How long will the Olympic Games run for?
The Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday 27th July 2012 with the Games starting the following day and running until Sunday 12th August 2012 (17 days).
There will then be a 16 day interval before the Paralympic Games which begin on Wednesday 29th August 2012 and finish on Sunday 9th September 2012 (11 days).
Will there be many events on the Southern network?
We expect many people to use our services to travel to Olympic Games venues in and around London throughout the period of the Games. Many of our services will be strengthened and run with extra coaches to cater for the increase in demand. Some additional trains will also run overnight from London Victoria to East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and the Sussex Coast.
In addition the Olympic Road Cycle Race takes place on the first two days of the Games, Saturday and Sunday 28th and 29th July, starting at The Mall in London and passing through Dorking, Box Hill & Westhumble and Leatherhead. This is an unticketed event and will generate huge interest with thousands of spectators expected to travel on the Dorking line to see the cyclists. We will be running a special, high-frequency service between London Victoria, Epsom, Dorking and Horsham on both days of the race. There will be a cycle ban on these trains, however, only folding cycles will be accepted.
What will you be doing for the Paralympic Games?
Generally, services for the Paralympic Games will remain the same as normal but with some services having additional coaches to cater for higher demand.
There will also be additional overnight services from London Victoria to East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and the Sussex Coast to supplement existing late night services.
What stations will be used for the Olympic Games?
London Victoria will be the main station in London for Southern passengers to interchange for London Underground and other transport services in order to get to Olympic venues including Stratford, Greenwich and events in central London.
London Bridge station is expected to become extremely congested and we would advise spectators to avoid using London Bridge wherever possible.
For the Road Cycle Race, many spectators will travel to Dorking, Box Hill and Westhumble and Leatherhead stations. Horsham will also be busy with passengers interchanging for services on the Dorking line for this event.
How many people will be attending the Olympic Games?
It is very hard to estimate exactly what volume of spectators there will be attending the Games and travelling there by train. Whilst spectators must have tickets for most venues, thousands of others will be travelling to see unticketed events such as the Cycle Race and the Marathon as well as other events, including outdoor “live sites”.
Do Games Makers and Volunteers get free travel on Southern?
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has arranged that London 2012 Games Makers and volunteers are entitled to travel for free on public transport in London (zones 1-6) in order to get to their shifts during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This includes Southern services within travelcard zones 1-6 but does not include locations elsewhere on the Southern Network.
Where can I find more information about the Olympic Games?
The best place to find information is from the official London 2012 website www.london2012.com
To buy train tickets please go to www.nationalrailgamestravel.co.uk
To plan your journey to the Games please go to the London 2012 Spectator Journey Planner
For general commuter travel advice visit www.GetAheadoftheGames.com
Booking assistance
If you require assistance for your journey, please call us on 0800 138 1016 so that our dedicated team to help you to plan your journey and book the assistance you require. In order to guarantee assistance, please provide us with at least 24 hours notice.
