London’s first cable car ready for Olympics

London’s first-ever cable car system, which runs between Greenwich and the Royal Docks, will open on 28 June in time for the London Olympics.

34 cable cars will carry 2,500 passengers an hour across the Thames, with views of modern London, including The City, Canary Wharf and the Thames Barrier. The gondolas will fly 160m above the river and depart every 30 seconds. The one-way journey will take five minutes.

A single trip will cost £4.30, or £3.20 with the discount Oyster card. There is also the possibility of a roundtrip for £6.40 and a frequent-flyer card with 10 single-trips for a discount for £16.

The system cost £45 million to build and links the O2 Arena in Greenwich with the ExCel exhibition centre at Royal Docks. It may be used to ferry competitors from one site to another during the Olympics. Gymnastics and basketball are taking place at the O2 Arena.

Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, is sponsoring the cable car for ten years at the cost of £36 million.