Boxing Day rail shutdown as Britain's main routes closed

Nearly one million football fans and thousands of Boxing Day shoppers face travel misery as all main routes on the UK's railways are closed.

Seventeen major train operators are offering no trains, while the rest have put on limited or Sunday services.

The Daily Telegraph reports that all services between England, Scotland and Wales on the East Coast, West Coast or Great Western mainlines are closed.

Train passengers have been forced to travel on the roads and the Tories have been criticised for the Boxing Day shutdown.

According to the Daily Mail, Michael Dugher, Labour's transport spokesman, said: "The travelling public are facing misery on Boxing Day as yet again ministers have allowed the rail network to shut down for the day. Before the last General Election, the Tories repeatedly criticised the lack of rail services on Boxing Day.

"But it is clear they have done absolutely nothing about it in government. Yet again, this Tory-led Government has been shown to be all talk and no action."

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "Deciding the level of service on specific days is a matter for train operators. But we know passengers want to travel on Boxing Day, and that's why we have worked with the rail industry to ensure there are limited services on some franchises on that day."

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