With a four-day strike on the Docklands Light Railway set to cause chaos in London over the weekend, including plans for the London Marathon, East London venue Excel London is urging potential visitors to its events during the period to check out alternative means of transport.
A BBC report said the RMT union walk-out could affect thousands of runners required to register at the Excel centre in east London, which is on the DLR line, before Sunday’s race.
The RMT and DLR operators KeolisAmey Docklands Ltd (KAD) are locked in a dispute over working practices.
The RMT walkout is due to start at 04.00 on Friday 20 April and an RMT spokesman said “no significant progress” had been made on key issues despite several rounds of talks with KAD.
The venue said a shuttle service running between Canning Town and Prince Regent would “likely to be very busy”. The shuttle service, however, will not run after 18.00 of Saturday or on Sunday. It also says it is possible that services may not stop at Custom House station.
The Emirates Air Line cable car is one suggested alternative route in, connecting the venue to North Greenwich tube station. It is a five-minute walk from the venue’s West Entrance.
There are bus routes into Excel also, including the 300, 147, 473 and 241.
On Sunday 22 April, there are also extensive road closures around the London Marathon route, so if driving, visitors are urged to plan their route ahead carefully.
Excel has also suggested checking its own site for updates on the situation.
Shows at the venue over the strike period are the Creative Craft Show 2018, The Property Investor & Homebuyer Show, Tony Robbins – Unleash the Power Within 2018, Natural & Organic Products Europe 2018.
