Travel woe as ferry strike goes on

SeaFrance apologised after cancelling ferry crossings due to industrial action
12 April 2012

The Easter getaway travel misery is continuing after a cross-channel ferry firm cancelled sailings for a second day because of strike action.

SeaFrance has "profusely" apologised to passengers after being forced to scrap crossings on Good Friday, turning the traditionally busy bank holiday roads into gridlock around Dover.

The company is advising its customers not to travel to the Kent port unless they had made other travel arrangements.

Kent Police have lifted Operation Stack - where lorries waiting to cross the English Channel park on the M20 - following its introduction on Friday morning.

The force said: "The Port of Dover is still busy and people are still being advised to check with their travel operator before embarking on their Easter journeys."

SeaFrance issued a statement saying it "regretted" cancelling its services. A spokeswoman apologised to customers and said: "The advice is that unless and until you have a booking with another operator you should not travel to Dover. The port is extremely busy and it will not be possible to transfer you to another operator on arrival."

The company is communicating with customers by text message, email and an information line (08714 237119), she said.

Elsewhere around the country, routes into traditional holiday hotspots such as Devon and Cornwall have been busiest as well as routes into the Lake District and the seaside resort of Blackpool.

On the trains, there are reduced services on both the West and East Coast main lines, with rail-replacement buses in some areas. And some First Great Western and South West Trains services are also being disrupted, with buses replacing trains on some routes.

There will be no let-up in the unsettled weather for most people, with heavy rain expected across much of the country. Temperatures will also be on the cooler side before some brief respite in the shape of longer sunny spells on Easter Sunday.

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