TRAVELLERS heading into York by road and rail for Royal Ascot faced a series of hurdles - from jammed roads to broken-down trains.

Some motorists experienced delays of up to two hours as 42,000 people descended on the Knavesmire for the first day of the five-day racing festival.Traffic bosses have pledged to improve signs on the A64 and access to one of the car parks, after long queues developed in Tadcaster Road and the York A1237 ring road.

But they said that some jams were unavoidable, as up to 60,000 people, the equivalent to the population of Harrogate, took to the roads.

On the rails, one London train was delayed by 45 minutes after it struck a metal object on the line in Bedfordshire. Other passengers from the north and the south faced delays of up to 20 minutes after a freight train broke down at Skelton.

Harry and Elizabeth Beeby, who had travelled down to Royal Ascot from Scotland, said they were staying at the Marriott Hotel, near the racecourse.

Mr Beeby complained about the traffic arrangements, saying it had taken them half-an-hour to get to the main racecourse entry from the hotel after being sent on a "roundabout" route.

He said: "I don't think they have organised it very well."

Edward and Florence Claridge, Royal Ascot veterans of 25 years, said their train had struck an object on the line as they travelled up from London, delaying them for 45 minutes.

"The train could have been derailed," said Mr Claridge. "We were very lucky."

But a GNER spokesman said the object could not have derailed the train, which was allowed to continue after safety checks.

Ascot member Richard Kidson, of Windsor, said: "The traffic congestion was terrible. It took us more than 90 minutes to get here from the city centre.

"We are staying at a hotel on the outskirts of York and left at 10.15am. We did not get here until just after midday."

York-based Ascot member David Aykroyd said it took him over two hours to drive to the course. He normally takes 20 minutes on the A19. "I'm not happy, but I expected it," he said.

Totesport workers also grumbled about traffic. Denise Percival and her betting team travelled from Wolverhampton, but hit snarl-ups on the M1 and A64.

"It took us five hours. We don't think York will be big enough to cater for Ascot. It's going to be one almighty cock-up," she said.

But Peter Evely, head of network management for City of York Council, said he was "quite pleased" with the first day, despite "significant" delays for some drivers.

He said: "The aim of the traffic management plan was to keep the race traffic isolated from the city as a whole, and that has proved very successful, with no major problems reported with traffic.

"Traffic in the city has been flowing in the same way as a normal Tuesday in June. Public transport has been very successful, with no major problems for taxis and buses.

"However, there was some significant queuing on the A64 at peak times, which was to be expected with approximately 60,000 people coming to the event every day."

Council officers were advising those heading to the course today to arrive early, to use public transport and to use both lanes as they come off the A64.

Racegoers were also asked check their tickets and follow signs to the relevant car parks after many motorists travelled to the wrong car park.

Updated: 10:52 Wednesday, June 15, 2005