Road, Rail & Access Issues

[TheLocalYokel]

Previous owners of CWL, and this also includes the days before the much maligned Abertis bought the lion's share (along with Aena), would not bite the bullet and fund a bus service themselves.

When they were at 2 mppa a few years ago they could have done so. Nearby BRS started its Flyer service at 2 mppa over a decade ago at the airport's risk.

The Flyer is still an airport-run service, albeit operated for it by First drivers and vehicles in dedicated livery, and has to a considerable extent overcome BRS's lack of rail connectivity. It runs at 10-minute intervals from early to late with a lesser frequency through the night.

This has encouraged further services at BRS from Bath and South Wales at the respective bus companies' risk.

CWL could have had its own Flyer but was unwilling to pay for it and in Abertis days wanted the public purse to underwrite it. Now the public purse owns the airport we might see better bus connectivity. An express bus is one of the proposals apparently being seriously considered.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Reported today that the Wales First Minister has said the long-awaited Express Bus service bewteen CWL and the city of Cardiff will commence in August.

I'm not aware of any details as to route, frequency etc.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]New Cardiff Airport to city centre bus service under fire

The new express bus service linking Cardiff Airport and the city centre is costing taxpayers nearly a half a million pounds a year, the Echo understands.

Yet after just one week in operation, the service has already come under fire for poor passenger numbers with some buses running empty.

The Echo rode the Airport Express – which runs every 20 minutes, seven days a week between 5am and 11.40pm – several times last week, right during the peak holiday season.

On half of the journeys we made the bus was empty, while on the other occasions our reporter travelled with just one or two passengers.

In total, out of our six journeys, only four people used the service. This equates to an average of 0.66 passengers per journey.[/textarea]
Full report: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... rt-5698334

Because of the number of passengers currently using CWL the low take-up on the new express bus from/to the city centre is hardly surprising. The Wales Government will be hoping that it can attract more air services to boost the number of air passengers that will in turn feed through to the bus.

It's not a surprise either that many people in Wales feel that a near half million quid annual subsidy for the bus could be better spent elsewhere, especially as some local bus services have been axed or reduced in frequency.

It seems the subsidy will come from the Wales Government and not the Wales Government-owned arms-length airport company which means the money will not be shown as a negative item in the airport company accounts.

It's perfectly legal of course but I doubt that it's escaped the notice of the BRS management who voiced concerns about government subsidies when CWL came into state ownership earlier this year, especially as their own Flyer bus service is airport-funded and always has been.

 

[Aviador]

In our neck of the woods it's the airport that has to pay to subsidise airport bus routes when they don't make money.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Airport shuttle sustainable if air passengers increase, review concludes

The Cardiff airport shuttle service is sustainable, as long as air passenger numbers increase as forecast, a report for Welsh ministers has concluded.

Prof Stuart Cole from the University of South Wales was asked to review the bus service that was introduced in April (wrong - it was August TLY ).

He says eight passengers per journey are needed to make a profit, but the average is currently less than four.

Welsh ministers said they were considering the report while the Tories said it raised "serious questions".

Funded by the Welsh government at a cost of £242,691 so far, the bus runs every 20 minutes from the airport at Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan, to the centre of Cardiff.

Prof Cole's review estimates the subsidy per passenger has been £7.32 so far, but says that should fall in the summer.

It also suggests cutting the number of journeys at the start and end of the day when demand is lower.
Full report at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-sout ... s-26088233

The review was conducted on behalf of the Welsh government which is considering its findings.

It will be seen that the professor believes the service is sustainable if the average number of passengers per journey can be doubled from the current four to eight.

Since August the service has cost the tax payer nearly a quarter of a million pounds which equates to a subsidy of over £7 per passenger. Prof Cole does though recommend a reduction of services at off-peak hours.

Four passenger per journey gives a total of 144,000 passengers a year which is about 14% of CWL's annual passenger numbers which actually compares well with a number of other regional airports. Bristol's Flyer, for example, contributes about 11% of that airports 6.1 million passengers each year.

The difference though is twofold: (a) BRS's economy of scale means its Flyer is profitable (b) the CWL service is completely subsidised whilst the BRS Flyer is operated by the airport itself, albeit using First Bristol dedicated and liveried buses and crew under contract.

Unfortunately, party politics has intruded with the CWL service. The opposition, particularly the Conservatives, is making political capital from the inevitable losses the bus will make in its early years, whilst the Wales government (Labour) which wants to show its purchase of CWL as a success as soon as possible has ensured the negative cost of operating the bus will not be shown on the airport's balance sheet (ie that of the arm's-length Wales government-owned airport company) by subsidising the bus from general government funds.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cardiff Airport express bus service to be scaled back after performance review

An express bus service to Cardiff Airport launched last year is to have its timetable scaled back this winter and in the evenings after a review into its performance, the government has said.

The Cardiff Airport Express service will run every 30 minutes rather than every 20 minutes in the less-busy winter months, after persistent criticism that it was running a “ghost train” service with very few passengers on it.

A review by transport expert Professor Stuart Cole, published in February, found the service has averaged fewer than four passengers a journey since its launch in August 2013.
Full report at - http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... ce-7241508

A compromise seems to have been reached following calls from some to scrap the service with others saying it's extremely useful.

Clearly a dedicated bus service between airport and city centre is vital given that the unwieldy rail connection is far from ideal.

The controversy revolves around the Wales Government subsidising the service to the tune of many hundred thousand pounds when rural bus services are being cut back all around the country.

If the bus service was paid for by the airport, albeit that's owned by the WG but through an arm's length company, it would at least be a charge to the airport company and show on the balance sheet. The politicians at the head of the government don't want that though because it would take the arm's length airport company even longer to turn a profit if it had to pay for the bus, because they are going around boasting about how they saved the airport and look at it now.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

New airport bus operator announced

The new contract for the Cardiff Airport Express bus service has been awarded to New Adventure Travel.

The decision to award the contract to the operator has been welcomed by Welsh Government transport minister, Edwina Hart.

The service, operated by First Cymru until August, 16, has faced political and public scrutiny since it began operating in August last year with passenger numbers perceived as low for the frequently operated buses.

The bus has been dubbed the "M T9" by some Vale residents.
Full report at http://www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/n ... announced/

It's important for the airport to have a regular bus link to the city centre - if it was paid for by the Wales Government owned arm's length airport company instead of coming out of Welsh Government funds directly the opposition to it might subside.

The snag then would be that the airport company would have the several hundred thousand pounds a year bus cost on its books when the Welsh Government wants to show the airport can be profitable as quickly as possible.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A recent comment about public transport access to CWL led me to have a look at the current situation.

I note that the T9 service (mentioned in the previous post) between city centre and airport with intermediate stops runs at 20-minute intervals during the period of its daily operation from around 0400 to approximately midnight.

There is also an hourly rail service between Cardiff Central station and Rhoose Rail Interchange (was Rhoose Halt in my day) which connects with a shuttle bus service to the airport terminal and to MOD St Athan (service 905).

Are there any local bus services that call at the airport that link nearby towns and villages? Nothing is shown on the CWL website.

 

[marsh.ger]

To my knowledge the 905 only extends to MoD St Athan at certain times of the day. Unfortunately to the life of me can't remember those times.

There is also a Llantwit Major to Barry bus that runs via Rhoose. As this is a local service no doubt if required it could pick-up/drop-off near the Holiday Inn Express.

The X91 which is the Cardiff Bus service that used to operate to the terminal but had been pulled by Cardiff bus no longer bypass Rhoose from Cardiff en-route to Llantwit Major. It doesn't stop at the airport however.

The only viable option in reality is train then the annoying connection bus or the T9.

What the Vale of Glamorgan line really needs is to be able to increase frequency. This means connecting from the Valley line or mainline trains would be more smooth.

Unless your trvelling from Aberdare then there can be long waiting times connecting at Cardiff Central.

It once took me 3 hours from terminal entrance to home door in Tynewydd by train. (Admitedly 20 mins of that by foot) however this is due to poor state of interlining modes of transport.

To compare the same journey by car takes 1hr-1hr15min

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Many thanks for that detailed reply.

You rightly say that increased train frequency would be much better, albeit the shuttle bus connection would remain.

There was talk of a spur line into the airport. How far has that progressed beyond the talk stage? Cardiff and its city region has an excellent network of suburban railways; there can't be many UK cities outside London with better, perhaps Glasgow but not many others I can think of. The South Wales Metro, when it arrives, will further improve a very good city region public transport system, although I think the first phase will largely be bus and possibly light rail/tram based with nothing specifically aimed at improving access to the airport.

I wonder if it's possible to buy a rail ticket from/to another part of the country to/from the airport terminal with the T9 providing the last stage (or first stage if arriving at CWL by air) of the journey in an integrated ticket.

 

[Jerry]

I've only accessed the airport by car. Usually get dropped off because i generally use the 6 am AMS flight the most. I do wonder if they could put a service in from Swansea via Bridgend? Or maybe advertise the rail link more?
Problem for the airport with public transport is that they can't control it or put it on themselves they have to rely on the local councils and they might have other priorities!

 

[Jerry]

I wonder if it's possible to buy a rail ticket from/to another part of the country to/from the airport terminal with the T9 providing the last stage (or first stage if arriving at CWL by air) of the journey in an integrated ticket

Just had a look online and you can buy tickets which take you to cardiff central and then by bus to the airport or straight to Rhoose Cardiff Airport itself. I do feel they should advertise the public transport more.

 

[marsh.ger]

The under investment of the Valley Lines over years are now starting to show. Many lines cannot accommodate over two trains per hour as they are single lines with passing places.

The idea of the metro is good only if you can purchase one ticket that allows you to transfer between various modes. If instead of that 20mins walk I caught a bus then I would have to currently purchase three separate tickets. Bus Tynewydd-Treherbert - (Stagecoach South Wales). Train Treherbert-Rhoose (Arriva Trains Wales). Rhoose-Airport (New Aventure Travel). There still remains a 3 mins walk in Treherbert as bus doesn't go to the railway station, a change of train in either Pontypridd, Queen Street or Cardiff Central, and a change at Rhoose.

I think light rail/tram is best however when you look at plans only certain lines are to have 4 trains an hour.

Many people don't consider rail as once you proceed further down the Valley during peak time there is no room for passengers. This is with 4 carriages.

They need to not only increase frequency but also increase capacity during peak periods but I can't see anywhere where this is suggested.

To make Valley folk consider rail for Cardiff Airport then at least one service and hour originating from each Valley line needs to go to the Airport.

As for the spur seems to go very quiet on that front but you never know may form as part of the metro project as if light rail/tram is chosen then would be much cheaper.

I think Cardiff Airport is a long way away from really needing that sort of investment.

 

[marsh.ger]

Just had a look online and you can buy tickets which take you to cardiff central and then by bus to the airport or straight to Rhoose Cardiff Airport itself. I do feel they should advertise the public transport more.

The last time I knew you had to pay for that last but separately as it is run by the VofG rather than being an official rail bus on behalf of ATW. £1 each way or £1.50 for return.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Many thanks again. Are there still arguments/negotiations ongoing as to who should pay for the electrification of the Valley lines - the UK or the Welsh government? Sorry, I meant to ask this in my previous post.

 

[marsh.ger]

As far as I'm aware it has been resolved however the next issue is how Brexit impacts the project.

I'm sure I heard they were hoping that it was signed off before we left so we still had the EU money. I don't know if it was scaremongering but talks were that if we left EU then couldn't afford M4 relief road & Metro.

I think the City Region deal also was going to impact the Metro plans.

Wales Online is a good source on metro items but it would be a pain to search for it off my phone as laptop is down stairs.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thank you. I look at Wales Online from time to time. I'll see if there is anything on the electrification funding.

Addendum (3.10.16)

Yes, it seems broadly what you say is the case.

The UK government appears to have promised £125 million towards the Valley Lines electrification but it will probably cost over three times that amount.

The Welsh Government has 'drawn up radical plans to hand the Valley Lines to a private consortium which would carry out electrification and introduce new trains.'

'However, there are fears that vital European funding for the modernisation could be missed because the UK Government has still not decided how rail powers will be devolved to Wales, or at least that was the case in a Wales Online report of last February.'

Full report at this link.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/radical-plans-hand-valley-lines-10961460

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The Independent has published its annual report on the UK's easiest and hardest airports to reach. CWL is at number 17 out of 26, up two places from the position it occupied in last year's survey.

I'm not convinced about the methodology used to obtain these results.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel...row-gatwick-birmingham-southend-a7466266.html

 

[Jerry]

The transport links to CWL aren't as bad as is made out. The road link could be better but it does have a bus link and a train link though a shuttle is required to get to the terminal. The main draw back is the road link it does need a direct link to the M4. With the Metro on the way the public transport options should get better.

 

[Jerry]

The Conservative's are now calling for the T9 bus which provides a direct link between Cardiff Airport and the city centre to be scrapped after they found out £1.5 million has been spent on it since it started. Barry residents dub it the 'Ghost Bus' and the 'Empty 9'. Think the problem is many can't understand why they can't use the bus as it doesn't stop in the Barry area and is essentially a direct service. If it was scrapped what would replace it? It and the rail link need to be advertised more to get more people using them.

www.barryanddistrictnews.co.uk/news/15049677.Controversy_continues_over_Cardiff_Airport_T9_bus/?ref=fbshr