Olympic Javelin arrives on time
The first time trial of the Olympic Javelin − the high speed train service from St Pancras to the new Olympic Park − beat its claimed seven minute journey time by 15 seconds last week.
The high speed Hitachi-built Javelin Train was part of London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and will be a central part of plans to provide exemplary transport services for the potential 800,000 spectators per day expected to attend the Olympics.
The trial used the high speed track between St Pancras International and Stratford International. In 2012, the service will bring up to 25,000 visitors per hour to and from the Olympic Park along this 237km/h line.
Transport enhancements
Other transport enhancements well underway around the Olympic Park include the extension of the DLR service and work to improve access at Stratford Regional station and Stratford International station. This work will be complete by December.
Regeneration of waterways around the Park is ploughing ahead, with the freight route dredged, river walls reinforced and replaced and a new lock constructed, improving access, water quality and biodiversity.
The Department for Transport has consulted on the Olympic Route Network, which will ensure athletes and officials can get around quickly. It is now being developed by local councils. The network will not require any new infrastructure to be built, such as bridges, structures or new motorways and roads.
Positive legacy
Instead, it will feature dedicated congestion-free lanes for Olympic travel. According to the Olympic Delivery Authority the network will still leave a positive legacy for London through improved traffic signalling, a new traffic control centre, new traffic signals and new CCTV and junction upgrades. With three years to go until the games, work on the structure of the venues is becoming visible.
The external structure is complete on the main stadium and the steelwork for the Aquatics Centre’s curvy roof is taking shape. Foundations for the velodrome are complete and work on the structure is ongoing with its cable-net roof to be erected in 2010.
Olympic timeline
- Summer 2005: Olympic Committee announces London is to host the 2012 Olympics
- July 2007: Demolition and site clearance on Olympic sites begins
- Early 2008: Construction begins on Olympic Stadium, Village and Aquatics Centre
- Early 2009: Construction on the Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre’s roof begins
- July 2009: Construction of the Olympic Stadium’s external structure completed
- Late 2009: Stratford International Station’s new entrance completed
- Summer 2011: Completed Olympic Stadium handed over for sporting test events
- 27 July-12 Aug 2012: 2012 London Olympic Games
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