LUTON -8
It was fast dual carriageway a couple of weeks ago.......
I think Vintage ATCO was trying to be amusing.
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Parkway Link
Over the weekend there have been many interesting posts regarding options on the Link to Parkway. Now a reality check. What actually exists today is that there is a bus service. Various bodies have made comments about a rail link, an Enterprise Zone, including funding and the start of procedures for a rail link. If the rail link was given a green light today the earliest it would be operational is 6 years, imo. Thus the link will be by buses for at least 6 years.
So there is a need for reliable Bendy Buses at a frequency to suit demand, immediately.There must be a charge for this service. The fares must be collected independent of the bus.
I would suggest that consideration be given to extend the bus lane right into the CTA bus stop once the new dual carriageway is completed. The vast majority of passengers using the train go to London. I would further suggest that consideration be given for the bus to be routed via Kimpton Road with a stop at the eastern access to the station. This would give a much easier access for passengers to platform 1 (most London trains stop here).The ticketing arrangements would need to be looked at,
My view on the choice of link? I can see no advantage in building a rail link. Implementing some of my thoughts from will further improve the bus system.
A rail link will be difficult to construct which in turn will be a very expensive item. The only cost I can give is that a Tunneling machine will cost about £10,000,000
just to buy. As with all developments the bottom line is money. In this particular case lots of it. Who will fund it? The Airport, the airlines, Luton BC, the Government, Europe ( if we are still a member).? Did I say 6 years as an earliest start date?
So there is a need for reliable Bendy Buses at a frequency to suit demand, immediately.There must be a charge for this service. The fares must be collected independent of the bus.
I would suggest that consideration be given to extend the bus lane right into the CTA bus stop once the new dual carriageway is completed. The vast majority of passengers using the train go to London. I would further suggest that consideration be given for the bus to be routed via Kimpton Road with a stop at the eastern access to the station. This would give a much easier access for passengers to platform 1 (most London trains stop here).The ticketing arrangements would need to be looked at,
My view on the choice of link? I can see no advantage in building a rail link. Implementing some of my thoughts from will further improve the bus system.
A rail link will be difficult to construct which in turn will be a very expensive item. The only cost I can give is that a Tunneling machine will cost about £10,000,000
just to buy. As with all developments the bottom line is money. In this particular case lots of it. Who will fund it? The Airport, the airlines, Luton BC, the Government, Europe ( if we are still a member).? Did I say 6 years as an earliest start date?
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So there is a need for reliable Bendy Buses at a frequency to suit demand,
Two of the three replacement low capacity coaches have now been painted in the shuttle bus colour scheme so this is no temporary arrangement. One wonders what the airport thinks about this and even if they have noticed.
The new franchise requirement has the shuttle bus operation listed as ancillary revenue which is the same as selling advertising space at stations and on trains.
The specification is as follows:
Luton Airport Bus Link
12.11 Subject to the approval of London Luton Airport Limited, the Franchisee shall:
(a) from the Start Date and for the remainder of the Franchise Term, introduce and operate a high frequency shuttle bus service (operating at a frequency of not less than 6 buses per hour in each direction between 05:00 and 00:00 and 2 buses per hour in each direction between 00:00 and 05:00) linking Luton Airport Parkway Station with Luton Airport (the "Luton Airport Bus Link"); and
(b) install a new customer information desk and ticket sales point at Luton Airport by 30 September 2016.
What the franchise requirement has forgot to mention is the minimum seating capacity of the link. In fact there is nothing stopping Govia replacing the coach service with minibuses if they wish. The result of all of this is the truly shocking standing room only service Govia now offers.
At the same time National Express have gone from next to no passengers when they took over from GreenLine to full coaches for much of the day despite Green Line being allowed to remain on the route after their court case so maybe passengers are starting to reject the rail option.
I would suggest that consideration be given to extend the bus lane right into the CTA bus stop once the new dual carriageway is completed.
Paxing All Over The World
Constructor + LTNman have said it all about the present and the future. So I will repeat myself about the past - which is a guide to what we have in the present ...
But we all know that the motto of the airport is 'Do it Cheap and Nasty - Ignore the Future'.
But we all know that the motto of the airport is 'Do it Cheap and Nasty - Ignore the Future'.
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As I've already said on here, the airports operators have made clear their desire for a rail link and easyJet have done the same so there's a real force of will behind making it happen and they seem pretty bullish about it.
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I think Aena Aeropuertos who now run the airport and who are the worlds largest airport operator do have the vision and expertise to finally take Luton out of its Cinderella status. I can't think of any airport operator I would rather see at Luton than Aena.
Luton is Aena's 5th busiest airport ahead of airports like Alicante and not that far behind Malaga and as can be seen they are piling cash into Luton.
It is unfortunate that while Aena has the vision Govia has taken the opposite approach and has used the letter of the franchise agreement to allow them to run down the service in less than 12 months. Whether the airport can do anything about it we will have to wait and see but it is shocking to see what Govia has done to the airports prospects.
Luton is Aena's 5th busiest airport ahead of airports like Alicante and not that far behind Malaga and as can be seen they are piling cash into Luton.
It is unfortunate that while Aena has the vision Govia has taken the opposite approach and has used the letter of the franchise agreement to allow them to run down the service in less than 12 months. Whether the airport can do anything about it we will have to wait and see but it is shocking to see what Govia has done to the airports prospects.
I'm afraid "force of will" doesn't pay for expensive and technically challenging engineering projects. As has been explained previously, any such link needs to be commercially justifiable.
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Quite so. However the recent comments are very positive which suggests there is a tangible and realistic chance of the rail link happening
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With BA increasing capacity to Tel Aviv from Heathrow to a double daily 777-200 from the spring, might this affect passenger numbers on the Luton flights?
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I don't think so. I've generally found that BA's fares aren't particularly competitive on the LHR-TLV run and I assume this is primarily to handle an anticipated increase in connecting North American passengers instead.
Edit: hang on - at the moment TLV is a 3x A321 most days right? Doesn't switching to 2x 772 actually work out as a net capacity decrease?
Edit: hang on - at the moment TLV is a 3x A321 most days right? Doesn't switching to 2x 772 actually work out as a net capacity decrease?
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Edit: hang on - at the moment TLV is a 3x A321 most days right? Doesn't switching to 2x 772 actually work out as a net capacity decrease?[/QUOTE]
BA fly LHR -TLV up to twice daily on the A321 depending on season (morning and afternoon departures) and daily on 777 - 200 or 787 (9pm departure).
BA fly LHR -TLV up to twice daily on the A321 depending on season (morning and afternoon departures) and daily on 777 - 200 or 787 (9pm departure).
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La Compagnie
I counted just 23 passengers on today's arrival from New York. The last time I did a head count was in the summer when I counted off 54 passengers.
I think the aircraft is seated for 75 passengers.
I think the aircraft is seated for 75 passengers.
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Not sure what point you are making?
You arbitrarily counted 2 times over the last 6 months how many people were on a flight also without knowing what they paid for their tickets and came to what conclusion? Not an attack I just don't understand the point being made.
You arbitrarily counted 2 times over the last 6 months how many people were on a flight also without knowing what they paid for their tickets and came to what conclusion? Not an attack I just don't understand the point being made.
runway08 -
La Compagnie passenger figures don't appear in the detailed CAA stats, and I and others are interested to know what the take-up of seats is.
Unfortunately, LTNman's observations don't by themselves tell a coherent story so I look forward to more info being volunteered.
La Compagnie passenger figures don't appear in the detailed CAA stats, and I and others are interested to know what the take-up of seats is.
Unfortunately, LTNman's observations don't by themselves tell a coherent story so I look forward to more info being volunteered.
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Wizz will increase Iasi to 5 weekly from 27th March
https://wizzair.com/en-GB/about_us/news/wizzen369
https://wizzair.com/en-GB/about_us/news/wizzen369
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Not sure what point you are making?
You arbitrarily counted 2 times over the last 6 months how many people were on a flight also without knowing what they paid for their tickets and came to what conclusion? Not an attack I just don't understand the point being made.
You arbitrarily counted 2 times over the last 6 months how many people were on a flight also without knowing what they paid for their tickets and came to what conclusion? Not an attack I just don't understand the point being made.
Somewhat strange comment as I wasn't making any points or coming to any conclusions. I was just stating a fact.
.
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Weekly development update
The now closed mid term, long term and car hire bus shelters have been removed together with the covered walkway that was beside the new bus station as work starts to build a further 7 bays across the existing bus station. So far all 3 traffic lanes of the bus station remain open but one has a reduced width.
Work is just starting to tie in the new ring road to the old ring road at the two points where they cross each other. This will allow for the diversion of traffic onto the new section so far built. Photo taken by what will become the drop off loop.
The other end is by Easyjet's former HQ
The remainder of the old staff car park between the new ring road and the old ring road by the south stands is now being tarmacked after having three lines of drainage channels fitted with metal slotted covers. This will be part of the short term car park when the old ring road is removed. The new ring road is beyond the lorries in the background. Glad to say the short term car park looks like it is going to be 100% tarmac but time will tell.
The large vertical piling machine that was used for boring tube shaped holes that were filled with reinforced concrete has now left the airport. I had stated that this machine was being used for the foundations of the multistory car park but I was incorrect. It was actually putting in the foundations of the passenger bridge that will cross the exit road. This will allow people in the short term car park to get to the terminal via the multistory car park. Later on another set of foundations will go in by the corner of the eastern apron. In the photo there is a set of foundations in the foreground and another set by the yellow machine. The exit road will pass between these two points.
Artists impression of the passenger bridge without the multistory car park attached. The above photo was taken looking across the extreme right of this impression looking in this direction.
More of the short term car park is about to be closed.
Work is just starting to tie in the new ring road to the old ring road at the two points where they cross each other. This will allow for the diversion of traffic onto the new section so far built. Photo taken by what will become the drop off loop.
The other end is by Easyjet's former HQ
The remainder of the old staff car park between the new ring road and the old ring road by the south stands is now being tarmacked after having three lines of drainage channels fitted with metal slotted covers. This will be part of the short term car park when the old ring road is removed. The new ring road is beyond the lorries in the background. Glad to say the short term car park looks like it is going to be 100% tarmac but time will tell.
The large vertical piling machine that was used for boring tube shaped holes that were filled with reinforced concrete has now left the airport. I had stated that this machine was being used for the foundations of the multistory car park but I was incorrect. It was actually putting in the foundations of the passenger bridge that will cross the exit road. This will allow people in the short term car park to get to the terminal via the multistory car park. Later on another set of foundations will go in by the corner of the eastern apron. In the photo there is a set of foundations in the foreground and another set by the yellow machine. The exit road will pass between these two points.
Artists impression of the passenger bridge without the multistory car park attached. The above photo was taken looking across the extreme right of this impression looking in this direction.
More of the short term car park is about to be closed.
Last edited by LTNman; 5th Dec 2015 at 04:24.