London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games

The Games are huge in scale - twenty times the size of the Football World Cup. 15,000 athletes from over 200 countries take part. The Government's vision is to host an inspirational, safe and inclusive event and leave a sustainable legacy for London and the UK. The Government Olympic Executive, part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, leads for Government on delivery of these objectives. The actual staging of the Games is the responsibility of the privately funded London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

The transport challenge

On each of the 16 days of the Olympic Games up to 500,000 spectators and 55,000 athletes, officials, media and marketing partners will need transport; and 160,000 and 16,500 respectively on each day of the 12 days of the Paralympic Games. In addition, a workforce of around 100,000 will also need good transport to ensure the Games can operate.

Effective transport planning and delivery is key to making the Games a success. It requires the input of many stakeholders including the Department for Transport. At the heart of the Games are the athletes. It is important that they have safe, secure, reliable and efficient transport during the Games so that they have an environment in which they can excel. But spectators also need to be able to enjoy the Games; and people going about their daily business need to be able to do so with minimal disruption.

What is DfT's role?

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) the public body set up to deliver all the necessary infrastructure for the Games, leads on the overall planning and delivery of transport for the Games. Transport of the athletes, officials, media and marketing partners who together comprise the Games Family is a specific responsibility of LOCOG.   The ODA published the first edition of the Olympic Transport Plan in 2007. The Department for Transport (DfT) contributes to ODA's work in three key areas:

Olympic Funding

DfT is a co-funder of the ODA and is contributing around £1bn towards ODA's £8bn budget for the Games' infrastructure.

Transport security

DfT's transport security arm, TRANSEC, is a key partner in the Olympic transport security project. This project will play an important role in achieving the objectives of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Safety and Security Strategy developed by the Home Office [external link] with key partners. The strategy sets out how a safe and secure Games in keeping with the Olympic culture and spirit will be achieved, and provides a framework for programmes run by the police and other agencies, and by ODA and LOCOG.

Transport assurance

DfT supports the Government Olympic Executive - the lead Government client - in ensuring that the overall transport plans for the Games are fit for purpose: meeting the Games' requirements whilst keeping London and the rest of the UK moving.  We work closely with the ODA, LOCOG, Transport for London and other key stakeholders to ensure that plans are robust and delivery on track and on budget.

Transport funding and delivery

DfT and its Agencies have a direct role in a number of the projects and workstreams that help deliver the Olympic Transport Plan and leave a legacy of improved transport infrastructure and operations management. These include:

Rail projects
DfT is funding and delivering a number of projects that will contribute to successful transport during the Games, including the West Coast Main Line upgrade, Channel Tunnel Rail Link, Stratford International station, and the class 395 high-speed domestic trains that will, during the Games, provide the Javelin® shuttle service between St Pancras, Stratford International and Ebbsfleet.

Temporary rail service enhancements
The ODA are developing Service Delivery Plans with national rail operators to ensure that the service levels provided during the Games meet the needs of Olympic spectators (for example to cater for events finishing late in the evening) as well as regular passengers. These agreements will be formalised through amendments to rail franchise agreements, led by the DfT.

Designation of the Olympic Route Network
Safe and reliable transport for the Games Family who are at the heart of the Games is essential to their success.  Based on the experience of recent successful Games, DfT will be designating a network of roads between competition and key non-competition venues to form an Olympic Route Network to be used by vehicles transporting the Games Family.  Consultation on the roads to be included took place between December 2008 and March 2009. Once the ORN is designated (planned for Summer 2009), the ODA will design, consult on and implement the appropriate traffic management measures required on the ORN during the Games to ensure that the Games Family get where they need to be, whilst keeping London and the rest of the UK moving. While the measures will only be applied when required during the Games, some of the infrastructure that will be put in place, such as upgraded traffic signals, will have lasting benefits for London. 

Strategic Trunk Routes
The motorway and strategic trunk route network will help provide links between Games venues around the UK, as well as key links to London. In order to manage the additional traffic that will be on these roads during the Games the DfT's Highways Agency [external link] is working with the ODA to maximise the available road capacity during the Games, and ensure that the ORN on the trunk route network can operate effectively.

Airspace management
With predictions of upwards of 380,000 visitors arriving by air including anything up to one thousand business aircraft, the Games present a significant challenge to the aviation community. DfT is working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), NATS (the en-route air navigation services provider), the Ministry of Defence and aviation industry stakeholders to develop a strategic plan for managing this challenge whilst maintaining high standards of safety in handling aircraft movements. For more details about the DfT's work in this area please contact the Department's domestic airspace team at Olympics.Airspace@dft.gsi.gov.uk. Further information about the issues being addressed can also be found on the Olympics 2012 pages of the CAA's website [external link] or by contacting the CAA at CAAOlympics@caa.co.uk.

Key DfT contributions to date to the Olympic Transport Plan

• November 2005: M25 J12-15 and Heathrow Spur widening
• April 2006: Construction of Stratford International station completed
• November 2007: Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed 1) to St Pancras opens for service
• December 2008: West Coast Main Line upgrade completed
• December 2008 - March 2009: Consultation on designation of the ORN
• May 2009: Highways Agency awards contract to widen M25 J16 - J23 and  J27 - J30, to be completed before the Games
• December 2009: Kings Cross London Underground Northern Ticket Hall opened
• December 2009: Stratford International Station opens and the full commercial service of high-speed trains that will form the Javelin® shuttle service during Games time commences.