The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III have no parallel in modern times for the UK.
In terms of travel, the days up to and including Monday 19 September – when the Queen’s funeral takes place in Westminster and she is laid to rest in Windsor – will see disruption across a wide range of transport.
These are the key questions and answers.
Where will travel be most affected?
Central London. Her Majesty will be lying in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster in central London until 6.30am on Monday 19 September.
Parts of central London are closed to normal traffic, with many bus routes curtailed. While the Tube is running normally, some station access points may be closed.
On Sunday, significant disruption is likely at London airports – primarily Heathrow and Stansted – due largely to heads of state travelling in for the funeral.
On the day of the funeral, there will be extensive road closures in London and Windsor, and some Underground and national rail stations could be affected.
Air traffic restrictions will be in place at Heathrow; normally flights arrive over central London and take off over Windsor, where the Queen will be interred. Around 200 flights have been cancelled to and from Heathrow Airport as a result.
What’s happening on the railways?
Following news of the mourning period and funeral date, the RMT union called off its national rail strikes planned for the Thursday and Saturday, ahead of the funeral 15 and 17 September.
Aslef, the train drivers’ union, had planned industrial action for Thursday 15 September. Its walk out has been postponed.
The TSSA white-collar rail union has also called off its 24-hour stoppage planned for 26 and 27 September.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators, says: “We are working with our partners to review arrangements to get people to view the funeral where possible and where there is capacity.”
Several rail operators are laying on extra services, including some through the night, in the days leading up to the funeral, to allow as many people as possible to travel to the capital to pay their respects.
Network Rail, which manages UK rail infrastructure, says 200 extra trains have been added, with some 24-hour services available.
GWR, which runs trains from South Wales and the West of England to London Paddington, says: “Additional services, particularly in the very early morning and late evening to take people towards London and back home again, will be laid on for those travelling from further afield.”
Some fares are very high. On the Caledonian Sleeper from Inverness to London on Sunday night, arriving in the capital on Monday morning, the cheapest ticket for one person is £385 or £460 for two.
The day of the funeral is a bank holiday, which will ease the squeeze by removing many commuters from the mix. It also means cheaper fares will be available all day – as they will on Saturday and Sunday.
My train journey has been affected. Can I change my rail ticket without penalty?
The RDG says: “Customers with anytime, off-peak and super off-peak tickets can get refunds if they bought them before the death of Her Majesty the Queen was announced on 8 September. The administration fee, which can be up to £10, will be waived.
“This applies to almost all train services in England and on ScotRail. However, the policy may differ for a handful of train operators who have yet to confirm their arrangements.”
Advance tickets can be changed up to 6pm the day before travel in line with the existing ‘Book with Confidence’ scheme – which applies for tickets purchased at least until the rest of the month. But for the new date/time, a fare difference may be payable.
What about public transport in London?
Transport for London (TfL) is warning of “unprecedented travel demand in the capital”. It added that there would be “extra staff and services coming on-stream” for the busiest days, but advised visitors to “plan journeys ahead of time using real-time travel information” and “consider walking to their final destinations within the capital” where possible.
Travellers and commuters in London have been asked to avoid Green Park Tube station, the closest to Buckingham Palace, walking instead from other nearby stations such as Victoria or Piccadilly Circus.
Green Park, the closest Tube stop to Buckingham Palace, will be exit and interchange only on Monday and Tuesday, 19 and 20 September, between the hours of 10am and 8pm.
St James’ Park, Westminster and Hyde Park Corner stations will be closed “for much of Monday morning” to prevent overcrowding.
Meanwhile, the Elizabeth line will run a special service with 12 trains per hour on its central London section (Paddington-Abbey Wood) during Sunday 18 September; normally it is closed on Sundays.
I have a flight booked over the next few days. Will it operate?
Severe disruption is likely for many flights to and from Heathrow on Monday, with some operations at London City airport also likely to be affected.
There will be a general ban on flying over central London during the Queen’s funeral. On a normal day aircraft come in to land at Heathrow just to the south of Westminster, creating a significant amount of noise.
British Airways has cancelled 100 flights to and from Heathrow on Monday; it says these are 50 round-trips on short-haul routes which have plenty of departures from the UK. Passengers will be contacted by email and rebooked on the next possible service, or may choose to accept a refund.
A spokesperson said that its Gatwick and City flights would be unaffected.
Around 100 other Heathrow services are cancelled between Sunday and Tuesday; Virgin Atlantic has cancelled or re-timed four flights, while Aer Lingus has grounded eight flights between the UK and Ireland or Northern Ireland.
In addition, some airlines and airports may choose to give their staff part of the day off, which could affect flights.
Glasgow-based Loganair says: “As a mark of respect, we are working with our airport and service partners to ensure we have no scheduled flying during the funeral itself.
“This is to allow our staff the option of being able to watch the state funeral and for Loganair as a team to demonstrate our deep respect to Her Majesty.”
Could extra flights be laid on to get people to and from London?
No. Given the fact that the two leading UK airlines – British Airways and easyJet – are currently operating hundreds of flights fewer each day than originally planned, due to resourcing issues, there are no plans to lay on extra flights.
An easyJet spokesperson said: “Given our extensive flying schedule into and around the UK, we do not have any current plans to increase flying over the coming days.
“We are already operating up to 1,700 flights day, almost 300 operating into London, and 230 operating domestically each day.”
Is there any flexibility if I have an existing flight?
Two UK airlines have given The Independent details of their flexibility options for passengers whose plans have changed.
Loganair is telling passengers: “We know at this extraordinary time, families and friends may wish to come together and reconsider their travel plans in the coming weeks.
“In light of these circumstances, Loganair is offering extra flexibility to customers with bookings for travel during this period:
“Should you wish to make a change to your travel date(s), you may do so free of charge and move to another flight date during the month of September.
“If you were due to attend an event that has been confirmed as rescheduled or cancelled, then you may request a credit voucher for the original value of the journey by completing this form.
“In this instance, you will be required to provide supporting documentation of a major event cancellation or rescheduling that you were due to attend.
“The quickest and easy way to make changes is online and our Customer Help Centre is extremely busy right now – so we kindly ask that you please only call us if you really need to.”
In contrast, easyJet wants passengers whose plans are changing to phone their call centre.
A spokesperson for Britain’s biggest budget airline said: “During this exceptional time, we recognise that some customers may need to change their travel plans and they can do so by calling our call centre [0330 551 5151] where staff will be able to use discretion to offer fee-free changes on a case-by-case basis.”
Any effect on coach and bus travel?
Yes, on the day of the funeral Victoria Coach Station will be closed because of its proximity to the funeral in Westminster Abbey.
With the main London terminus for long-distance coaches unavailable, almost all National Express services will move to Wembley Stadium, northwest of central London.
Links from Dover and Ramsgate will start and end at Stratford in east London, while airport services – the A1 to Luton and A6 to Stansted – will serve Baker Street.
Timings will remain the same as printed on tickets.
Megabus services will operate to and from Hillingdon. The company says: “Customers will then need to use either the London Underground Uxbridge branch of the Metropolitan or Piccadilly lines or the Oxford Tube coach service which departs from Hillingdon for onwards travel into Central London.”
I booked a hotel for an event that is now cancelled. Is there anything I can do?
In the very rare case that you have booked an event-specific package (transport, accommodation and a ticket for the event), the contract will be regarded as “frustrated” and you should get a full refund without fuss.
For the vast majority of guests, though, if you have paid in advance for a room, the fact that you no longer need it does not require the hotel to offer any kind of recompense.
Talk to the hotel about your options. A spokesperson for Travelodge said: “Anyone who has a current booking in one of our London hotels and needs to change it, we can change it to a different date or offer a credit note for a future booking.
“We will do the same for bookings made outside of London for an event or gathering that has been cancelled due to respect for the Queen during the mourning period and till the funeral.”
Premier Inn has declined to comment.
