Works: Improvements will be made on c2c lines on Sundays before the Paralympics

Rail company c2c has laid on extra trains to cope with the number of people heading to the Olympic Park.

The operator said it had doubled the length of trains, added late-night services from West Ham and four extra trains between Barking and Grays on Sundays.

The company added it had drafted in extra staff but said it still had room for the thousands of passengers it ferries to the Games.

A c2c spokesman said: “We’re seeing noticeably fewer passengers travelling during the morning and evening peak, except for the very first trains of the day before 6.30am, which are busier than normal.

“At off-peak times, the extra capacity we’re putting on means that there is still spare capacity for passengers.”

c2c trains call at Barking, Dagenham Dock, West Ham near Stratford and Leigh-on-Sea, home of the mountain bike event on August 11 and 12.

The company said it had set a record for punctuality with 97.1 per cent of its trains on time.

Managing director Julian Drury said: “c2c is now taking thousands of passengers to the Games every day on a record-breaking train service.

“We’re continuing to set the pace for train companies in the UK, and I’m proud c2c is consistently finishing top of the podium.”