Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Aviador]

[textarea]Deal ends Stansted Express rail strike

Stansted Express services will be returning to normal this morning following suspension of industrial action by drivers’ union Aslef after agreement was reached in a pay dispute. Services between Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport had been crippled during the strike action by Aslef and RMT members.

The unions had been seeking a better deal from National Express, which runs the service. No details of the offer has been revealed but it is known that Aslef leaders were demanding a 2.5 percent increase and a cut in the working week.

NXEA managing director Andrew Chivers said: 'We are pleased to advise customers that the industrial action has been suspended. We will try to run best possible services today, although there may be some residual delays and alterations to services.'

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[Aviador]

[textarea]Overnight roadworks near Stansted

Inspection work on six bridges at Junction 8 (Stansted) of the M11 will take place over three nights starting tonight (Tuesday September 29). The work will be carried out between 22:00 and 05:00 with full lane closures on the northbound carriageway of the M11 including the A120 off slip road tonight.

The M11 southbound carriageway and the A120 on slip road will be closed tomorrow, and there will be lane closures on the northbound on slip road from Junction 8 and the southbound off slip road to Junction 8 on Thursday.

While the carriageways are closed traffic, including airport traffic, will be diverted up and over the Junction 8 roundabout. 'Moderate delays' are expected.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]Stansted Airport bus link picked up by rival operator

Passengers and Stansted Airport staff have been given a boost after a bus service was saved, the Essex County Standard reports. The X22 bus, which ferries people between the airport and north Essex, was due to have its final journey on January 8, after operator First said it was not commercially viable.

However, bus company Tellings-Golden Miller Group has stepped forward to fill the breach from January 9. It will still collect passengers in Braintree, Colchester town centre and Wivenhoe, but will no longer travel as far as Clacton.

Bob Dorr, regional director of TGM, said buses will run about every two hours and fares would be slightly reduced. It will be an interim measure while a long-term solution is sought by the airport.

Mr Dorr told the newspaper: ‘The service we are providing is a rescue package to try and give customers, the airport and ourselves the opportunity to fully assess the commercial viability of this service to find a long-term solution. We’re enthusiastic there will be a long term sustainable solution to this.’

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[Aviador]

I can't see a bus service that only operates every two hours working for the majority of people. Most airport bus services need to operate hourly as a minimum before people even consider using them.

 

[Aviador]

Sounds to me more like a coach service, similar to National Express, aimed at passengers rather than staff. National Express's airport routes seem to keep going at relatively low frequencies, such as the Bradford-Leeds-Sheffield-East Midlands-Heathrow-Gatwick service

You've said it yourself, a bus service that relies on passenger pick-ups at three of the largest cities in the country feeding two major airports should work at low frequencies. On the otherhand Braintree, Colchester town centre and Wivenhoe wont have anything like the catchment areas to make such a service viable as First have already pointed out.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Stansted Express launch e-tickets

Stansted Express, the dedicated train service between Central London and Stansted Airport, has launched a new e-ticketing option via its website. This offers customers the option of requesting a new 'Print at Home e-ticket', helping reduce queues and save precious time for busy travellers using the service.

Customers still have the option to book on-line and collect their ticket at the station, and by booking on-line passengers can save £1 off the single and £2 off a return fare. With an e-ticket they simply hop on the train, and show the printed copy to a 'host' when asked.

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[News Guru]

[textarea]New trains to boost Stansted Express services

The National Express train company has taken delivery of 30 new trains, to operate NXEA’s West Anglia routes. The new Class 379 trains from Bombardier Transportation will be used on Stansted Express and Cambridge services.

The fleet expansion means 120 additional carriages, and 11,000 more seats a day for passengers from December. Additional capacity will be added on the London - Stansted Airport line and along NXEA’s West Anglia route from Liverpool Street, which includes Cambridge, Bishops Stortford and Harlow.

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[News Guru]

Re: Stansted introduces pick-up and drop-off charges.

[textarea]Stansted Airport is to introduce a £2 charge for dropping off or collecting passengers at the terminal doors.

Currently there is no charge with the change due on 9 November.

Drivers dropping off passengers at mid-stay car parks can park for up to 30 minutes for free with travellers using a shuttle to and from the terminal.

The airport said it wants to encourage more people to use public transport to reduce traffic emissions and discourage parking in nearby streets.

It said it is "proud to be the UK's best performing major airport for public transport", with over 49% of its passengers arriving by train, coach or bus.

Full Story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-20221125[/textarea]

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Businesses back Stansted rail plea

London businesses are pressing the Government's airport commissioner to adopt a £620m scheme to improve the rail network to cut journey times to Stansted by a fifth

Businesses in London are pressing the Government’s airports commissioner, Sir Howard Davies, to adopt a £620 million rail improvement scheme that would cut journey times to Stansted by almost a fifth.

Industry leaders will today [Monday] put forward a package of rail improvements, such as lifting speed restrictions on certain parts of the track, which they believe would bring an additional 1.2 million people within an hour’s journey of Stansted.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... -plea.html[/textarea]