ROADS and railways are expected to come under severe strain as thousands of East Anglians enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.Problems on some rail lines in the country means the AA is gearing up for the "busiest ever" Bank Holiday weekend on the roads.

ROADS and railways are expected to come under severe strain as thousands of East Anglians enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.

Problems on some rail lines in the country means the AA is gearing up for the "busiest ever" Bank Holiday weekend on the roads.

Simon Woodings, spokesman for the AA, said: "Nationally, there are going to be 15 million cars on the road at some stage this weekend, and that is very busy for a Bank Holiday period.

"There are going to be lots of people travelling from outside East Anglia to resorts and coastal roads, in particular, are going to be very congested.

"It's also a popular time for DIY and car parks and roads around retail parks are going to be busy, as well as parks, picnic areas and visitor attractions.

"Because of some problems on the railways, more people are travelling by car and it could potentially be one of the busiest Bank Holiday weekends ever.

"We would urge people to be patient – there are going to be delays and traffic jams – and to remember where you have parked your car."

Peter Meades, of Anglia Railways, said it was already extremely busy on the trains with many people starting their journeys yesterday.

He said there should be no delays on East Anglian services and people should travel on the trains "with confidence".

"The weather forecast is good so we expect plenty of people travelling to coastal resorts and the trains will be busy overall.

"There will be some repairs to the main line but they will be done early in the morning and should not affect passengers.

"There should not be any major delays and anyone travelling with Anglia Railways this weekend can do so with confidence."

There will be a normal Saturday and Sunday service today and tomorrow, with a Saturday-level of service on Bank Holiday Monday on main line services and a normal weekday service on local services. For information about rail services call 08457 48 49 50.

EADT weatherman Ken Blowers said the weekend would be dry and warm after a cloudy start.

"It will not be anywhere near as warm as it has been, but it will still be quite good – very good for a Bank Holiday weekend. Temperatures will be up to 73F(23C)."