LONDON'S rail system has won praise from Olympic visitors after their first experience of the Underground and DLR under pressure. No problems have been reported, while Transport for London has even relaxed some of the restrictions on Olympics road lanes because so many VIPs have chosen to go by train instead.

A series of comparatively minor problems in last week's run up to the opening ceremony had sparked predictions that TfL had been too optimistic, but so far the plans have worked.

Commuters and other National Rail passengers appear to have heeded the advice to avoid hotspots, and rush hour trains are reported to have been quieter than usual on some routes, perhaps helped by the fact that even in a normal summer many season ticket holders would have gone on holiday by now.

The threat of strikes by East Midlands Trains drivers for three days next week was also lifted just before the weekend, when EMT and Aslef reached eleventh-hour agreement in a long-running dispute over pensions.

Meanwhile London Mayor Boris Johnson revealed that it had proved possible to reopen some key road routes in central London to normal traffic. “We’ve been able to turn off a lot of the Games lanes because so many people are going by public transport," he said.

He explained that many of the 'Olympic bureaucrats' who are authorised to use the lanes have been choosing public transport instead. They include IOC president Jacques Rogge, who travelled to Stratford on the Docklands Light Railway. Other officials are reported to have followed his example.

The Prime Minister has also used the Underground to reach Olympic events.

During the opening two days of the Games the DLR alone carried 736,000 passengers, setting a record for the system, which normally carries some 1.4 million passengers each week – an average of 200,000 passengers a day.

Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said: "We are very grateful to customers for following our advice to avoid London Bridge and for major businesses who are enabling their staff to work flexibly during the Games. Our advice to all users of the transport network continues to be to plan ahead, avoid hotspot areas, and leave plenty of time for your journey."

One couple from the USA said their journey across London had been flawless. They told a Daily Telegraph reporter: "If any town can handle it, London can".