Buy ahead to save queues for the tube during the Olympics?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Not sure if I heard this right - but I thought the ontrain announcement on the Hammersmith and City tube from Liverpool Street to Paddington was extolling us to purchase our [tube] tickets ahead of time for late July / early August as ticket offices will be exceptionally busy at around that time.

Now - this was around 18:30 on Wednesday - picture taken within a few minutes of the announcement.

The tube was clearly constrained / slowed by path availability (held at Great Portland Street, stopped at signals from there to Baker Street, slow Baker Street to Edgware Road, stopped in the tunnel before the junction where the High Street Ken line branches off) ... so I'm wondering won't the selling of yet more tickets ahead of time simply lead to more passengers than capacity?

[John R]

But everyone attending an event in London gets a Games Travelcard in addition to their ticket. So I'm not sure why ticket offices are expected to be particularly busy, particularly as non Games traffic is expected to be reduced, due to all the dire warnings about overcrowding etc.

[grahame]

But everyone attending an event in London gets a Games Travelcard in addition to their ticket. So I'm not sure why ticket offices are expected to be particularly busy, particularly as non Games traffic is expected to be reduced, due to all the dire warnings about overcrowding etc.

The Games Travelcard, though, only covers you on the day of events you are attending.  How many overseas visitors will be staying around for a few days before / after the events they're watching (or taking part in), or will have gaps between events during which they'll be using public transport?