Airport ranking for public transport links

[whole diary]

[grahame]

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airports-rated-worst-in-survey-of-public-transport-links-demand-government-action-a6780496.html

Airports rated worst in survey of public transport links demand Government action

Airports rates ... starting with best first:

1 Southampton
2 Birmingham
3 Manchester
4 London City
5 Heathrow
6 Aberdeen
7 Newcastle
8 Belfast City
9 Edinburgh
10 Glasgow
11 Leeds/Bradford
12 Bristol
13 Liverpool
14 Exeter
15 Inverness
16 East Midlands
17 Belfast International
18 Prestwick
19 Cardiff
20 Gatwick
21 Luton
22 Stansted
23 Southend

At the top of the table are three provincial cities: Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester. Each boasts at least five fast trains an hour, taking 15 minutes or less, at fares of a few pounds.

Jan Halliday, Marketing Director at the top-rated airport, said: "We are delighted that Southampton Airport's excellent rail links are being recognised. We are also seeing a growth in inbound air passengers from the Channel Islands and regional France who are choosing to use Southampton Airport as a quick way of getting to London Waterloo.

The claim to be a plausible alternative to the capital^s airports was echoed by Paul Kehoe, Chief Executive at second-placed Birmingham - planned to as a stop for the High Speed 2 rail line: "Once HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) Phase One is complete, we will be the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s most convenient airport for 19 million people, effectively closer to central London than Luton and Stansted and only 15 minutes further than Heathrow Terminal 5."

[ChrisB]

So London Birmingham Airport?....

[stuving]

Some of that looks rather biased. It says the top scores are for 4 tph taking 15 minutes or less, so Southampton's rating only applies if you live there - similarly for Birmingham and the others. And if needing a bus link, like Luton, is so bad I can't see how Aberdeen scores so highly versus Gatwick. And as to their picture of a Gatwick Express train...

[LiskeardRich]

How is Exeter so high. Last bus is around 1900 and first isn't until 0800 ish. The others must be awful!

[TonyK]

Manchester's position is easy to understand. 10 tph to Piccadilly, many going on to other places across the north and north-west, and 5 trams per hour in addition - very well connected place. I assume Exter gets a mention because you can see it from the train as you pass through Cranbrook station.

[LiskeardRich]

How is Exeter so high. Last bus is around 1900 and first isn't until 0800 ish. The others must be awful!

When I wrote this I failed to notice how low Gatwick is. Its easier to get from Gatwick to Cornwall by public transport on an evening flight arrival than it is to get back from Exeter to Cornwall.

[didcotdean]

Not really clear who has been 'surveyed'.

Gatwick's position attributed to not accepting Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services). Really?

[ChrisB]

so, already out of date then....

[JayMac]

Well, Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) availability at Gatwick doesn't go live until sometime in January. Haven't found an exact date announced yet.

[TaplowGreen]

Are there any plans to extend Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) any further West than its current limit? (.....which I think is West Drayton?)

[ChrisB]

not currently - TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s stated aim is to go piecemeal - and SouthEastern Metro services are next I understand.

It will have to once Crossrail is up & running, so I guess that's what you are waiting for.

[stuving]

If you follow the link in the article, to another one (still by Simon Calder) about the survey itself, you will see that a lot of the comments (e.g. on Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services) and HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) to Birmingham) don't have much to do with the survey numbers themselves.

What they say they did was take the geometrical mean of the journey time and interval (both in minutes) and the fare (in pounds). Which service(s) they considered may not be obvious - like Underground for Heathrow, for example. Presumably they did their sums for each and quote the best - and may have chosen the nearest city (where there is a choice) the same way.

[LiskeardRich]

Not really clear who has been 'surveyed'.

Gatwick's position attributed to not accepting Oyster^▸ (Smartcard system used by passengers on Transport for London services). Really?

They don't accept Oyster at Southampton, but that made it to number 1.   

[Brucey]

I'm surprised Stansted ranks so badly.  Ok, it is an awful airport after the "improvements", but in terms of transport it has a railway station underneath the terminal (so no connecting buses) with direct services to London, Cambridge, Ely, Leicester and Birmingham.  There are plenty of bus options to London (at least four companies) and National Express coaches to other places.

Also, I'd swap Heathrow and City airports.  City is only on the DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway) and local buses.  Heathrow is on the tube, heavy rail, local buses, coaches and hotel shuttles.

[Thatcham Crossing]

I'd agree re. LCY - DLR^▸ (Docklands Light Railway) only and not at all easy/quick to get to by road.

Bournemouth is not on the list, but if it was it would be way below the bottom.

From an aviation perspective, it's a much more capable airport than Southampton (which is restricted in many ways), but truly deserves it's place at the top for connectivity.