Road, Rail & Access Issues

[leedslad]

I remember when they ruled out a spur link to the station as it would cost 75m*...

 

[White Heather]

We've already had one consultation after which they decided to find ways to reduce the cost, meaning fundamental changes, and therefore yet another consultation. No doubt that will bring about more changes and another consultation. I wouldn't mind but the location of this station means nobody can see it anyway unless passing through in a train. It's in a deep cutting well away from any buildings other than nearby farms. It beggars belief it takes so long to do any infrastructure improvements in this country.

 

[Len Fish]

Got to protect those lesser spotted green toads.

 

[Aviador]

And it won't make any difference what cost is agreed because the developer always over spends.

 

[michael]

Yes - WYCA approved another £250,000 on the proposed Parkway station at the end of 2024 which included £65k on developing the minimum viable product (as WH mentioned from the last ACC meeting)….Total project cost looks to have escalated to £65.5m! It’s covered in page 296 of the attached https://westyorkshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g1401/Public reports pack 30th-Jan-2025 11.00 West Yorkshire Combined Authority.pdf?T=10

As for DSA this is just pure electioneering by their delusional Mayor……£1bn on a rail link to an airport with a dozen flights a day she must think the voters of Doncaster were born yesterday!

Did DSA ever get to as many as a dozen flights a day last time round????

 

[White Heather]

Did DSA ever get to as many as a dozen flights a day last time round????

Briefly, when Flybe had two E195s based. Those, plus the TUi and Wizz got them into double figures but there were long periods of nothingness and nowhere near enough to be viable.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

We've already had one consultation after which they decided to find ways to reduce the cost, meaning fundamental changes, and therefore yet another consultation. No doubt that will bring about more changes and another consultation. I wouldn't mind but the location of this station means nobody can see it anyway unless passing through in a train. It's in a deep cutting well away from any buildings other than nearby farms. It beggars belief it takes so long to do any infrastructure improvements in this country.

Then people wonder why economic growth is stagnant? We are ruled by a bunch of CNIMBYS. Complaining NIMBYS. They want more infrastructure - but god forbid it's in their back yard. Planning is too corrupt in the hands of politicians and councillors who will happily, unproved, take backhanders from organisations that are slightly deranged. Or if it's in election cycle they'll not want to upset those who vote from them. So will either support local projects and then change their mind in the office or vice versa.

The benefit that the station could bring is two fold. A link finally to our airport, via some form of crappy bus. But the relief on Horsforth as it would allow people from Cookridge to jump on without taking their cars down to the car park at Horsforth.

 

[Aviador]

Leeds Bradford Airport is often cited for its poor accessibility. To put this to the test, I timed a journey from Hull to the airport yesterday. The drive took one hour and 22 minutes – a duration I don’t consider at all unreasonable for a distance of just under 70 miles and comparable with similar distance journey times to other airports.

 

[Cookridge resident]

Leeds Bradford Airport is often cited for its poor accessibility. To put this to the test, I timed a journey from Hull to the airport yesterday. The drive took one hour and 22 minutes – a duration I don’t consider at all unreasonable for a distance of just under 70 miles and comparable with similar distance journey times to other airports.

Albeit on a bank holiday Monday.

 

[Aviador]

Albeit on a bank holiday Monday.

Yes with all the East coast bank holiday traffic.

 

[LsS27]

The A64 was clogged for part of the day caused by the slip road to the A1(M) being down to one lane. Queing from that junction to way past Tadcaster., Bank Holiday traffic!

 

[White Heather]

Leeds Bradford Airport is often cited for its poor accessibility. To put this to the test, I timed a journey from Hull to the airport yesterday. The drive took one hour and 22 minutes – a duration I don’t consider at all unreasonable for a distance of just under 70 miles and comparable with similar distance journey times to other airports.

My experience, from when I worked all over Yorkshire and was based not far from LBA, was that unless something untoward had happened, which can affect travel to any airport, travel times from anywhere in Yorkshire are not as bad as some would have you believe. Half the time, they who claim otherwise haven't researched the best way to get there avoiding the busiest roads and known pinch points. Driving a few extra miles can sometimes save a considerable amount of time.

At least there are alternative options getting to LBA if traffic is bad due to an incident. If you're travelling to MAN on the M62/M60, or to LPL on the M62, or EMA/BHX on the M1/M42, and there's an accident, you're well and truly stuffed. If you're between junctions you're going nowhere until the police say otherwise, and you can kiss your flight goodbye. I speak from experience!

 

[Aviador]

Well I used the Google android sat nav which chooses the best route.

 

[quik123]

My view on accessibility is that LBA is not served well by public transport. As an example, I arrived there on Saturday from Girona. Flight was easily on time, no queue at customs and hand baggage only so straight out to the bus stop. That's where it stopped. Had to wait 38 minutes for the next bus to Bradford. That journey then takes about 45 minutes to get me the last 5.5 miles as it stops frequently. So 2 and a bit hours all the way from Sapin yet nearly another 2 to get home! Another observation, while I was waiting I saw 8 bus journey taking folk to Sentinel yet only 2 to LBA car parks. The Q for Sentinel was packed. They were lucky it wasn't raining!

 

[White Heather]

My view on accessibility is that LBA is not served well by public transport. As an example, I arrived there on Saturday from Girona. Flight was easily on time, no queue at customs and hand baggage only so straight out to the bus stop. That's where it stopped. Had to wait 38 minutes for the next bus to Bradford. That journey then takes about 45 minutes to get me the last 5.5 miles as it stops frequently. So 2 and a bit hours all the way from Sapin yet nearly another 2 to get home! Another observation, while I was waiting I saw 8 bus journey taking folk to Sentinel yet only 2 to LBA car parks. The Q for Sentinel was packed. They were lucky it wasn't raining!

The public transport deficiencies demonstrate the overall lack of interest in the airport by our failed actress/Mayor and the organisation she controls, Metro, soon to be known as the Weaver Network, which us as ridiculous as she is. The A1 Leeds service is invariably busy but the service has proven to be unreliable. The A2 and A3 are both to Bradford but take different routes, which increases the population who have a bus to LBA but dilutes the frequency on each route.

However, only having one bus from Leeds that follows the A65 the whole way is ridiculous. Large swathes of NW Leeds cannot get a bus to LBA without getting a bus first to connect eith the A1. Yet routes such as the 27 , which comes within a half mile if the airport but by passes it, could provide a link to Rawdon, Horsforth, West Park, and Headingley, as well as the bottom end of Yeadon and Guiseley. Surely, it should be diverted through LBA to provide such links. First Bus don't see that as important but once buses come under the control of the Mayor, we need more buses from other parts of the city. If buses are running close by, from areas with no bus to LBA, then they should operate through the airport.

 

[The Pole]

The public transport deficiencies demonstrate the overall lack of interest in the airport by our failed actress/Mayor and the organisation she controls, Metro, soon to be known as the Weaver Network, which us as ridiculous as she is. The A1 Leeds service is invariably busy but the service has proven to be unreliable. The A2 and A3 are both to Bradford but take different routes, which increases the population who have a bus to LBA but dilutes the frequency on each route.

However, only having one bus from Leeds that follows the A65 the whole way is ridiculous. Large swathes of NW Leeds cannot get a bus to LBA without getting a bus first to connect eith the A1. Yet routes such as the 27 , which comes within a half mile if the airport but by passes it, could provide a link to Rawdon, Horsforth, West Park, and Headingley, as well as the bottom end of Yeadon and Guiseley. Surely, it should be diverted through LBA to provide such links. First Bus don't see that as important but once buses come under the control of the Mayor, we need more buses from other parts of the city. If buses are running close by, from areas with no bus to LBA, then they should operate through the airport.

I have to agree the buses are s***te, they run single deckers at peak times in half term when you think may have chance of getting a seat, but no a single turns up!
A 34 once an hour a 27 once an hour (so not all of them) that diverted into the airport along with the A1 would certainly improve matters

 

[LBAYORKIE]

The public transport deficiencies demonstrate the overall lack of interest in the airport by our failed actress/Mayor and the organisation she controls, Metro, soon to be known as the Weaver Network, which us as ridiculous as she is. The A1 Leeds service is invariably busy but the service has proven to be unreliable. The A2 and A3 are both to Bradford but take different routes, which increases the population who have a bus to LBA but dilutes the frequency on each route.

However, only having one bus from Leeds that follows the A65 the whole way is ridiculous. Large swathes of NW Leeds cannot get a bus to LBA without getting a bus first to connect eith the A1. Yet routes such as the 27 , which comes within a half mile if the airport but by passes it, could provide a link to Rawdon, Horsforth, West Park, and Headingley, as well as the bottom end of Yeadon and Guiseley. Surely, it should be diverted through LBA to provide such links. First Bus don't see that as important but once buses come under the control of the Mayor, we need more buses from other parts of the city. If buses are running close by, from areas with no bus to LBA, then they should operate through the airport.

The situation with public transport, particularly busses was explained by the airport director and his team at the the last Community meeting in Rawdon in response to audience questions.

These meetings are an ideal forum to put questions to the airport team.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Looks like funding has been approved for the leeds tram system, great news, we shall see.
Hopefully more to come, possibly the long awaited LBA train station?

 

[Cookridge resident]

Looks like funding has been approved for the leeds tram system, great news, we shall see.
Hopefully more to come, possibly the long awaited LBA train station?

At long last, although I’ll judge them by their deeds rather than their words.
I’d be surprised if the parkway station doesn’t get the nod now.
Great news all round.

 

[KARFA]

perhaps leeds will actually lose the crown as biggest city in europe without a mass transit system at last - although we have been thro this many times before so i won't celebrate until we see actual trams running.

btw, all todays announcements amounts were already done by the last government as the "compensation" for the region when the northern leg of HS2 was cancelled. it never ceases to amaze me how governments of all colours love re-announcing the same things and pretending they are giving something new.