please empty your brain below
Yes, isn't it awful how things are to be so disrupted by sport, and how much it's going to cost. I'm not sporty myself, and I find that a strange thing about professional sport is that it's quite meaningless. Other human activities have meaning: politics, music, literature, art, science, the medical world, the retail trade, the business world, agriculture, manufacturing, even war. Sport does have a meaning if it's amateur and doesn't take up too much time: enjoyable physical exercise and a friendly communal activity where people know each other. But professional sport is so grim and mechanical - and expensive! Why on earth are we spending so much on the Olympics? We're being carried away by the mindless. Ah well, bee in bonnet - a bit late now so will end fulminations. Thanks for your interesting posts.

Vivien | 25.11.10 - 1:47 a.m. | #

Come on - it's not that bad! 15 minute delays on the Circle are surely better than "normal service".

Dave | 25.11.10 - 6:03 a.m. | #

I'm not sure what all these visitors to East London are going to think if everything is going to be gridlocked, and using public transport is going to take an hour longer than usual.

On the other hand, at weekends it will be nice to have some rail transport in East London actually working.

Max Roberts | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 7:14 a.m. | #

News? Surely only to very shortsighted people, maybe like those who see no long term benefit to the area from the games.Transport was always going to be stuffed.

I can think of no other cataclysmic event (short of several megatons of ordnance) that would have the same impact to the area; this sort of project could never have happened without the games. So, a few years of aggro and a couple of weeks of pain. Even now you can start to see how the wasteland that this area was will be transformed. Wake up and smell the exhaust fumes.

Oh yes, I might be able to lend you a bike, DG. ;-)

Ham | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 8:36 a.m. | #

Just the Government trying to panic people - as usual. Think [name of species] flu and other non epidemics.

Richard | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 8:41 a.m. | #

Why on earth should the Olympics cause additional delays of up to 15 minutes on Tramlink?

Pedantic of Purley | 25.11.10 - 9:40 a.m. | #

Pedantic - Tennis. Best way to get there from Croydon.

Chz | 25.11.10 - 9:45 a.m. | #

I see now. Yes, it would affect parts of the network and Wimbledon station in particular. But hopefully not the complete system.

Pedantic of Purley | 25.11.10 - 9:49 a.m. | #

Is your reading 100% correct - e.g. you say Woolwich Arsenal is "no exit", but my interpetation of the "boarding only" note for that stations is that delays only affect people trying to board there.

dg writes: Agreed, I've updated the list.

Henry | 25.11.10 - 9:55 a.m. | #

I told you so too. I can't be arsed finding my original comment which was about what happened in Sydney in 2000 - but I definitely told you so.

Antipodean | 25.11.10 - 9:58 a.m. | #

"I can think of no other cataclysmic event (short of several megatons of ordnance) that would have the same impact to the area; this sort of project could never have happened without the games."

Indeed - I still remember how it took a huge sporting event to regenerate the Docklands.

IanVisits | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 10:04 a.m. | #

There's still time to rethink your position on cycling, DG - it will probably be the only really pleasant way to get round London during the olympics. And with all other traffic gridlocked, it will probably feel a lot safer too.

disgruntled | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 10:45 a.m. | #

Is your journey really necessary?

Kim | 25.11.10 - 10:46 a.m. | #

That list of Railway lines to avoid at the bottom: is there a line that WON'T be affected?!

Seems like TfL is just getting its excuses in early for when everyone is going to be moaning about the poor transport at the time.

gooneruk | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 10:51 a.m. | #

Gooneruk - probably the Stockton to Darlington line.

Debster | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 11:33 a.m. | #

A source deep inside County Hall has leaked a revised tube map for the olympic fortnight for those attending events/venues. Follow the link:
http://tinyurl.com/nwguqs

Hillsangel | 25.11.10 - 11:33 a.m. | #

Re. Wimbledon. will there be more people going to the tennise than during Wimbledon fortnight? Don't remember that ever causing tramlock?

Logistical | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 1:21 p.m. | #

"Unfortunate, then, that almost nobody's noticed yet"

Isn't that how it's supposed to be? Wasn't this known already in 2007?

leedelta | Homepage | 25.11.10 - 5:55 p.m. | #

This was travel advice for BUSINESS and is worst case scenario if businesses (mainly the big ones with over 1,000 employees) don't get involved. If most of the city suits from a few big tower blocks in Canary Wharf can work from home for a couple of weeks, you may find the tube is remarkably empty. It takes a while to plan to change practices in large businesses, even for a short period - hence telling them now.

The public travel campaign starts next year...

Also, the Games are during school holidays, when the networks and roads are significantly less busy anyway.

However, your level of freak-out is probably what London 2012 and TfL were aiming for. I'm guessing you'll be avoiding public transport during the Games, no?


Secret Agent | 26.11.10 - 10:32 a.m. | #

It doesn't help that the Olympic train pictured in your article seems to have developed a door fault!

Kim | 26.11.10 - 12:28 p.m. | #

Is it really a big surprise that transport will be busier in London for a short time while the city hosts the biggest sporting event on the planet?!?

Come on, where is our national pride? Are we really saying that we cant do things a little differently to make all this work, after all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Everyone also seems to forget that this whole thing will be a massive boost to our economy, predominantly in London. If you ask me i think it should be the suits who take the pill, do their bit and make this work.

At least we know now and have time to plan. I agree, the information on the website is worrying but at least we have time to do something about it.

Cheer up people, it is Friday!

Jolly Roger | 26.11.10 - 12:56 p.m. | #

I do love the "on message" comments from people at London 2012, written under an assumed name.

If you lot want to avoid an over-reaction, I'd suggest you don't publish a bunch of scaremongering worst-case scenarios.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 26.11.10 - 5:28 p.m. | #

Best place to for a visitor will be northern France - direct Eurostar line to the Games at Newham Station, with no local London infrastructure to bother about.

Tim | 07.12.10 - 8:27 p.m. | #

There's going to be delays whatever route anyone takes during the Olympics, but I'd have to agree with diamond geezers comments on just planning ahead. Try this Olympics travel advice site to see potential blavk spots for travel, http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/

Ricky | 27.02.12 - 2:34 p.m. | #











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