COMMUTERS face Christmas motorway madness on top of planned festive rail delays.

Research, by Churchill Car Insurance, has shown that the M4 will be the worst stretch of motorway affected by roadworks in the week building up to Christmas with 34 disruptions currently planned.

The motorway, which links to Heathrow Airport, has 21 lane closures scheduled over the festive period. Motorists are being urged to plan their journeys before travelling to the airport to ensure they don’t miss their flight.

Steve Barrett, head of Churchill Car Insurance, said: “Christmas is one of the few times in the year when whole families are able to get together, so at peak times, there is extra activity on the roads.

“Our analysis shows that there are hundreds of road disruptions planned in the week before Christmas. Motorists should plan their journeys in advance and consider alternative routes, allowing more time for their travel, as there will inevitably be significant delays.”

Robert Buckland MP for South Swindon said he has sympathy for those who will be affected by the M4 roadworks.

He said: “I can understand the timing here.

“I would much rather see it during the holiday period than when people are at work. The M4 is a vital artery for Swindon so it is vital it is kept in good condition.

“There is never a perfect time to carry out these works. It is important though, that people travelling to and from Swindon have the right information so they can look for an alternative route or allow themselves more time.”

This is the latest blow for Christmas travellers after Network Rail announced yesterday that train users face disrupted routes over the festive period.

Increased work on the crossrail, electrification and Reading projects will see services reduced.

High speed and long distance routes from Swindon Railway Station will be affected from 5pm on Christmas Eve.

Some regional services will be disrupted between Saturday, December 27 and Saturday, January 3.

First Great Western has advised commuters to check train times and plan their routes.

The £45m Reading viaduct is one of the final phases of the Reading redevelopment project which will separate fast moving trains between London and the West from slower moving freight trains travelling between the South Coast and the Midlands.

The new Reading viaduct is due to be in use from Sunday, January 4.

The entire redevelopment will be completed next summer. This will follow the final installation of track, after the railway to the west of the station is remodelled over Easter.

“Given the amount of work that they have to do it is fair and reasonable that they need to do it around this period,” said Graham Ellis, of TransWilts community rail partnership.

“They are working towards a 24-hour rail service and this work helps make things more robust.”

Network Rail has apologised to the public for any issues they encounter.