A “potent cocktail" of transport chaos is set to hit Scotland this weekend as the west coast rail line to London is cut, and 778 separate road works get underway.
Major rail works timed to coincide with the English August bank holiday will see replacement buses brought in to ferry West Coast rail travellers between Glasgow or Edinburgh and Motherwell.
It’s part of a programme of more than 400 separate rail works across the UK, costing £84m and involving 9600 Network Rail workers.
At the same time, motorists will face 778 high-impact road works in Scotland over the weekend, according to data from the Office of the Scottish Road Works Commissioner.
There are currently almost 1075 separate roadworks underway in the Glasgow area alone, and 377 in Edinburgh.
As Virgin Trains issued a warning to West Coast travellers to avoid the route during rail works, travel experts predicted a "perfect storm" of problems and said this summer is the "worst ever" for travel chaos as engineering works follow train, road and airline delays and strikes, and rail fare price rises.
"There's a potent cocktail of problems across travel networks," said travel expert Ian Baldry of IBPTS travel consultants. "It's a perfect storm of travel problems combining. This is the worst-ever summer for UK travel problems.
"Rail works are forcing more people onto roads, worsening road congestion, while roadworks affect holidaymakers and commuters."
Buses will ferry passengers between Glasgow, Edinburgh and Motherwell from Saturday to next Wednesday. Many services from Scotland will only run to Preston, while London’s Euston Station is shut for a further two weekends.
It all comes as travellers are facing increasing road and rail costs, with new Government figures showing drivers filling up at the pumps are being hit by fuel prices at a four-year high.
Motorists are spending an average of £1.29 per litre for unleaded and £1.33 per litre of diesel, the highest since August and September 2014 respectively. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said the cost of filling up typical 55-litre family petrol and diesel cars had increased by £5.50 since April.
The weakness of the pound is being blamed for higher prices at the pump.
Last week rail fare hikes costing Scottish passengers up to £138-a-year were confirmed. Season ticket price increases matching July's 3.2 per cent Retail Price Index will add £138 to a £4,312 Dundee to Edinburgh annual season ticket from January.
Bruce Williamson, a spokesman for campaign group Railfuture, said: "It's undeniable that rail passengers will be frustrated by summer's engineering works, cancelled trains, fare rises and strikes."
Work on Junction 25 Cardonald and the junction 24 onslip that leads to the Clyde Tunnel is scheduled to take place overnight in a bid to reduce congestion.
Jane Maclennan, Scotland TranServ’s assistant engineer said: “We’ve been working with the local authority, emergency services and other key stakeholders to schedule the works.
“It was also important to work around the Glasgow 2018 Games to keep disruption to a minimum for visitors to the city and to programme the scheme outwith the busy school summer holiday season.
"By working overnight we’re confident disruption will be kept to an absolute minimum.”
Road closures will be in place from 8pm until 6am each day, Friday to Sunday. Local residents have been warned of potential noise disruption, and diversions will be in place.
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