[Anonymous]

[BigDog.]

Imo this is a non starter though may help both distribute air traffic and reduce vehicle. If HS2 were given the go ahead with a LHR spur then it may work. The Beeb is reporting…

People travelling to Heathrow Airport by car could have to pay a congestion charge if the airport’s proposed third runway is built.

The airport says it wants to introduce the charge in the hope that it would improve air quality.

The charge would apply to roads leading from the M25, M4 and the A4 to the airport.

The airport will put its plan to the Airports Commission, which is looking at the future of air travel in the UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27344169

[MarcusUK]

As posted under the new item earlier…

What a money grabbing and absurd plan, only what we can expect from LHR Management. Extract more money from the passengers, the most greedy airport in The World! They make enough money from parking, not now dropping passengers off.
Passengers need access by car, for those not on a tube line or any direct rail link which LHR has a complete lack of compared to say Schiphol Amsterdam.

What of elderly or disabled or child passengers, families, those with heavy bags, tourists not staying on direct transport links.
Has anyone from LHR “Management” ever tried to carry 23kg cases between stations, up stairs, and across platforms, or sat in a packed train on the Underground? For some it is simply not possible.

This would be a discriminatory act, and I hope would be legally challenged.
Another reason to abandon LHR and travel from regional airports to the gateways of Europe. LHR is really the laughing stock of European airports, more business to them and deservedly so.

Schiphol enable green measures by integrating transport entirely, and making it very inexpensive, form every area of Holland. LHR in no way does this, except from C ldn by tube, and the West of London from Paddington.
An absurd profit driven suggestion, shrouded in “Green Camouflage”.
Complete hypocrisy.

[LuganoPirate]

Marcus, +1. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Another good reason for Boris’s Island I think?

[stevescoots]

thats got to be the craziest thing i have heard in a long time. Introduce it now and they wont need a 3rd runway

[MarcusUK]

Presented in their last draft of the latest proposal featured today in newspapers, they are highlighting a minimum £30 charge.

Now seriously guys, would you pay £30 to drop friends off, families with children, older parents, disabled people, they need the access, and should have a right.

LHR’s public transport is ALL geared to Central London, how absurd. Go get an integrated transport system as in Holland before you think of charging these ridiculous charges Another way to screw money out of us, alongside all their charges, and dont forget £15 to go through security we EACH pay!

They will lose much travellers, and me for one, i shall fly KLM or AF to CDG, and get on whichever Airline i want from there.
Less the LHR and Government taxes, it already saves me £400 a flight!

What a disgraceful proposal, shrouded in “Being green”.
If they really want to be green i take it they will be donating 100% to charities and to reduce their energy sucking airport carbon emissions?

They can go get lost for my travels…

[LuganoPirate]

I wouldn’t pay £30 Marcus, but that’s what they want. Just like the streets of London were empty after the congestion charge was introduced so they want people to keep cars away and to come by Tube, Taxi and so on.

The problem with going via AMS is you still have to get there, and unless LCY, LGW or the regional airports are local to you, you’ll still have to go through LHR and pay if you want to be dropped off.

I totally agree we need an integrated transport system for London that works like in Amsterdam or Zurich but as in those cities if you have lots of baggage it’s still a bit of a nightmare and you need to go there by car. At Zurich station though there are baggage trolleys available at the entrances as well as on the platforms so this does help if being dropped off by car or coming by train.

Another service in Switzerland is Rail and Fly. You take your bags to your local station and check them in to your final destination. It’s a great service and for the return you can do likewise, just ask at check-in. The only slight drawback is going you need to check-in the day before and for the return, if I land before 0900 I can only get my case at the station from 1800. Still it saves struggling with several large heavy bags.

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/services/baggage/fly-rail-baggage.html

[MartynSinclair]

“The problem with going via AMS is you still have to get there” – I wonder what the planned travel time to AMS from St Pancras will be when the train service gets up and running.

A couple of times a year, I have an early start from Ostend airport. Now got it down to a fine art, call my local taxi firm who are only too pleased to take me from N. London. 3 hours door to door..

Would I pay a £30 congestion charge to enter Heathrow – absolutely not – I would bill it to my clients…

[canucklad]

£30 quid, makes me feel foolish bemoaning EDI’s £1 drop off charge and £7 pick up charge if you’re not out in less than 15 minutes !

You do have it lucky on the continent chaps ! : )

[MarcusUK]

Many of the other EU carriers provide services to different European gateways, from many regional airports. KLM over 20 i think, including LCY via Cityjet (still unfortunately!).

And many other low cost, Easyjet have expanded significantly and have a loyal following amongst BT’s according to the current press, and their 40 % + claim for business traveller traffic. These open up LGW, LTN, STN, Southend, and Flybe also from other airports to Europe.

And those who cannot fly from other parts in the UK down to LHR, and no direct trains, who drive, will they continue? Business travellers are one aspect, but load this charge onto leisure travellers, and they will turn away from LHR.
Rather stupid and misleading, opaque in terms of “Green policies”!

[AMcWhirter]

Hello Martin

Planned travel time London-Schiphol should be just under four hours. But we don’t know about Schiphol-London yet because, as you will read in our Platform page, the journey time may be extended to allow for UKBA prodecures.

There will be x2 trains daily but of course there are more services available by routing over Brussels.

What continues to puzzle me is why Eurostar does not run through trains between London and Paris CDG ? Perhaps it is for political reason, or security concerns or lack of space at CDG station ?

But the line exists (the Disneyland Eurostar runs through CDG every day without stopping) and, back in 2008, Air France was considering buying and operating its own fleet of trains. But the venture was sunk without trace. It is a mystery …

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london-to-paris-in-under-two-hours-on-air-frances-new-highspeed-train-6915926.html

[Tirana1]

The case behind congestion charging as introduced by Ken Livingstone was that discretionary car usage in central London could be reduced by creating an incentive for users to move to realistic alternatives. The significant increase in bus capacity at the time meant this was feasible and it actually worked (biggest single improvement in public transport usage in London in 30 years and something Red Ken is – rightly – proud of). Within a tightly defined area, bus use was a realistic alternative – there is no equivalent alternative for LHR unless you are travelling from Central London and given that the basis for expansion is LHR’s role as a national airport, supporting the national economy, the focus on London-centric public transport links would be irrational. To my mind, this would leave a LHR congestion charge open to legal challenge in a way the central London scheme was not. LGW should get some judical review lawyers on board pronto and push this analysis.

[SimonS1]

Amazing.

On the one hand the country’s major airport wants to charge an extortionate access charge to “improve air quality”.

On the other hand the country’s major airline has a pricing structure that encourages people to make totally pointless flights around Europe to save money.

Call it integrated transport I suppose.

[MarcusUK]

Certainly for trips to Amsterdam, having tired Eurostar and Thalys last summer, it was frankly unpleasant unreliable. Eurostar side was fine. But there is No communication between the train companies. If you Miss your connection you are delayed by 2hrs + even if you can persuade them to technically change your booking for a new train.
they accept no responsibility if you miss the connecting train, either Company.

As Alex mentions, the security on the both sides is needed, then passport controls (and why twice in Brussels one after the other defies logic!), and the getting to and from the station with allowances for minimum check in times.

Sadly, the direct trains will still need these as Alex points out, but 6-8 hrs travel city to city, means Amsterdam by train will never be an option for me.
I prefer to go by ship overnight, if not flying.

[LuganoPirate]

Hi Alex,
You can take Eurostar to Lille, then change trains to CDG. It’s about 50 minutes and costs £40, though I’m sure cheaper fares exist. Not ideal but it can be done.

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