Travel warnings for those planning to go to London for Queen Elizabeth II state funeral

People are being urged to check services before travelling to London. Credit: PA

Travel companies have started to put plans in place for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral, urging people to plan ahead.

Great Western Rail said they will follow similar plans to what they had for the Royal wedding which included queuing systems, extra carriages and additional trains for certain lines.

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said:  "The rail industry is doing all it can to ensure people can travel to pay their respects during the period of mourning. Where possible – we will be running some extra services and customers should check journey planners for the most up to date information." 

People are being urged to check service details before travelling and to be prepared for very busy trains and stations. During this period, restrictions on tickets have also been eased.

Crowds have already begun in London following the Queen's death. Credit: PA

This means that anytime, off-peak and super off-peak ticket holders will be able to get fee-free refunds on tickets if they were purchased before the announcement of Her Majesty the Queen’s death on September 8.

National Express also described an increased demand for services since the plans for the Queen's funeral were announced.

The coach company has warned that normal routes and stops will be subject to change due to road closures.

National Express said: "We have seen a significant increase in both enquiries and bookings on all London routes on our national scheduled coach network for travel throughout this week and the day of the state funeral.

"We are working hard to increase availability to meet this additional demand but are already busier than normal so our advice is to plan ahead and book in advance of travel. Normal routes and stops will be subject to change due to road closures. Latest information will be updated on our website and social media channels."

Members of the public gather outside Buckingham Palace to leave tributes. Credit: PA

For four days, the public will be able to file past the Queen’s closed coffin in the ancient Westminster Hall.

Queues will be very long, will continuously move – with little chance to rest or sit down – and are expected to stretch throughout central London, the government has warned.

When it comes to travelling in London, the same advice is echoed with "unprecedented travel demand" expected.

From Wednesday, it is "essential" to plan journeys in advance using the latest information, according to a joint statement by Network Rail, Transport for London and industry body the Rail Delivery Group.

The organisations said: "As Her Majesty’s coffin travels to London to lie in state at the Palace of Westminster, it is expected that we will see unprecedented travel demand in the capital, especially from Wednesday 14 September.

"Transport providers have well-developed plans with extra staff and services coming on-stream to help people get to where they need to be."

London Underground passengers are urged to avoid Green Park station "if possible" due to "high numbers of customers passing through".

It is the nearest station to Buckingham Palace, but other nearby options include Victoria, Piccadilly Circus and St James’ Park.

A special service will run on the Elizabeth line railway between London’s Paddington and Abbey Wood on Sunday to ease the pressure on other parts of the transport network.

Monday's (September 19) travel warning comes as government officials are planning for at least 750,000 visitors to descend on Westminster to pay their respects to the Queen, according to The Times.