Greenwich (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Thameslink disruption could affect thousands of runners and spectators heading to the London Marathon in Greenwich, raising concerns over race day travel chaos.
Due to Network Rail’s engineering work on the day of the largest 26.2-mile road marathon in the world, runners and fans heading into the city for this Sunday’s London Marathon may experience delays and crowding on Thameslink services from East Croydon.
Network Rail has decided to close the main Thameslink route, which typically carries 11 trains per hour on Sundays, despite the fact that the race is taking place in the capital and that runners and spectators must travel to the race start at Blackheath, to other points along the route, or to the finish on The Mall.
As our colleagues at The Greenwich Wire report:
“The line will be closed between London Bridge and St Pancras International, meaning no through trains from north London to the Greenwich line. This will also mean no trains at Blackfriars.”
The marathon route actually takes runners underneath Blackfriars Station, close to the 24-mile mark.
Greenwich Wire reports:
“There will be frequent extra Southeastern trains to Greenwich, Maze Hill and Blackheath to carry runners to their start points.
But the engineering works mean those planning to cheer them on near Charlton or Westcombe Park stations will have a less frequent service than a normal Sunday, with just three trains an hour after about 10.30am: two Southeastern trains to Cannon Street and one Thameslink train to London Bridge.”
The Greenwich Wire offers a comprehensive review of the public transport options for Sunday.
“Maze Hill, Greenwich and Deptford stations will have extra Southeastern Metro trains during the morning, heading into central London only, to bump the service up to five trains an hour until about 1.30pm.”
“Trains and stations will be very busy and extra staff will be on duty to help reduce congestion and to provide travel assistance,”
Network Rail and the train operators said in a joint statement. They claimed that “plans for the London Marathon have been worked through for many months”.
According to the railway companies:
“Tickets will be accepted on the London Underground and London Buses for passengers travelling between St Pancras International and London Bridge.”
Runners and spectators are advised to plan their journeys at nationalrail.co.uk or at tfl.gov.uk.
Up until 4 p.m., additional Docklands Light Railway trains will travel to Lewisham from Bank and Tower Gateway. Services for the tube will continue as usual. Although trains west of Paddington will be impacted by Network Rail construction, the Elizabeth Line through Woolwich and Canary Wharf will also operate normally.
In past years, it has been feasible to see friends and loved ones at various locations along the road, if you are willing to travel a considerable distance yourself.
After bidding them farewell at Blackheath, make your way through Greenwich Park to support them as they pass close to the Cutty Sark, a little more than six miles into the marathon.
A spot on the roadside on the Isle of Dogs where you can see the race again, possibly twice, between 14 and 21 miles (depending on how quickly you cross the river) is one of the more crowded spots along the route, so it’s crucial to get to the right side of the road so that, after your runners have passed, you can quickly dip under the Thames through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.
To get to all those spectator sites before the race leaders, however, you would need to be incredibly fast.
Make sure to verify the route as well, as the roads that are used around Canary Wharf have changed from years past.
For those intrepid enough to try to watch the London Marathon on both sides of the River Thames, the Greenwich Foot Tunnel will be open northbound only (towards Island Gardens) from 10.30am to 12.30pm “with queues expected”, the Wire advises.
“Spectators heading south will need to use the Docklands Light Railway from Island Gardens to Greenwich.”
“With queues expected,” the Wire warns, the Greenwich Foot Tunnel will only be available northbound (towards Island Gardens) from 10.30am to 12.30pm for those brave enough to attempt to watch the London Marathon on both banks of the River Thames.
What alternative routes can runners take to avoid the Thameslink disruptions other than Greenwich?
In order to make up for the Thameslink shutdown between London Bridge and St Pancras International, Southeastern is operating additional trains to these stations to assist runners in getting to their starting locations.
In order to connect with Southeastern and Southern rail services or reach other stations, passengers can utilize London Underground lines such the Circle, District, Jubilee, Northern, and Victoria lines. For instance, depending on the destination, trips via London Bridge, Cannon Street, or Victoria stations are advised.
Thameslink provides rail replacement buses or coaches to cover impacted areas during engineering projects, particularly in areas without direct train service.
Travelers can take the Circle or District line to Victoria from London Blackfriars, and then the Southeastern or Southern trains to reach their final destination.