A recent flooding of the Central Line due to a broken water main has exposed the drawback of the transport system, particularly the Tube, and spurred talks whether or not London is prepared for the increased number of passengers during the Olympics.

Yesterday a water main was ruptured and two million litres of water flooded the Central Line tracks between Leytonstone and Bethnal Green. Passengers, hundreds in number, had to walk through the flooded tracks.

“We are currently working really hard to repair a pipe that has burst in Wick Lane causing disruption to the Central line”, a Thames Water spokesperson informed. “We’re really sorry for the disruption this is causing”, he regretted.

The Central Line incidentally joins Central London with the Olympic Stadium at Stratford.

It was apprehended, even earlier, that the 150-year-old Tube network would fail to cope with the workload when the number of passengers increase during the Olympics. It is expected that up to a million extra people will access the Tube every day in July and August.

“Trains will break down and lines will shut”, foreboded a senior LU employee. “It is simply not going to be ready and there is nothing we can do about it. It will not be able to cope with the extra numbers”, he said.

Though unions assure numerous safety inspections on tracks, Brits are not wholly convinced if traffic during the Games would be smooth. People are asked to leave work later or use alternative means of travel to ease the burden off the questionable infrastructure. A spokesperson says, “We’re confident but not complacent.”

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