Train companies have urged business travellers to book their trips to London in advance, during the 2012 Olympics Games.
Most train tickets for the period covering the Olympic Games go on sale this week, although travellers with valid tickets for Olympics events have been able to book their travel since June 2011.
At the Capita Business Travel’s rail forum held in London last week, UK-based train companies informed business travellers that seats were now available to travel to London during the Games, which run from July 27 to August 12, 2012. The train companies are offering expanded services during these dates.
Martin Turner, the head of sales for East Coast Rail, said, ‘The over-riding message is don’t be put off coming to London if your only reason for not coming is that you won’t be able to get on a train. We will be able to get you to and from London during the Olympics.
There will be less people travelling from the north by train for the Olympics than originally anticipated. The long distance train operating companies’ message to business travellers is that there will be capacity. Additional services are being run and the evening peak for business travellers is not expected to be particularly affected, as people going to Olympic events are going to be travelling back a lot later than business travellers.’
Jayne Moyses, the sales and customer relationship manager for East Midlands Trains, said, ‘Managing demand is going to be a challenge. There will be an additional eight million journeys due to the Olympics.
We always see a dip in business travellers during this time of the summer – it’s normally about 30 percent for East Midlands but the drop will be more this year. Public transport will be the key to the games as 80 percent of spectators are expected to arrive by public transport.’
