500,000 extra seats on trains for Olympics

More than 500,000 extra seats will be made available on trains to and from the West Midlands during the Olympic Games. Passengers are being warned of timetable changes as rail companies put on special later services to bring people back from London each night.

Virgin Trains is starting two late night services from Friday, bringing people back to Wolverhampton for 10 past midnight and 1.10am. They will run until the closing ceremony of the Games.

The company, which runs services to London from Stafford, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Dudley and Birmingham New Street, is putting on 199,800 extra seats during the games.

Additional services will run on Sundays as well. An 8am and 9am service will go from Wolverhampton this Sunday, July 29 and on August 5.

There will also be a 7.05am service both days and on August 12.

London Midland has 230,000 extra seats in and out of London Euston.

Chiltern Railways is warning of "significant" timetable alterations on August 1, 6 and 7 and said services on July 27, 28, 29 and August 12 were likely to be busier than usual

People travelling to the Games have been advised to travel off-peak wherever possible.

Chiltern Railways is providing approximately 120,000 seats over the Games, increasing the number of carriages on off-peak services and running late night trains out of London every day. There will also be early morning and late night trains on Sundays.

Further travel information for Games events is available at www.getaheadofthegames.co.uk

By Daniel Wainwright