London 2012 ticket holders able to book trains to Olympic Games at special rates

[richard]

London 2012 Olympic ticket holders can now take advantage of special rail fares for travelling to next year's Games thanks to the launch of dedicated new web pages on Friday.

The National Rail Games Travel website is now selling tickets for travel to and from London and all co-host cities such as Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle, all of which will host football matches during the Olympics.

The new web pages include a lowest fare finder tool that will search for the cheapest ticket available for chosen journeys.

The tickets also enable flexible travel, allowing spectators to change the time they return should an event be rescheduled or if they wish to remain longer.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said: "For millions of people, London 2012 will be the event of their year and our rail network will be on the frontline, carrying the public to where they need to be at the right time.

"I'm pleased the industry has come together to offer some great-value fares with added flexibility and the ability to book a full year in advance.

"This will help spectators to make the very most of their trip to the Games."

A special timetable for the London 2012 Games has been prepared and will see trains in the capital running longer and more frequently in order to get more than eight million people to and from venues.

The timetable, devised by Network Rail and train companies with input from the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), will see over 2,000 extra services running during the Olympic Games and over 1,500 extra services during the Paralympic Games.

There will be an earlier start to services, more maximum-length trains, extended peak-hour periods offering more frequent trains and later evening trains leaving London to reach other major cities in Britain.

David Higgins, the chief executive of Network Rail and former chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), said: "The Olympics is about sport, not transport.

"Our job during Games time is to provide smooth, seamless journeys for spectators travelling to and from Olympic and Paralympic venues whilst continuing to offer the service which keeps millions of people moving across Britain each day."

Ticketed spectators travelling to events in and around London will receive a free Games Travelcard with their Games event ticket, allowing travel within London zones 1-9 on the day of their event.

In addition, spectators attending events at venues around London - namely Eton Dorney, Lee Valley White Water Centre and Hadleigh Farm - will be able to use their Games Travelcards on national rail services between London and the recommended stations for these venues.

In total more than 3.5 million Olympic tickets have now been sold with 23 of the 26 sports on sale now sold out.

Only tickets for football, volleyball and freestyle wrestling remain.


Source
By Tom Degun
www.insidethegames.biz