Train access is hugely important. EMA has the parkway station. Public transport to EMA is also available through Skylink, ie bus which links to the Nottingham trains and tram services.
The point being that the ONLY way to go to ME is either via taxi or self-drive. Both are expensive and as Ive explained here before, it is actually cheaper, more efficient and easier to go to Manchester Airport from Teesside than it is to go to MME.