Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Aviador]

Airports ‘held back by poor road and rail links’

Again, it's nothing we didn't know about already. It's nothing the local and national government weren't already aware of. Everybody has been aware of the problem for decades. Will they ever stop talking about the poor transport links and start doing something about it, it's so frustrating. :crazy:

 

[lbaspotter]

Well, well it looks like The Chancellor George Osborne is now going to look into the possibility of a new rail link to the Airport after pressure from a MP Stuart Andrew (the Conservative MP for Pudsey). This will also involve the Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Commons Leader William Hague.

Source: http://m.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk...rport_after_pressure_from_MP/?ref=rss#comments

Chancellor agrees to explore rail link to Leeds-Bradford Airport after pressure from MP
by Rob Merrick

GEORGE Osborne has agreed to explore a rail link to Leeds-Bradford Airport, after pressure from an MP.

The Chancellor said any worked-up proposal would be considered after talks that also included Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

A delighted Stuart Andrew, the Conservative MP for Pudsey, said: “They are definitely interested in what I had to say and could understand the points I was making.

“The Chancellor said he would have a look at the idea once the connectivity study that is being carried out is done, so I will keep the pressure on.”

Meanwhile, William Hague delivered another boost to the campaign, when the former Foreign Secretary told the Commons it was “an issue that cannot be ignored”.

Mr Andrew sought the meeting amid growing criticism that the airport in Yeadon has worse transport links than other regional airports.

Passengers must use slow roads, yet it is more than a decade since an aviation White Paper stated expansion should only go ahead with access improvements.

Local transport chiefs have put forward a £94 million plan to electrify the Leeds to Harrogate line, increasing frequency to four trains each hour.

The idea is for a spur off that line, near Horsforth, to the airport - with the potential for direct trains to Bradford in the future.

Mr Andrew said: “We are talking about an international airport that is served only by road, forcing people to drive through residential areas, causing disruption.

“There is also talk of a link road, to create a shortcut from the M62 through to the A1, but I don’t think that will really help.

“A rail link would be more expensive than a road, but it definitely offers the better solution.

“And this is the right time, because we know the Government wants more investment in the north and is ready to put its money where its mouth is.”

Mr Osborne has said he is ready to fund viable transport proposals as part of his plans to for a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ of better-connected cities across the Pennines.

The Chancellor plans to make the idea a centrepiece of his ‘mini Budget’ in December, with only months until next May’s general election.

Mr Andrew also raised the issue in the Commons yesterday, prompting Mr Hague, the Commons Leader, to say: “The area was identified last year as one of the six long-standing road congestion hot spots.

“The Department for Transport was asked to take forward a study into connectivity to Leeds Bradford international airport.

“The Government will have to look at the conclusions of that report and announce a way forward. This is an issue that cannot be ignored in the Leeds-Bradford area.”

 

[Seasider]

We are in to the run up to a General Election. Lots of things are going to be promised.

 

[Bigman]

Ah yes Seasider, good point about it coming up to the political point scoring season. I wonder if that means the Leeds NGT will finally get a decision soon.

 

[dmrodgers]

We are in to the run up to a General Election. Lots of things are going to be promised.

Same old stories, lots of promises in the run up to an election and then when a party is in power it does nothing about it citing cost as a reason for putting it on the back burner. :whiteflag:

 

[lbaspotter]

For interest Yorkshire Tiger bus will be making some changes to the Bradford and Harrogate Bus 737 & 747 services in October to improve reliability.

PB0004441/2 - WHITE ROSE BUS CO LTD T/A Yorkshire Tiger, UNIT G10, LOCK VIEW, LOWFIELDS BUSINESS PARK, ELLAND, HX5 9HD
Variation Accepted: Operating between Bradford Interchange and Leeds Bradford Airport given service number 737 effective from 26-Oct-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.

PB0004441/3 - WHITE ROSE BUS CO LTD T/A Yorkshire Tiger, UNIT G10, LOCK VIEW, LOWFIELDS BUSINESS PARK, ELLAND, HX5 9HD
Variation Accepted: Operating between Bradford interchange and Harrogate Bus Station given service number 747 effective from 26-Oct-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.

I understand that the 737 service will no longer serve Harrogate section of the route, instead it work Bradford -Shipley - Guiseley - Yeadon - Airport only.
Meanwhile the 747 service will be extended onto Harrogate to replace the 737 service operating Bradford - Greengates - Rawdow - Yeadon - Airport - Pool - Weeton - Pannel - Harrogate.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Will be interesting to see what happens. At the moment the 737 is like the scarlet Pimpernel, hope the 747 does not go the same way once it goes to harrogate. Time will tell.

 

[Bigman]

The 737 always seems well used, particularly when I have been to Harrogate on it. The trouble is it takes so long from Bradford to Harrogate as it goes through Shipley. Makes more sense to extend the lesser used 747 and boost numbers on that route. The 737 will still see a a lot of usage between Guiseley and Shipley with the Aldi punters in particular.

 

[lbaspotter]

Well good news "bigman" is that I understand journeys between Bradford and Harrogate will be up to 10 minutes quicker using the 747 route instead of the current 737.
Have been told that the 737 suffers due to traffic congestion on weekdays at peak times between Bradford and Shipley also on match days when Bradford City play at home, hence the changes been implemented in October to improve readability.

PB0004441/1 - WHITE ROSE BUS CO LTD T/A Yorkshire Tiger, UNIT G10, LOCK VIEW, LOWFIELDS BUSINESS PARK, ELLAND, HX5 9HD
Variation Accepted: Operating between Leeds Bus Station and Leeds - Bradford Airport given service number 757 effective from 26-Oct-2014. To amend Timetable

Looks like there messing with the timetable of the 757 Leeds - Kirkstall - Horsforth - Rawdon - Airport route as well now.
I guessing this will mean some changes to the very early morning and late evening journeys which are interworked with the 737 and 747 services. Or its a possibility they might be giving some extra running time for peak time weekday journeys to improve readability due to traffic congestion along parts of the route.

 

[Bigman]

...including the imminent road works on Horsforth roundabout!! When are they due to start by the way??? So much for starting in the Summer.

 

[Bigman]

Looks like the roadworks on Horsforth roundabout have now started. Road cones, speed restriction signs and a few dug out trenches for cables already. Let the months of misery begin!!!

 

[White Heather]

They are now well underway also at the Rodley roundabout down the road. I presume the contactor will be doing both together, or in sequence. Either way, it is an area to avoid. I did notice though that the contractors were not there at Rodley yesterday evening when I drove to Owlcotes, and were just setting up as I cam home, around 7.30pm, so it appears that to reduce traffic chaos they are working out of hours.

 

[leedslad]

There's a report on the leeds.gov.uk website to be presented to the Exec Board in October about future cooperation and plans for the airport.

 

[lbaspotter]

There's a report on the Leeds.gov.uk website to be presented to the Exec Board in October about future cooperation and plans for the airport.

I guess that's connected to the long awaited updated revised Master plan hopefully. Is there anyway we can get access to the report on the Leeds City Council website so as to see what's been and not been included in it?

 

[leedslad]

Try this http://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents ... 031014.pdf

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's a valid and interesting report although I take the DfT's forecast for 2050 with a huge pinch of salt - for all airports.

I remember thinking when the DfT projections were published a few years ago that some civil servants could not possibly be better placed than airport management teams and just look how wrong most of them were in their master plans about passenger numbers going forward. The DfT had Plymouth Airport handling over 2 mppa by 2050.

Incidentally, it looks as though the author of the linked report has joined in enthusiastically with looking to the future - the date of the report is shown as 15 October 2014, unless that's the date when the report is to be presented.

 

[Bigman]

According to the Look North bulletin this morning. MP's will today be debating surface access to LBA in the House of Commons. It will be interesting to see what comes of it (sweet FA as usual no doubt!!).

 

[whoshotjimmi]

It will be interesting to see if anyone turns up at all. These sort of things are so poorly attended by politicians, they may as well not bother.

 

[Aviador]

Some really positive vibes for a change from the media yesterday which is good to see. So at least the cost of such project has been made absolutely clear. It has been said that any new rail link to LBA will cost in the region of £98m. As far as I am concerned, if the public purse is to commit that sort of money to provide some kind or tram or rail link to LBA, the airport company should match the public spending with some realistic proposals to develop the airport rather than the continuation of the piecemeal work we have seen since the purchase of the airport from council ownership. The only way for the airport to increase it's capacity is to have significant investment in road and rail infrastructure but the government or council whoever pays for such work to be carried out should seek guarantees that similar investment will be made to the airport and runway facilities.

 

[Bigman]

When you look at a wider picture, £98M is peanuts today in real terms. Look at how much money has been spent on the Manchester Metrolink and also Edinburgh Supertram. And how about the £16B currently being thrown at the London Crossrail.

Personally, I would rather see the proposed £250M Leeds NGT money re-directed to a direct rail link to the airport instead, which would benefit far more than people than replacing diesel buses with electric buses on what is already the busiest bus corridor in Leeds.