HALF the spectators travelling to next summer’s Olympic mountain biking in Hadleigh are expected to use trains.

About 10,000 ticket holders will use Leigh railway station, 7,200 will travel by car and use dedicated park-and-ride schemes, 1,000 will use coaches, 800 will cycle and 600 will use local buses, according to predictions.

A further 200 will walk and 200 use taxis, according to the Olympic Delivery Authority’s latest transport plan.

There are 20,000 spectators attending each day Hadleigh Farm hosts the mountain biking on August 11 and 12 next year.

A spokesman for the Olympic Delivery Authority said: “A number of temporary traffic management and parking control measures will be required to ensure venue transport operations can work effectively.

“They will deter spectator parking in the vicinity of the venue and to ensure local residents and local businesses can continue to operate alongside Games-related activity.”

Organisers expect the busiest travel time to be shortly before 3pm each day, just after the event finishes, when about 10,000 spectators are expected to leave the biking course within 15 minutes.

Other spectators are expected to leave either before the event finishes or between 3pm and 4pm.

Ticket holders are expected to arrive gradually between 10am and noon on the day of the events, with no more than 3,000 expected to arrive in each 15-minute interval.

There will be secure spaces for 1,500 bicycles, as organisers know from similar past events some mountain biking fans will want to cycle to the venue.

Local buses will drop passengers at High Street and they will walk to the track along Castle Lane – where the venue’s only spectator entrance is located. Spectators travelling by train will be encouraged to use Leigh railway station and get shuttle buses or walk to the course.

A temporary drop-off zone for taxis is likely to be set up in Hadleigh town centre and some disabled spectators will be able to pre-book parking spaces by the entrance.

Parking restrictions will be brought in around the venue.

Essex County Council is currently consulting local residents on what they thought of travel arrangements and other issues during the mountain biking test event, which was held at the track on July 31.