Leeds Bradford: Airport Road, Rail & Access Issues

[leedslad]

Directly from the planning pre app:

7.16 Transport and Access
7.17 The proposal will involve the submission of a transport assessment which will consider
the likely effects on each mode of travel on the existing highway network and any
mitigation if it is required. This is still being examined and will be submitted as part of
any planning application.
7.18 There will also be a Surface Access Strategy (SAS) to ensure that the evolution of
LBA is complemented through the provision of multi model transport connections.
There will be an emphasis on the modal split for public transport being increased.




This is exactly why we should press the airport to make the case to re examine a terminal front rail halt. They DO get a chance to put forward their views directly to the council.

 

[lbaspotter]

Just a heads up. Please allow for extra time as i expect traffic will be manic during the weekday peak hours and Weekends.

Construction work is due to start on the Connecting Leeds ( A647) next month with its junction with the Leeds Outer Ring Road (A6120) at Dawson's Corner.

For further details see: https://a647qtc.commonplace.is/schemes/proposals/dawsons-corner-junction/details

 

[lbaspotter]

Just a heads up. Please allow for extra time for your journeys to the airport from/to Bradford.

Construction work is due to start in March and last for 64 weeks on Bradford City Council's plans to upgrade the Harrogate Road (A658) and (A657) New Line junction in Greengates.

For further details see: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/transpo...oad-and-new-line-junction-improvement-scheme/

 

[Aviador]

This is exactly why we should press the airport to make the case to re examine a terminal front rail halt. They DO get a chance to put forward their views directly to the council.

We lose direct links to Harrogate and York with that idea, as good as it sounds.

 

[leedslad]

There's NO direct links anywhere with a Parkway..

With direct link to terminal front to get to Harrogate you'd change trains at Horsforth. No worse than changing from bus to train at Parkway.

To get yo York you'd change at Leeds and probably a faster journey also (they could consider direct train to York via Leeds also)

 

[Aviador]

There's NO direct links anywhere with a Parkway..

With direct link to terminal front to get to Harrogate you'd change trains at Horsforth. No worse than changing from bus to train at Parkway.

To get yo York you'd change at Leeds and probably a faster journey also (they could consider direct train to York via Leeds also)

I'm struggling with your way of thinking. So what you are saying is it's ok to stand around and wait at Horsforth for a train to Harrogate or York and it's ok to wait and stand around at Leeds for your onward connection but it's not ok for a quick hop on a bus between a parkway and the terminal because that has to be direct?

I purposely drove down Scotland Lane earlier today to get a feel for how long it might take from the proposed parkway and I timed it at approximately two minutes at most. If the airport plan to have a bus meeting train passengers and they're not planning on doing additional tours of the car parks I don't have a problem with that.

We're not a million miles apart, with our thinking, I can see the advantage of stopping right outside the terminal building but it has to be viable. Now use a tram train and run it to Yeadon and Guiseley as well then you instantly make it viable and without the need for a huge cutting. Connecting to the Ilkley line would also enable a direct Bradford link too.

 

[leedslad]

Well my thinking is this

A direct terminal front makes the Leeds journey far better (and removes the arguments about lugging cases and families on and off buses etc). Don't think anyone can argue with that.

I believe also the journey to York would be much better (over an hour via Harrogate route or 45 mins if change at Leeds... That's if they didn't introduce a direct service which would be even quicker)

Then that just leaves Harrogate journey and I'm saying it's no worse to change trains at Horsforth than it is to change from a bus at the Parkway.

So improved journeys to Leeds and York with less faff. No impact to Harrogate journey (affecting least number passengers).

 

[XEROX]

In today's news... not sure if this could be extended to the airport?

Leeds could be getting battery powered trams without overhead wires

Leeds will push ahead with proposals for a state-of-the-art mass transit system

View attachment 15916

A third attempt to bring a mass transit system to Leeds is in the pipeline, with exciting plans suggesting that we could be getting a new state-of-the-art public transport network.

There are proposals to accelerate funding for a new rail-based system, with early research claiming that a battery-powered service may be likely in Leeds and across West Yorkshire. It would mean there would be no need for overhead electrical lines.

Link: www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/leeds-city-centre-transport-tram-17656201

 

[Aviador]

Right I get all that, now address the viability of a direct rail option that terminates at the terminal building.

In today's news... not sure if this could be extended to the airport?



Link: www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/leeds-city-centre-transport-tram-17656201

This is exactly what we need with some mix of tram-train line to make it cost effective.

 

[Aviador]

I think a similar system is in operation at Birmingham but there the batteries only kick in where there are no overhead line.

 

[Len Fish]

Knowing Leeds City Council they’ll probably vote against their own scheme seeing as they don’t know top from bottom or left from right. 🙂

 

[Aviador]

Extinction Rebellion will probably rock up and complain about the routes carving up green belt.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Extinction Rebellion will probably rock up and complain about the routes carving up green belt.

Which it will. But that’s what they do. They’ll kick off about too much traffic, complain when a reasonable solution comes up. Cannot win with them.

 

[leedslad]

My worry with waiting/relying on a tram link is twofold.

1. We've been waiting decades and seen so many delays and arguments

2. It will be much slower than heavy rail

There's appetite right now for a heavy rail halt and one seems likely to be built. It seems madness for the sake of 3/4 mile of cutting that we don't built it to the terminal front...

 

[Bigman]

I have been saying that for ages. A single track spur which eventually heads into a cut-and-cover tunnel with 2 platforms...job done!!

 

[Heathrowflyer]

Next to the terminal would be brilliant. One thought, the airport could lose revenue if it's any nearer. Remember it has two aims 1. Facilitating the airport and 2. As a park and ride point. As a park and ride station for commuters into Leeds it will have to offer free parking. It could easily become a free pick up and drop off point therefore if it's any nearer.

 

[White Heather]

Right so there are posabilies when it comes to griatiants. Just boils down to costs. As other people have commented on here other countries have solutions and impliment them. This system is in Luxembourg.

But a system like that can't use the main line can it? So people still have to get off the mainline train and switch to that one, which is no different really to getting off the mainline train and getting on the shuttle bus for the 0.7 mile trip to the terminal's front door. Any train to the station, of whatever type, will certainly not be at the front door of the terminal so will involve walking further (from rail halt to terminal) than will result in catching the shuttle bus. Some realism is needed here. Nobody will fund something like that for an airport the size of LBA, at least not yet. Insufficient passengers will use it to justify the huge cost. The entire reasoning behind the Parkway Station is that it is relatively cheap, and dual purpose. If it were not for the proposed Park and Ride at the same site, does anyone really think that LCC and the WYCA would fund it? Not a chance. And neither will LBA.

 

[lbaspotter]

Transdev are making some changes to the service 62 between Keighley - Ilkley - Otley - Leeds/Bradford Airport from February 23rd

Check which times are changing from 23 February - Transdev Blazefield

www.transdevbus.co.uk

62 Keighley - Leeds Bradford Airport

Monday to Friday, all trips from Keighley between 2.50pm & 6.20pm and from Ikley between 3.39pm and 6.39pm will run ten minutes later than they do now.

Buses from the Airport after 3pm will be re-timed to depart at 3.25pm, 4.25pm, 5.18pm and 6.13pm. The 6.50pm from Keighley to Silsden will no longer run and the 8.03am from the Airport will now start at Dyneley Arms at 8.10am.

 

[White Heather]

That's a first Mode 1. I don't think I have ever been accused of being negative towards anything to do with LBA in my life before, so congratulations.

Realism and negativity are two different things. I am realistic. I know LBA won't fund anything like that and I know LCC won't either. In a perfect world, I would also love a direct train link to the station, but being realistic about what is likely to happen is not, in my view, negative. Perhaps you should be contacting LCC or the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and tell them that they are negative? Maybe they will find the money from somewhere!

I note you haven't commented though about the fact that the system you have just highlighted, also requires passengers to get off the train at the Parkway Station and change to a funicular train. I would be interested to know how you think this is in any way better than getting off the train and then getting on the waiting shuttle bus, which will, without any doubt, drop passengers off closer to the terminal front door than any funicular railway will?

 

[airforced]

A lovely idea mode1 but how would a cost/benefit analysis look at it? I doubt very much if the idea would stack up financially. This isn't being negative but being realistic. Unless there are endless sources of money to squander on vanity projects there is no other way of looking at projects of this nature.

As an ancillary question, how many people do you think would use this station, irrespective of the mode of transport, to get to the airport each year? I wager the numbers would be insignificant anyway and the majority would still roll up by taxi, bus or car.