Orient Way works start

The work involves building a new railway sidings facility at Orient Way, just outside the north west boundary of the Olympic Park.

Orient Way will replace the existing railway sidings facility located at Thornton’s Field. The Thornton’s Field area needs to be cleared because it is a key logistics site needed for the construction of the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre.

Railway sidings are used to stabilise or ‘park’ trains that are not in use. These new sidings will stabilise excess trains from peak hour periods close to Liverpool Street.

Five kilometres of track, much of which will be re-used from Thornton’s Field, will be installed at Orient Way to form 12 new sidings - covering an area equivalent to three full-size football pitches. Ballast and sleepers from Thornton’s Field will also be re-used.

Once the Thornton’s Field site has been cleared, work will also begin to construct a bridge, spanning the River Lea and Aquatics Centre, to take people from Stratford International and Regional stations to the heart of the Olympic Park.

The bridge is expected to carry two thirds of people visiting the Olympic Park during the Games. In legacy, it will provide the main pedestrian route between the Olympic Park, Stratford City and key transport links.

With the new sidings due to be finished next summer, these works will be one of the first major 2012 transport projects to be completed.