Insight March 2012 37
Is London’s transport network up to the Olympic job? Andrew Foulkes asked our Transportation team in London for their thoughts on this question. Transport was always the worry for organisers of London’s Olympic bid. Even after it was awarded the Games, whenever the International Olympic Committee delegations were in town to check on progress there would be a collective holding of breath that the city’s maligned transport networks would be on their best behaviour. Given the demand placed upon it, London’s transport is never as bad as its residents would have visitors believe. However it is currently enjoying a period of almost unparalleled transport investment. So much so, in fact, that the building works themselves have eclipsed service levels as the commuter’s favourite antagonist-in-chief. Some projects have been driven by the July 2012 deadline, but much was happening in any case. The Underground, for example, had already embarked on a substantial modernisation programme to bring improved services, new trains and refurbished stations across the network. The works, which must fit around the 3.5 million journeys the network carries each day, will take up to 30 years to complete, but the initial fruits are bearing through. Anyone visiting for the first time in, say, five years will not fail to notice the shiny new fleets and improved ambience on some previously notorious lines.
That same visitor may also be struck by improvements to some of the main stations too. International services were moved from Waterloo to the gloriously refurbished St Pancras station in 2007, and when neighbouring King’s Cross pulls down the scaffolding later this year to reveal its stunning new concourse, London will boast two grand, historic stations the equal of any in the world. With more than 80% of spectators expected to arrive by train, most Olympicscentred developments were concentrated around Stratford, which will act as the gateway to the Olympic Park. New platforms, ticket halls and entrances have been added to the existing stations, along with improved walkways and disabled access. A special ‘Javelin’ service will zip between Stratford International and St Pancras during the Games themselves, carrying around 25,000 people per hour. There will doubtless be the occasional disruption that makes headlines, but as home to two national sports stadiums and host to large events almost every weekend, London will be better prepared than most. The biggest disruption could be the Olympic Route Network – the stretches of reserved lanes and restricted roads that will allow athletes, officials and media to dash across the city’s main thoroughfares. Organisers have spent several years trying to raise awareness of the routes and impact on daily routines but no one has really yet been paying attention so you can expect plenty of Londoners to take to the radio phone-ins to vent their frustrations this summer. Most importantly for London, however, is that these projects are not solely about the Games, with the improvements continuing long after the athletes have left. Currently popping up across central London are the building sites for a new East-West line that has been talked about since the 1970s. Too late for 2012, but it’s a substantial transport investment and one that will be integral to the city’s long-term success. Andrew Foulkes is Lloyd’s Register’s Transportation Communications Manager. E andrew.foulkes@lr.org