I can imagine the future now. An excited family from Retford booking their annual holiday to the sun. "Oh Daddy! How exciting! Can we really go to the airport by train? Can I sit by the window on the way to the airport?" Little Timmy just can't wait. He and his sister are looking forward to their adventure. Their father, being a realist, looks at the train timetable and starts to think: "So we have to be at the airport at 4:39am for the flight leaving at 6:39. The shuttle bus from the station will cost £3.00 each and will take seven minutes but but runs every 20 minutes. So we will have to be there by 4:12am to make sure we are not late. Oh dear, the first train arrives at the airport at 6:32 so we will have to travel the night before and stay at the hotel nearest the airport. In Doncaster town. So we will have to..." John reconsiders his choice of airport and announces they will drive to Manchester. He was also not looking forward to the five minutes drive in a taxi to the station. He also knew his family would have to wipe their feet on the way out of the cab.
With some exceptions, travelling to and from airports by train is a non-starter. Only pathetic individuals drunk on progressive, fully-inclusive, green and eco-friendly crap come up with crackpot ideas such as putting in a rail spurs to an under-utilised airport. Trains need high demand to make planning viable as they cost millions per mile to build. So because someone took the cheap option and redeveloped an ex-airforce aerodrome (brilliant bit of tarmac) they are now paying for having it in the wrong place. When seven, eight, nine million passengers use the airport every year a rail link will also arrive. Not before. Assuming you can obtain enough slots on a fast main line to ensure a frequent, viable airport connection service. The ECML is approaching capacity now.
Lastly, you have to consider the shag-nasty factor. Nothing would fill me dread more than the idea of travelling with a family on public transport to an airport for a holiday. Like virtually everyone else with a car, I'll use it. Which leaves backpackers and budget travellers. Name one budget LoCo airline that will pay billions (or even eight quid) for infrastructure. I'll say no more.
PM