Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Seasider]

Out of "boredom" I checked whether the new Masterplan was on the Airport website. Surprise surprise, it wasn't but looking at the previous one, under proposed access developments, was a link road running along the eastern edge of the airport, very similar to the present proposal.
This was hoped to be in place by 2016!!

 

[White Heather]

It follows almost exactly the same route as in the previous Masterplan. The fact it was never built is a reflection on the Council, not the airport. Not the first time they have taken years to recognise what an asset an airport is.

 

[Bigman]

So why don't we all pop down to Greenacre Hall in Rawdon on Saturday afternoon, see what they have got to offer and then bob down to the Woolpack for a few drinks and have a good old chin wag about it. I am going and I believe Aviador is as well.

 

[Aviador]

Yes I'll be there.

 

[Aviador]

Apperley Bridge railway station is now scheduled to open on Sunday December 13th.

 

[yorkshire]

Its bad news for us poor sods who get the Skipton to Leeds train in a morning is packed and again on a night. I get the train every day and can do with out another station being open causing more overcrowding and longer journey times.

Not looking forward to it

 

[White Heather]

At least you get decent rolling stock. Try the Horsforth line. Rubbish old trains and last week the 4.59 train to Knaresborough (one of the busiest of the day) had just 2 coaches, which of course were rammed. I had to start getting off at Headingley to make sure I reached the doors by Horsforth!

 

[Bhowani]

So much for the much heralded plan for the Harrogate Line which was treated to a loco hauled train in the morning which then went to Carlisle and back in time for the return trip to Harrogate/York.

As a Wharefdale user, I sympathize, but now our Bradford trains are "rammed" with folks going into the new shopping centre at Broadway. Better than all queuing along Canal Road, I think! Progress? The road tunnel across/under Rawdon idea has its distinct attractions this morning.

Bhowani

 

[Aviador]

I have just returned from the consultation drop-in at Greenacre Hall in Rawdon. Nothing new as such but a chance to air opinions and select your own preferred route. There were lots of people there with some good ideas, all would involve spending far more money than what is already mooted.

It was mentioned none of the routes were set in stone but firm proposals would be drafted up in the next stage.

PS. So much for the pint at the Woolpack Bigman but it was good to see you all the same.

 

[bobleeds]

Its bad news for us poor sods who get the Skipton to Leeds train in a morning is packed and again on a night. I get the train every day and can do with out another station being open causing more overcrowding and longer journey times. Not looking forward to it

For what it's worth, I understand only the Bradford FS-Leeds shuttle service will call at the new stations,providing a 30 minute service frequency. Trains from Skipton and Beyond (and in the case of Kirkstall Forge, trains from Ilkley) will not stop at the new stations in either direction.

 

[adam]

1 Ilkley train an hour will call at Kirkstall

 

[Bigman]

So if Apperley Bridge is due to open on 13/12, why are there no times listed on the new timetable issued on Friday?

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Times for Apperley Bridge station for the first weekday of operation:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/ ... &order=wtt

Only the 0718 off Skipton will stop going into Leeds during the morning peak and none of the Skipton bound services until after 8pm, so it shouldn't affect crowding on those trains.

What is the link to the airport with this station - are there going to be direct buses, or are they only a proposal at present?

 

[lbaspotter]

What is the link to the airport with this station - are there going to be direct buses, or are they only a proposal at present?

At this time the airport bus service 747 run by Yorkshire Tiger will not be serving the bus turning point at new rail station at Aperley Bridge. Instead it will continue to stop on the main road outside.
I understand there has been a proposal to divert the exsitsing hourly 747 bus service into the station or even possibly setting up a non-stop direct rail-airlink service, which would be timed for train arrivals sometime in the future, but this would require funding to be found by Metro and the Airport.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks lbaspotter.

In case you are unaware, Leeds Bradford airport has three railway stations all within around 2 miles of the airport. Horsforth is the closest at about a mile from the terminal. Guiseley is about two miles away as is the new Apperley Bridge station. There is a need to improve links to the airport from it's traditional catchment area. The new station has a bus turning circle and without a direct link to the airport available, Apperley Bridge is probably best placed to serve the airport.

 

[LDe]

I'm surprised they haven't already tried the shuttle bus idea. It's how Liverpool, East Midlands and Glasgow are served by rail, as those airports don't have actual stations on the premises. There are two stations in Horsforth and Guiseley which are both just around the corner.

Apperley Bridge would be a perfect station for this, as it will be served by trains from both Leeds and Bradford, and despite how the East Coast Main Line services to Bradford aren't so frequent, it could also bring Wakefield into the mix.

 

[Aviador]

Welcome to Forums4airports LDe!

I don't have too much knowledge of the railways but I believe the Apperley Bridge line links to Skipton and so onwards from there to the west, so many more opportunities will become available from there potentially.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

There are limited Westward connections from Skipton, only infrequent and slow services to Carlisle and Lancaster and none of these trains will be stopping at the new station. Passengers would have to change at Shipley.

The main access to the airport would be for passengers arriving into Leeds, which is the major railway hub in the area and getting a local Bradford service to Apperley Bridge.

It is not ideal, as passengers would have to take a second train and then a bus if they are getting a train into Leeds, but far more reliable than having to take a bus from the centre of Leeds through the busy traffic.

I think a dedicated shuttle bus would be a superb idea. A pity that no-one has obviously thought this through before, or the station could have been branded as Leeds Bradford Airport station, or at least 'Apperley Bridge for Leeds Bradford Airport'.

 

[Aviador]

Lets hope the powers that be consider a name change or at least a mention of LBA on the timetable if and when a shuttle bus is introduced. The journey times from Leeds to LBA inclusive of a shuttle bus will never be as popular as a car journey but it will beat the bus times especially in rush hour so hopefully it will be used well once it's introduced.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Maybe out of leeds station they promote two services to the airport via Apperley Bridge and then the 747 service or guiseley via the 737 bus service. For me I would always go via Guiseley as the traffic flowing through Apperley bridge is awful at rush hours times, whereas the journey from Guiseley has no major road holdups.