What travel disruption will there be in London over the May coronation bank holiday weekend?

Expect road closures all across central London during the coronation (Picture: PA)

The coronation is not very far off at all now, with millions expected to join in the celebrations as King Charles III and Camilla Queen Consort are crowned.

The big day is Saturday May 6, with the service itself taking place at 11am – and as well as those watching on TV and across the world, thousands are expected to line the streets of the capital to watch the royal procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the service, and then back again.

As with previous royal occasions – such as last year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 – London is expected to be very busy, and transport may well be impacted, as roads are closed to make way for the procession and the crowds.

If you’re planning on heading to town to catch a glimpse of the royals, make sure to plan your journey in advance and check for any possible problems before you set off?

But what travel disruption is likely in town on the weekend of the coronation?

Here’s how it’s looking across both public transport and the roads…

Road closures during the coronation

As you might expect, there will be substantial road closures in Central London from the evening before the coronation (May 5) until after the formalities are over.

The area which will be closed to traffic stretches along the Victoria Embankment from Southwark Bridge to Vauxhall Bridge, close to Pimlico.

The majority of roads in and around Whitehall, St James’s, Green Park and Victoria will be closed to traffic, including:

The Mall will be among the many roads closed to traffic (Picture: Getty Images)

The Mall

Birdcage Walk

Horse Guards Road

Constitution Hill

Victoria Street

Regency Street

Curzon Street

Traffic is also likely to be restricted around around parts of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and areas around Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square – although exact details of the roads affected have not been confirmed.

Much of central London will have road closures (Picture: metro.co.uk)

These restrictions will come into force from 7pm on Friday May 5, and according to Westminster Council will be lifted on May 6 ‘once it is deemed safe to do so’.

There’s no set time for this in other words, but once the main event is over – some time in the afternoon – the area will undergo a clean-up operation before traffic can resume.

This suggests it’s likely to be late afternoon or early evening at the earliest before the roads re-open.

The official advice from Transport for London, if you are planning to join the crowds watching the procession, is to leave the car at home, saying people should ‘avoid driving in central London’.

if you are not attending the procession and you do need to drive for some other reason, TFL advises people to ‘use routes that avoid the area’.

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As well as road closures for the coronation itself, some streets across London may be shut for street parties to take place over the weekend.

If you need to get somewhere local over the weekend, you should check with your local council whether any streets near you are going to be closed.

London Underground/Overground

Transport For London has said the Tubes and Overground will operate as normal over the coronation weekend – and advise those travelling into town to watch the procession to use public transport rather than driving.

However, stations are likely to be busier than normal, particularly during the day on Saturday, and particularly at key interchanges.

St James’s Park station, the closest Tube to Buckingham Palace, will be closed, while Hyde Park Corner station will be exit only during the event.

St James’s Park station will be closed on the day (Picture: Getty Images)

The following stations are either close to or within walking distance of the procession route:

Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern Lines),

Embankment (District and Circle Lines)

Westminster (District, Circle and Jubilee Lines).

Green Park (Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee Lines)

Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly and Bakerloo Lines)

Temple (Circle and District Lines)

Marble Arch (Central Line)

Victoria station (District, Circle, Victoria Lines and National Rail) will also be open but there will be limited access to the procession route from here – passengers may be directed to Hyde Park from Victoria for screening sites.

Some stations may temporarily close if necessary to prevent overcrowding, while others may have a queue service in operation, or use different entrances and exits to normal.

Victoria station will offer limited access to procession routes (Picture: Getty Images)

You could also consider alighting at a station further away from the main procession area and completing your journey on foot, as these may be less busy.

For example, Transport for London suggests those planning to go to the viewing areas in Hyde Park could consider using Paddington station, which is a 15-minute walk away, or Marylebone, which is a 25-minute walk.

The Night Tube will be running as normal on Friday May 5 and Saturday May 6.

In all cases, you should check the TFL website for status updates before setting off, and allow as much time for your journey as possible given how busy services are likely to be.

Buses and coaches

Buses will be running as normal, but some routes which cover the Westminster area may terminate at an earlier stop than normal.

It’s not been confirmed which routes may be affected. TFL advice is to check the Bus Status Updates on their website before setting out to check if your bus is running to its usual destination.

Buses may be on diversion (Picture: Getty Images)

Victoria Coach station will be open over the weekend and scheduled express coaches will operate as normal.

However some services may be on diversion due to road closure – check with your operator to see if your route is affected.

National Rail

Both Network Rail and National Rail have said trains will be running into London as normal on the weekend of the coronation and there are no scheduled closures.

They advise passengers to allow extra time for their journeys, as services are likely to be very busy and queueing systems could be put in place.

National Rail will be running as normal for those looking to get into London (Picture: Getty Images)

Those travelling by train to the coronation concert on Sunday May 7 are advised to use the South Western Railway service from Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside station, or GWR from Reading, changing at Slough for the service to Windsor and Eton Central.

Those who are travelling to Windsor for the concert should also remember that as it is a Sunday, London Underground services finish before midnight – so you should plan your journey in advance if you need to use the Tube.

Cycling

Those looking to cycle through London will be able to do so but some cycle lanes, including Cycleway 3, will be closed.

It may also be too crowded to cycle in Central London during the procession, so this is something to bear in mindif you are planning a journey by bike.

Mid adult Caucasian male executive wearing full suit and bike helmet enjoying a fast and efficient mode of transport to the office in City of London. (Credits: Getty Images)

Some Santander Cycle hire docking stations will also be closed on May 5 and 6.

You can find a full list of those affected here.

MORE : 15 weird and wonderful limited edition Coronation items you’ll find at the supermarket

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