Most will be completed well in advance of 2012, so London can enjoy the benefit before, during and after the Games.

These improvements are all detailed in the first edition of the Transport Plan for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, published by the ODA in autumn 2007.

This publication was produced after considering comments and feedback on a Consultation Draft published in October 2006. The first edition can be downloaded from the Transport Plan section of this website.

The Transport Plan presents an overview of the proposed transport arrangements for the Games and covers the range of travel modes we plan to use, including:

Rail

Railway lines, trains and stations are being upgraded to cope with the thousands of participants, volunteers and spectators who will travel to the Games each day.

Ten lines, most of which are being upgraded, currently serve the Olympic Park area.

By mid-2010, a new DLR line from Stratford International to Canning Town will be operational.

A twelfth – the centerpiece of the Games-time rail service – will be the High Speed 1 rail link from the Channel Tunnel. 

High Speed 1 began operating between St Pancras and mainland Europe in November 2007. The 'Javelin' rail shuttles will run on this line during the Games to take people from St Pancras International to the Olympic Park in just seven minutes.

To accommodate demand on the Docklands Light Rail (DLR) network during the Games and meet a predicted increase in ongoing usage, 55 additional rail cars are being purchased, 22 of which are being co-funded by the ODA.

This will enable the DLR to run three-car trains on most routes, increasing capacity on some lines by 50 per cent.

The length of the DLR is being extended by more than 25 per cent, including a 2.5-km extension under the River Thames from King George V to Woolwich Arsenal and a 6km extension to Stratford International from Canning Town, which the ODA is co-funding.

A new signaling system on the London Underground Jubilee Line will reduce journey times and improve train frequency, increasing the capacity of the line by 25 per cent. Another £4bn of improvements are also underway across the Tube network.

A wide range of improvements are being made to Stratford Regional Station, which will accommodate around 60 per cent of all spectators travelling to the London 2012 Games by rail and around 45 per cent of all spectators visiting the Games. During the Games up to 120,000 passengers will arrive and depart through the station each morning.

Work to treble the capacity at the station is well underway. Already, two new DLR platforms have been built, to increase capacity on services and improve passenger facilities. A 100m stretch of platform has been widened by up to 3m to provide more room for passengers and prevent overcrowding. Platform signals have been modified, and the track and overhead lines adapted to fit the platform’s extension. Future work will include re-opening a disused subway, a new Central Line platform and nine new lifts to boost accessibility.

Buses

Transport for London is currently implementing its ‘iBus’ initiative. A state-of-the-art automatic vehicle location system and a comprehensive communication system will be introduced across the capital by the end of 2008.

The key benefits for passengers will be improved predictions at bus stops, precise real-time information on board buses with visual displays and announcements – particularly helpful to disabled passengers or those facing language barriers.

River

The waterways connecting the River Lea to the River Thames will be improved to enable them to be used during construction to allow materials to be transported to and from the site by 350 tonne barge.

Cycling and on foot

A network of cycle lanes and walking routes will be developed, connecting the Park and other venues into the wider London networks.

You can read more about the transport improvements planned before the Beijing 2008 Games by downloading ‘Demolish, Dig, Design’ from the Publications section of this website.