The 1948 Olympic Games

The 'Austerity Games' took place in a time of rationing and economic uncertainty. See how the transport network helped London rise to the challenge...

By Mark KauffmanLIFE Photo Collection

The Olympic Games hadn't been held in either 1940 or 1944 due to World War II, but in 1948 it was felt possible to celebrate and London was called upon at short notice to host them

Video from British Movietone (1min 16s)

Account of delivering the Olympics, hailed 'A Fine Job of Work' (1948-08-31)TfL Corporate Archives

A Fine Job of Work

During the 15 days of the Olympic Games, London Transport carried out the greatest sports traffic lift in its history. This task was accomplished in addition to the routine daily transport of London's millions by a transport system already taxed to the hilt

Continued Account of delivering the Olympics, hailed 'A Find Job of Work' (1948-08-31)TfL Corporate Archives

A Fine Job of Work continued

"We are used to international crowds here but the Games fortnight must have broken all records."


The 1948 Games were the first to be shown on television. Starting blocks for athletes in sprint races were introduced, and the Empire Pool was the first covered Olympic pool

Logo of the 1948 Olympic Games (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

Logo of the 1948 Olympic Games

To deal with the question of transport for the Olympics, an Olympic Games Transport Advisory Committee was set up, comprising Officers of the London Transport and Railway Executives and representatives of the Organising Committee of the Olympiad


It first met on 8 July 1947

Staff studying the Olympic Transport Control operations map (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

Staff Studying the Olympic Transport Control Operations Map

Detailed planning of the transport arrangements was carried out by Sub-Committees and by ad hoc meetings between operating officials and representatives of other interested organisations

Programme of events for 1948 Olympic Games (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

Programme of Events for the 1948 Games

An Olympic Games Transport Sub-Committee was set up to deal with transport for competitors and officials between stations and accommodation, between accommodation and training grounds, and between accommodation and competition sites. It first met on 10 September 1947

Programme of events for 1948 Olympic Games (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

There were 90 different locations (21 competition sites, 45 training grounds, 24 accommodation sites), and the special operations required an itinerary of 550 routes to be followed by drivers. Detailed schedules and time cards had to be prepared

Programme of events for 1948 Olympic Games (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

The routes were selected with a view to avoiding heavily congested traffic points. Special posters were designed for display on buses, as well as portable signposts to help the competitors and officials

Staff outside Richmond main camp (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

Staff outside Richmond main camp

District Inspector C H Fossey and Inspector T Bradley at the Richmond main Olympic village

1948 Olympics by William J SumitsLIFE Photo Collection

In a time of 1hr and 10mins, the busmen had to transport 6,000 competitors from the accommodation centres (spread over west and north west London) to Wembley for the opening ceremony - and back again! 118 buses and coaches were used

Specimen Olympics travel pass (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

Specimen Olympics Travel Pass

The pass was for the use of competitors and officials

Discussion of Olympics travel pass (1948-07-01)TfL Corporate Archives

Olympics Travel Pass

Discussion of the design of the free travel pass for competitors and officials

Diagram of bridge improvements on Olympic Way (1948-06-01)TfL Corporate Archives

Improvement works at Wembley Park Station cost £100,000

Measures to prevent undue crowding within the station included an extensive loud-speaker system, barriers and gates in the ticket hall and elsewhere for controlling passenger flow, and a bell communication system to enable the flow from Olympic Way to be checked

Photograph of Olympic Way from Bridge Road (1948-06-01)TfL Corporate Archives

Photograph of Olympic Way from Bridge Road

Up to 98,000 passengers passed through the station daily


Much of the traffic to Wembley went by trolleybus. 10 extra buses per hour ran on route 662 (Paddington-Wembley-Sudbury). The 17 extra vehicles required were worked by volunteers

Decoration arrangements for stations (1948-07-29)TfL Corporate Archives

Decoration Arrangements for Stations

Memo regarding the decoration of certain identified stations with bunting and shields. The stations to be decorated are identified as Victoria, Westminster, Charing Cross, Piccadilly, Baker Street, and Wembley Park

Westminster Underground station decorated for 1948 Olympics (1948) by Topical PressLondon Transport Museum

Westminster Underground Station Decorated for the Olympics

Programme for Games Closing Ceremony (1948-08-14)TfL Corporate Archives

Programme for Games Closing Ceremony

Letter of thanks from Olympics Organising Committee, 1948-10-27, From the collection of: TfL Corporate Archives
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Letter of thanks from Olympics Organising Committee, 1948-09-24, From the collection of: TfL Corporate Archives
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Letters of thanks from the Olympics Organising Committee for the successful delivery of a complex transport operation

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Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.

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This story has been enhanced using images from the collections of the LIFE Photo Collection and the London Transport Museum. All enquiries regarding this material should be made directly to those institutions.

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