LUTON - 6
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Parkway Services
Thameslink moving forward with 12 car train project...
TRANSPORT Minister will visit St Albans City Station next week to celebrate completion of its extended platforms as part of a £5.5 billion Thameslink upgrade programme.
The rail project, managed by Network Rail and funded by the Government, has seen platforms at the station extended to accommodate 50 per cent longer trains.
St Albans is the third station on the Thameslink route now ready for a fleet of 12 carriage trains due to enter the service in December. Luton Airport Parkway and Mill Hill Broadway have also seen their platforms extended by about 80 metres to accommodate longer and more frequent trains.
In total 12 stations will benefit from the scheme, which will create 4km of new platform and carriage space across the entire route.
Teresa Villiers will attend the station, in Station Way, to mark the significant milestone in providing the city with congestion-busting trains.
TRANSPORT Minister will visit St Albans City Station next week to celebrate completion of its extended platforms as part of a £5.5 billion Thameslink upgrade programme.
The rail project, managed by Network Rail and funded by the Government, has seen platforms at the station extended to accommodate 50 per cent longer trains.
St Albans is the third station on the Thameslink route now ready for a fleet of 12 carriage trains due to enter the service in December. Luton Airport Parkway and Mill Hill Broadway have also seen their platforms extended by about 80 metres to accommodate longer and more frequent trains.
In total 12 stations will benefit from the scheme, which will create 4km of new platform and carriage space across the entire route.
Teresa Villiers will attend the station, in Station Way, to mark the significant milestone in providing the city with congestion-busting trains.
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platforms at the station extended to accommodate 50 per cent longer trains.
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Some basic maths lessons needed here...8 increasing to 12 is indeed a 50% increase. If you were decreasing from 12 to 8 this would indeed be a 33.3% decrease but that's not what's being said........
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Interesting, probably something to do with El Al dropping down to 3 x weekly... should do well to pick up the loads.
Traditionally in Israel, Fridays are Religious day and the country virtually grounds to a standstill. With very little demand for travel, but obviously easyJet feels there is market demand. This increase in the schedule is barely going to effect El-Al, as they have never operated LTN-TLV on a Friday.
Shame to see El-Al reducing the frequency of the LTN route to only three times weekly, I am hoping they are only reducing the frequency due to it being the winter season and there being less demand. Just hope its not the beginning of the end of the route...
I get the impression Luton Airport considers the El-Al route one of the crown jewellers, in their route network. With it being a full service, prestigious carrier and being able to offer onward connections to Asia, which has been quite heavily marketed.
Did EL-Al reduce the frequencies last winter? I got the impression they didn't and just reduced the capacity to a 737-800...
Also is the route used by many people connecting through Tel Aviv to Asia?
Last edited by gilesdavies; 20th Aug 2010 at 23:47. Reason: Spelling error...
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I am hoping they are only reducing the frequency due to it being the winter season and there being less demand.
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Interesting, probably something to do with El Al dropping down to 3 x weekly... should do well to pick up the loads.
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El Al ops at LTN
That's correct. All El Al's operations are affected by the Jewish Sabbath (day of rest) which takes place from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. That explains the early rotation TLV-LTN-TLV on Fridays - but it's a mistake to think there isn't a demand for the Friday flight, as there clearly is.
The winter reduction is, I believe, a one-off seasonal operational problem for the airline in terms of capacity, and the full service resumes with next summer's schedules and hopefully from there on.
Last winter, it operated most days of the week and the equipment varied - usually a 757, but occasionally a 738 or even a 762.
The winter reduction is, I believe, a one-off seasonal operational problem for the airline in terms of capacity, and the full service resumes with next summer's schedules and hopefully from there on.
Last winter, it operated most days of the week and the equipment varied - usually a 757, but occasionally a 738 or even a 762.
Last edited by Victor Oscar; 30th Aug 2010 at 19:45. Reason: clarify two words joined together
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Passport gates
Flew into LTN last night with EZY.
Noticed that the new style,self use, Immigration Gates were not in use.
Question is have they been working and are now out of service because of problems or have they never been put into full public service.?
As an aside i have to admit i was impressed that nearly all immigration desks were in use and it took only 20mins from landing to luggage pick up to car park.
Even the immigration and airport staff were chatty and unusually friendly-nice change!!
Is that now the norm for a late night arrival (23.00hrs) or did i just get lucky?
Noticed that the new style,self use, Immigration Gates were not in use.
Question is have they been working and are now out of service because of problems or have they never been put into full public service.?
As an aside i have to admit i was impressed that nearly all immigration desks were in use and it took only 20mins from landing to luggage pick up to car park.
Even the immigration and airport staff were chatty and unusually friendly-nice change!!
Is that now the norm for a late night arrival (23.00hrs) or did i just get lucky?
30 minutes traffic queue this morning as 5 lanes feed into one (to go under a bridge clearly designed for a dual carriageway) ready for the traffic light figure of 8 debacle.
Usual chaos as panicking pax bail out of cars and run, but get stuck on the wrong side of the new safety fence, so are left to do the trip in the road.
I'm sure most were delighted to have to pay at the end of the queue for the privilege!
Usual chaos as panicking pax bail out of cars and run, but get stuck on the wrong side of the new safety fence, so are left to do the trip in the road.
I'm sure most were delighted to have to pay at the end of the queue for the privilege!
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Yup, me too! Got to the queue at the HI Express at 0515 and it took a further 15 mins to make it to the South car park. Wot a mess.
There was a van equipped with a camera on top sitting on the roundabout by the terminal - presumably there to snap the 'droppers', but the drives didn't seem to be paying much attention. Perhaps there was a snapper in the back.
Wot they need is a water canon on the roundabout, controlled remotely, to douse those 'dropping' illegally with freezing water.
........or just police the whole thing properly.
Cheers
mcdhu
There was a van equipped with a camera on top sitting on the roundabout by the terminal - presumably there to snap the 'droppers', but the drives didn't seem to be paying much attention. Perhaps there was a snapper in the back.
Wot they need is a water canon on the roundabout, controlled remotely, to douse those 'dropping' illegally with freezing water.
........or just police the whole thing properly.
Cheers
mcdhu
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There are two types of passengers that exit cars illegally at Luton. Those whose drivers don’t want to pay a pound to use the drop off area and those that get stuck in those horrendous traffic jams and are late due to the airports failure to sort out the CTA.
While I have no problems with the pound dodgers getting fined for holding up traffic I can see the viewpoint of passengers who are thinking that they will miss their flights if they don’t get out in non moving traffic.
While I have no problems with the pound dodgers getting fined for holding up traffic I can see the viewpoint of passengers who are thinking that they will miss their flights if they don’t get out in non moving traffic.
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The whole place is a joke whether on foot or in a vehicle.
I'm not convinced that this latest round of barrier installations is going to make the place any safer for pedestrians.
Even though its technically private roadway, they should really be marking the zebra crossings correctly too with full zigzags making them up to scratch with the law. How many drivers sail into the drop-off zone or short-term car park without noticing that pedestrians are happily crossing the road THINKING that they have right of way?
And who can expect any driver to approach the airport, even at the reduced 20mph speed limit and take note of every single sign on the old roundabout?
And what about the rush once you've put your pound in the pot to try and escape the massive fine/towtruck that is threatened if you take over 10 minutes in the drop off zone? People are walking all over the place where the barriers are and the temptation to put your foot down once the barrier is open is surely there.
Presumably the drop-off charge is funding the guy in the van with the camera on it?
Whilst it angers me that people dodder about on the roundabout, completely confused about whether to drive up to the terminal, take the priority parking route or go off the correct exit only to miss the entrance to the drop off, I can hardly blame them.
Further more, if the airport are going to make it hell for drivers, then they really need to sort out the public transport - all of which is currently susceptible to the same bottleneck under the bridge.
Rant over for now!!!
I'm not convinced that this latest round of barrier installations is going to make the place any safer for pedestrians.
Even though its technically private roadway, they should really be marking the zebra crossings correctly too with full zigzags making them up to scratch with the law. How many drivers sail into the drop-off zone or short-term car park without noticing that pedestrians are happily crossing the road THINKING that they have right of way?
And who can expect any driver to approach the airport, even at the reduced 20mph speed limit and take note of every single sign on the old roundabout?
And what about the rush once you've put your pound in the pot to try and escape the massive fine/towtruck that is threatened if you take over 10 minutes in the drop off zone? People are walking all over the place where the barriers are and the temptation to put your foot down once the barrier is open is surely there.
Presumably the drop-off charge is funding the guy in the van with the camera on it?
Whilst it angers me that people dodder about on the roundabout, completely confused about whether to drive up to the terminal, take the priority parking route or go off the correct exit only to miss the entrance to the drop off, I can hardly blame them.
Further more, if the airport are going to make it hell for drivers, then they really need to sort out the public transport - all of which is currently susceptible to the same bottleneck under the bridge.
Rant over for now!!!
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There is now an unmarked van with discreet camera windows taking photos of offending cars. The van has been seen operating as early as 5:15 in the morning. Some drivers are still getting away with it but this van is capturing offenders.
By all accounts the new barriers, which have been put in place from before the tunnel to deter passengers from getting out of cars before they reach the drop off area has not had the desired effect and is causing new problems, as passengers now can’t get to the pavement, so have to walk in the road and onto the roundabout. Also the zebra crossing has been removed so a continuous barrier could be put in place from before the tunnel to the entrance of the bus and coach station.
By all accounts the new barriers, which have been put in place from before the tunnel to deter passengers from getting out of cars before they reach the drop off area has not had the desired effect and is causing new problems, as passengers now can’t get to the pavement, so have to walk in the road and onto the roundabout. Also the zebra crossing has been removed so a continuous barrier could be put in place from before the tunnel to the entrance of the bus and coach station.
Last edited by LTNman; 1st Sep 2010 at 19:45.
