please empty your brain below
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Hmm travelling up there from west London tomorrow - is the best way to go on the district line to West Ham or via a more circuitous route involving changes?
Debster | Homepage | 12.08.12 - 12:47 a.m. | #
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On Thursday they were even repeating messages over the PA throughout the afternoon and evening telling visitors to leave via West Ham. I followed their advice, and it's certainly a long walk after a tiring day in the Park.
I also notice that the London 2012 online journey planner (that you are directed to if you try to use TfL's planner to plan a trip to Stratford) does the same thing. Ask for directions to the Olympic Park from Waterloo, for example, and you are directed via Embankment and the District Line to West Ham, with a journey time of 1 hour! No mention of the Jubilee or Central lines at all.
Colin | 12.08.12 - 12:50 a.m. | #
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We've been twice now and used the Javelin for 3 of the 4 trips, and it was perfect! Even tonight after 11 when the queuing barriers at the front of the International Station at Stratford were full, we were directed to the 'back' of the station, straight down the escalators and two minutes later onto a train.
As far as I have experienced, everything seems to have been overestimated, from public transport, security scanning, catering, and, dare I say it (especially as a woman!), toilets. And that's without even touching on VIP and media transport, and god knows what else that the public doesn't see. *really* looking forward to any kind of audit figures which emerge to analyse predicted versus actual usage.
EskimoPie | 12.08.12 - 1:21 a.m. | #
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I wonder if a secondary reason for building the Greenway Gate is to get West Ham supporters to their eventual stadium without going through the Westfield Shopping Centre area.
KissenMe | 12.08.12 - 7:17 a.m. | #
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I think the main reason is for when he stadium empties after the athletics finishes. Signs went up after the athletics started. Stratford is very busy indeed when that happens, and indeed the entire route to the station.
Jessica | 12.08.12 - 8:10 a.m. | #
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I've been to the Olympic Park twice in the last fortnight. To get there I have used the District / Hammersmith & City line to West Ham by choice. The tube trains were much less crowded than the jubilee or central line. I have timed my walk from the station to the gate and it's 15 mins. The walk was quite pleasant and there were plenty of games makers to cheer you along.There was no queue at the gate and also it was nearer the entrance to the Aquatic centre and probably the Olympic Stadium than the Stratford gate. I agree that it's not the best route if your not fit and healthy or if it was raining - but it's certainly got some merit as an alternative to Stratford.
Brian | 12.08.12 - 8:33 a.m. | #
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@Debster:
If you are on the district line you could change at Mile End for the Central Line, or even West Ham for the Jubilee and then go on to Stratford.
Rob | 12.08.12 - 9:14 a.m. | #
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Sometimes the trip via West Ham is best. But most of the time going via Stratford has been no problem at all. TfL's signs ignore the latter.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 12.08.12 - 9:16 a.m. | #
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I've been wondering about this, as someone who is coming in from the south. My parents (who I'm meeting) are going in from Stratford, because they can get on the Central line at Epping.
But I am coming from the south. I'm on Thameslink, so I can get off pretty much anywhere (except London Bridge. DO NOT USE LONDON BRIDGE. IT WILL BE VERY BUSY DURING THE GAMES) and you'd expect the "South" gate to be closest to me.
Hmm. Perhaps I should TL to StP and then Javelin it...
Kirk | 12.08.12 - 9:30 a.m. | #
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I'd recommend West Ham as a nice walk in, if you're up for it. Much more pleasant than Stratford and loads of volunteers to jeer you on (still not used to doing high-fives though).
Didn't go home that way - each time via Stratford, busy but fine.
I agree that the tube drivers could have been informed about congestion levels before reaching West Ham. Passengers could have been told then whether to get off at WH or stay on to Stratford. Those new signs are a p*ss take.
SJM | 12.08.12 - 10:07 a.m. | #
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Is the Greenway still as fragrant as ever?
mclm | 12.08.12 - 10:49 a.m. | #
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Well I might use the London Overground, nobody seems to be mentioning that so I hope its still going after the finish.
Debster | Homepage | 12.08.12 - 11:02 a.m. | #
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When we went to the Olympic Park we got the DLR to Stratford High Street. The train was half empty, even changing at Canning Town, SHS station was deserted and in just over 5 minutes we were at the Greenway gate.
The route isn't signposted, but just turn left out of Stratford High Street Station and keep going until you get to the bridge - couldn't be simpler.
Chris M | 12.08.12 - 12:14 p.m. | #
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They were clearly worried to the point of paranoia about a public transport failure impacting the games and have responded with badly overdoing much of the advice. I suspect that TfL and LOCOG will be happy enough with that. When I left Olympic Park mid afternoon they were still urging everyone to go to West Ham when there were zero queues for the Javelin.
But my overall impression of transport to and from events is that it's been extremely well organised. I was at Wembley for the women's football earlier in the week and the disperson of 80,000 people onto trains was simply fantastic.
Nick | 12.08.12 - 12:21 p.m. | #
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Lucky enough to goto the Olympic Park 12 times and have got Javelin home every time with minimal problems. Last night they were still directing people to West Ham, yet i walked straight onto a Javelin without having to stop or queue at all.
Indeed the service has been so good that on Friday i travelled from North Greenwich to North London via Stratford - something i would have considered madness a fortnight ago.
Matt | Homepage | 12.08.12 - 1:53 p.m. | #
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Seen on the scrolling display at Leyton station:
Spectators travelling to the Olympic Park are advised to use West Ham to avoid delays at Stratford
That's on the westbound Central line.
Next stop, Stratford.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 12.08.12 - 7:21 p.m. | #
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You will be glad to know that not many passengers seemed to know what "alight" meant. Why didn't the sign say "get off" and similar with the audio message. More a case of those that determine such things being in their own bubble?
Dave | 12.08.12 - 8:02 p.m. | #
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"More a case of those that determine such things being in their own bubble?"
Couldn't agree more, Dave. A similar thing happened with the sign discussed here a few days ago, "Please respect the Landscape" (with a capital L). What the heck did that mean? Turns out it meant "Please keep off the flowers and the grass."
Great Aunt Annie | 12.08.12 - 10:35 p.m. | #
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That word "alight" is rather retro, tends to be "change at" on modern TFL announcements.
Kim | 13.08.12 - 1:06 a.m. | #
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As I had a spare afternoon between morning and evening events, I tried the Greenway exit, and while it was a pleasant walk, it was a fair distance...
As I have mentioned here before, the HS1 station at Stratford International restricted the number of people who could use the trains, due to lack of escalators and stairs to the platforms. Indeed, given the length of time it took to load and unload the trains, would it have been quicker to just use 6 car trains, as it would have taken less time to get people off the platforms, and standing for a 5 minute journey is hardly a hardship?
Mikey C | 13.08.12 - 1:13 a.m. | #
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Took the Hackney Wick entrance Saturday morning, and was the only punter in sight for ages. Was made to feel very welcome, apart from a G4s jobsworth who objected to me taking a photo through the fence at the warm-up track crossing the Greenway, after I'd made sure I was safely well past any operational security apparatus.
Took the West Ham route to exit as, although I'm totally cool about the area in the day, after midnight being the only person around brings back memories from before we won the bid, walking past kids torching pizza mopeds on the Greenway.
martxw | 13.08.12 - 2:18 a.m. | #
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I would wholly concur. Due to many visits to various EU Olympic ticket sites, I was blessed with 20+ tickets and visited the park frequently.
I too noticed these blatant lies. The Javelin was extremely congested after the evening athletics (I had a 35 minute wait from Stratford Gate to Javelin platform one night) but other than that was painless every time. Likewise Stratford station for the Central line was a breeze with perhaps 5 minutes lost to slower walking through Westfield.
I presume this was all in the name of crowd control, but there's a world of difference between suggesting that people go via West Ham as an alternative and telling blatant untruths such as "Fastest Route".
Tim | 13.08.12 - 11:06 a.m. | #
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Don't get me started on the tissue of lies that is the TFL Olmpic journey planner. Why woufl I want to catch a tube from Paddington to Liverpool street and the catch a train to Stratford.
The Central line was 20 minutes quicker.
Rational Plan | 13.08.12 - 11:36 a.m. | #
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The Olympic journey planner was clearly (bad) joke.
From Gallions Reach to Wembley Arena the suggested journey was:
DLR to Poplar, DLR to Canary Wharf, walk, Jubilee to Baker Street, Bakerloo Line to Wembley Central.
Chris M | 13.08.12 - 12:07 p.m. | #
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Took me three hours to get home ...
Debster | Homepage | 14.08.12 - 12:51 a.m. | #
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I visited the Olympic venues twice last week, Ist the Excel but on the 2nd visit to the park itself, we were told to exit to West Ham as the queues would be horrendous, my husband asked if it was a long walk, as I have had two back operations and suffer with sciatica, the man directing us said it would take no more than 25 minutes so we took the advice and started on our way. About 45 minutes later we arrived at West Ham by this time I was in chronic pain!!!! bearly able to walk!!! They need to be more honest with people. We are going to the Paralympics in September and I will get straight on the Stratford line!
JKG | 14.08.12 - 9:54 p.m. | #
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London Overground has a leaflet "Continuing your journey from Forest Hill to Stratford".
How about you walk from Forest Hill to Catford station (!) and then National Rail to London Bridge for the Jubilee to Stratford. Or alternatively, walk to Catford, National Rail to Cannon Street, District line to West Ham and follow signs to the Olympic Park. It doesn't mention the 25 minute walk at West Ham nor that Catford is not really within walking distance for most people.
The leaflet has a map of Forest Hill with bus stop signs, but no bus numbers or information that you can catch a 185 to Catford.
I've kept a copy to complain to London Overground.
Muss | 14.08.12 - 10:37 p.m. | #
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