now go ahead and the workers, including security guards and passenger assistance staff, will be balloted on the offer.
John Dunne has the full story here.
M25 connecting road closed near Dartford after serious crash
10:17 , Will Mata
A road is closed near Dartford in Kent after a “serious crash”.
Traffic is stationary after the collision involving three vehicles on the A2 into town from the M25 (Darenth Interchange) to A2018 Old Bexley Lane (Dartford Heath).
There is congestion to Ebbsfleet from the M25, and back to Dartford eastbound with onlookers.
Sources confirm that trapped traffic is beginning to be released from the rear. Detour in operation – via local routes.
The incident has not impacted the flow of traffic on the M25.
London set for hot weekend
10:04 , Will Mata
Travel in and out of London could be impacted by some very sunny weather forecast for this weekend.
Friday will have highs of 25C, according to the Met Office, while the capital will be hotter than Nice this weekend with peaks of 26C.
The full weather update is here.
Minor delays on the Northern line
09:43 , Will Mata
There are slight delays on the Tube on Friday morning, with specifically the Northern line feeling minor disruption.
Transport for London has said this is due to a shortage of trains.
The Underground network is otherwise running a good service.
Will there be train strikes this weekend?
09:39 , Will Mata
As Lola Alao explains, there are no rail strikes this weekend but there is an overtime ban.
An overtime ban is a form of industrial action where workers refuse to work overtime hours to put pressure on their employers during labour disputes.
This can disrupt the normal operation of train services, particularly if overtime is relied upon to cover staffing shortages or to maintain regular service levels during peak times or emergencies.
This will last until Saturday, May 11.
Long queues still from M25, junction 25
09:27 , Will Mata
A closed lane around junction 25 (Enfield / A10) continues to cause delays on the M25 anticlockwise to junction 26 (A121 Honey Lane)
There is around 10km, or six miles, of tailbacks along the section according to data provided by Inrix.
Mornington Crescent now back open
08:52 , Will Mata
Mornington Crescent has reopened.
The Northern line Tube station had been closed due to a shortage of staff on Friday morning.
Transport for London confirmed the reopening at 8.45am.
Transport for London pays out thousands in device clash refunds after passengers overcharged
08:34 , Will Mata
Transport for London (TfL) has refunded overcharged passengers in the capital thousands of pounds due to device clashes.
Data from TfL showed £8,369.25 was refunded for 609 cases between 12 June and 26 June 2023 – the equivalent of £217,594 across the year. Passenger watchdog TravelWatch has warned that these refunds could be “the tip of the iceberg.”
Device clashes occur when customers use one device to tap into a station as they start their journey, and another on the way out. TfL’s systems are unable to recognise that the transactions belong to the same customer.
Maryam Kara has the full story here.
Three mile tailbacks at South Mimms
08:32 , Will Mata
There are delays on the M25 clockwise as traffic queues from from J22 A1081 (St Albans / London Colney) to J23 A1M (South Mimms).
Data from Inrix shows this is due to a construction area.
Latest updates show that there are tailbacks of around 5km or three miles.
Traffic queuing on M25 after lane closed
08:27 , Will Mata
Traffic is currently queuing on the M25 anticlockwise from J27 (M11) to J25 A10 (Enfield).
One lane is closed along the route due to works.
As of 8.25am, the tailback length was around 10km or six miles.
TfL extends Woolwich ferry operating hours to every 15 minutes
08:23 , Will Mata
Transport for London (TfL) has extended the Woolwich Ferry’s operating hours, with two boats operating every day of the week.
The free ferry is again transporting passengers across the Thames with a daily service frequency of every 15 minutes.
The Woolwich Ferry, which has been operating since the 14th century, has had its service extended to run between 5am and 9pm.
Maryam Kara has the full story here.
Drivers told to pack extra food and drink
07:32 , Will Mata
Drivers have been told to pack extra food and drink on their journeys on the M25 as parts of the motorway close for the weekend.
The RAC gave the warning, according to the Mail, with journey times expected to be much longer than normal in some cases.
Alice Simpson, of the RAC, said: “As this next M25 weekend closure immediately follows major national rail strikes which could see many more people take to the roads, it could be up to six days of disrupted travel for London’s drivers.
“Anyone heading to Chessington World of Adventures, which is close to the official A3 diversion route, should expect delays and pack extra food and drink in the event they’re on the road longer than expected.”
Two Tube stations closed on Friday morning
07:27 , Will Mata
Mornington Crescent and Clapham South Tube stations are both closed on Friday morning.
Transport for London said that this is due to the unavailability of station staff, in both cases.
Kentish Town is also closed due to a long standing work project.
Croydon Tramlink part suspended due to ‘damaged wheels’
07:25 , Will Mata
Transport for London has taken several trams out of service due to damanged wheels which has led to a partial suspension on Friday.
As of 7.20am, there is no service between East Croydon and New Addington, Elmers End and Beckenham Junction.
The BBC has reported that the incident was caused by unknown debris on the track.
