London Olympics 2012



Looking forward, the London Olympics has a strategy that has public transport at its core (apart from those who will be encouraged to walk or cycle). The facts that follow below demonstrate the size of the events comprising the Olympics, followed by the Paralympics.

World’s largest sporting event 27 July 2012 for 16 days

• Over 200 competing nations
• 18,000 athletes and team officials
• 26 sports
• 7.7 million spectators

Paralympic Games: 29 August 2012 for 11 days

• 150 competing nations
• 4,000 athletes with a disability
• 19 sports
• 1.5 million spectators

The transport strategy ensures that the athletes are the top priority followed by the rest of the 77,000 strong Olympics family. The objective is to aim to achieve 100 per cent of ticketed spectator travel to competition venues by public transport or by walk/cycle modes and also keep London and the UK moving during the Games. Given the mass transit capabilities of rail it forms the core of the public transport strategy.

Achieving a lasting, positive legacy and maximizing value for money, hence the location of the majority of the events around Stratford, existing and planned key criteria for choosing was the public transport accessibility and the minimisation of journey times for athletes. Stratford had already excellent rail connectivity with National Rail, London Overground and London Underground connections.

Along with the maximization of the existing infrastructure, new infrastructure has been provided but only where this brings value for money and an appropriate legacy. Enhancement of the much improved London Overground services (formerly the Silverlink Metro) and the extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DRL) to a new station at Stratford International are two examples of where the legacy value is strong and investments have been brought forward to meet peak demand.

Innovative operational solutions will also be used to meet peak demand. The excellent, Hitachi built, Javelin trains will have their usual commuter timetable amended during the Olympics. The trains will be deployed in 12-carriage shuttles to link the Olympic Park with heart of London in 7 mins. The shuttle will also connect the Olympic Park with Kent in 10 minutes. A train will arrive every three minutes from either Kent or the centre of London.

For airport trains there have been some developments too. The long lived express services from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted will carry the lion’s share of the 65% of international visitors who will arrive by air. Stansted travelers will be greeted with new trains and Heathrow with the train’s interiors refurbished. Arrivals at London City, 50% of which already take the DLR, will also reap the benefit of the Stratford extension of the DRL network. The new station at Southend Airport will connect arrivals to Stratford within 40 minutes.

Hear more about these projects at our next conference The Future of AirRail – Airport Rail Terminal Integration, taking place in London on 20th October 2011.

Poland/Ukraine Euro 2012

The European championships in 2012 have a much lesser profile for rail to serve the 4 cities in Poland and 4 in Ukraine. Airport enhancements are the main feature for transportation for these games.

The priorities for the games are described as follows:

• Priority 1 - completion and testing of stadiums
• Priority 2 - enhancing Airport capacity
• Priority 3 - road improvements between the key Cities
• Priority 4 - local transport around the Cities

The organisers suggesting all “important” projects will be completed but a recent national audit report in Poland was critical citing:

• Airport capacity enhancements mostly on track - Poznan named as being a problem;
• Many major road schemes (404km) will not be ready in time;
• Key railway interchange works unfunded;
• Some local transport delays and cuts.

Organisers have admitted that they are keenly anticipating the 2 December group draw to determine where the most popular teams will be playing, whilst UEFA are threatening to move some games from Ukraine to Poland if the stadiums are not satisfactory.

Conclusions

What we can learn from this analysis is that airports and their connecting railways have a high value not only in meeting the expectations of visitors but also in meeting the criteria for a strong and valuable legacy that meets the needs of the host city for many years into the future.

Marco-economic factors are dictating that airport related projects have a long term value because of:

• Big cities getting bigger;
• The growth of air travel;
• Destination in concentrated area (City Centre);
• Distance Airport to City;
• Congestion.

Airports are strong commercial centres that offer real opportunities for collaboration of multiple parties to pump prime transport solutions; Canada line had 6 major investors with no stake greater than 35%, demonstrating how well risk can be shared.

The generic lessons from the analysis provided falls into 5 categories:

1. Consider about the transport logistics when planning the location of venues and the athlete village, both short term and long term.
2. Use existing transportation if sufficient; upgrade or build new transportation links if there is a legacy benefit that provides value for money; where this is not possible innovate and adapt existing services or travel arrangements to deal with peak event demand.
3. Complete planning (and new build) for transport in enough time for thorough tests and rigorous dress rehearsals.
4. Airport enhancements and transport links have strong legacy value, commerciality and are the key to first and last impressions for city visitors.
5. It is possible to generate enormous pride and support through a well executed transport plan.

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