[Shearer]

Is it just me or does mentioning future congestion in your runway bid document seem daft?

Or maybe it’s a done deal and this is going to be a nice little earner.

Cynical, moi?

[AMcWhirter]

LP – Quite correct. I overlooked the routing via Lille.

Through fares can be booked on eurostar.com but you have to request “France” and then select “Roissy Charles De Gaulle.” (The airport station is not listed under “Paris” so you must first select “France.”)

It involves taking Eurostar from the UK to Lille Europe with a train change to a domestic TGV for the onward sector to Paris CDG.

[IanFromHKG]

As a non-UK resident, my own (selfish) concern is around hire cars. Does this mean (and I assume it does) that we will get 30 quid added to our car hire charge? Or might airport-based rental companies be exempt?

I can see this increasing traffic via the continent or middle east to regional airports or to LTN/STN/LGW for those who are price-sensitive – it might be the tipping-point that moves people from non-stop service to connecting service.

I can’t help thinking that the better solution would be a fast and frequent rail line between LGW and LHR and an extra runway at LGW, so that connecting traffic is spread over the two airports (now that could really make London a better hub and if done properly could present something of a challenge to the middle eastern airlines).

In any event, why not ban private jets at LHR? I bet every single one of those flights involves car transfers, and frankly it is a monstrous waste of valuable runway time. Restrict them to under-used London airports, and/or Northolt.

Oh, and one more thing – if you really want to encourage people to use public transport at LHR, make it a damn sight easier and more comfortable. All of these suggestions could be put in place without much difficulty:
1. Allow baggage trolleys onto train platforms. The current system where you have to lug your bags the first/last few hundred yards is INSANE. Compare HKG where not only are trolleys allowed on the platofrm, but between every single train staff line up trolleys at the spots where the train doors will open (they will even help with bags if they see you are having difficulties)
2. Improve the bus stations. Having to walk down freezing draughty corridors is very offputting. Then, when you get to the Central Bus Station, the signage is dreadful and the waiting area decidedly unwelcoming. As to the outside waiting points for local buses at terminal 3…. Yes, of course the best option for me after a 12-hour flight is to stand outside in the freezing rain. NOT
3. Encourage airlines to sell train/bus/coach tickets with their airline tickets
4. Explore Introducing something like the Skibus arrangements which we have used at GVA. These are semi-private buses that will take you to your exact destination. They leave for particular towns at particular times. You book yourself on to them, and they take you to the exact address in the town in question – door-to-door service
5. Encourage the transport operators to do well-publicised and easily booked small-group fares – so that, say, a family of four or a business group of three get a discount

I am sure there are many more suggestions that could be made that could reduce overall car traffic and yet improve flow through the airport

Unfortunately, far too many functionaries aren’t interested in the smaller cheaper options, they want big expensive projects that can be subsidised by the taxpayer, or which gain PR by being popular with the people who don’t actually use the facilities in question (Hooray! Fewer cars at Heathrow! We don’t use it so it won’t inconvenience us! But it makes life harder for those rich sods who do! Hooray!)

[canucklad]

Unfortunately Ian, it will be the poor people that Marcus mentioned that will suffer, not the hooray henry’s that will happily spend £30 on a posh latte, and will just see this as an inconvenience rather than a strain on their budget like families from outside the TFL who have no choice.

To me its sounds like a revenue generating scheme, dressed up in a green dress.
Now on to your 5 suggestions Ian. I’m appalled at the very thought of any of them being implemented.

After all, how am I supposed to know that I’m back in Britain if my arrival, currently resembling a Japanese Game show is transformed into a sleek modern, efficient operation.
Shame on you to suggest changing such an iconic welcome to our wonderful country and London in particular.

[MarcusUK]

It would be very interesting if someone Legally challenged this being introduced or when it was, , in terms of discrimination. Those people i mentioned above, but even those with less money, and leisure travellers perhaps on a tight budget.

This is completely NOT acceptable, and Airlines should also be speaking out against this.
Yet More reasons Not to fly LHR and give you business and loyalty to those airports that do not discriminate, and have reasonable charges.

Makes no difference to me hopping on an LCY or low cost flight saving £400 + currently and more with this, and taking long haul flights ex CDF, FRA, or AMS.

I think certain passenger groups will avoid LHR and make their objections known.

Be interesting to see what BT feel the legal implications would be, looking at the groups of people highlighted?

[SimonS1]

MarcusUK – 16/05/2014 09:30 GMT
Yet More reasons Not to fly LHR and give you business and loyalty to those airports that do not discriminate, and have reasonable charges.

Right oh. Only yesterday you were telling us how flights to Cambridge wouldn’t work and recommending people try KLM from….er….LHR!!!

So which is it?

[smith101]

I live in south west London and there is no easy way for me to get to Heathrow by public transport. If they would just build a train line that went to Clapham Junction, problem solved. Until then I will continue to drive or take a taxi to the airport due to the sheer convenience of doing so. If they want to charge me £30 for the privilege then I will simply plan all my travel from Gatwick (to where I can get a direct train and rarely if ever drive) – the hassle of changing planes somewhere else can’t be any worse than the hassle of trying to get to Heathrow via the underground.

I also find it slightly ironic that they are trying to offset the increase in pollution that a third runway would lead to by trying to reduce road traffic. If they’re that worried about pollution, maybe they shouldn’t be building a third runway.

[AMcWhirter]

smith101 – A direct rail link from Feltham to LHR was mooted many years ago (in the days before T4, let alone T5) but it never happened.

[MartynSinclair]

Its the same from North London… no decent public transport links… only a car link to Heathrow..

Gatwick is easy using the First Capital Connect…

[AnthonyDunn]

I would be happy to be corrected on this – I had thought that a link to/with Heathrow was an aspect of the planning for the mooted HS2 line up to life-beyond-Watford (that means you Canucklad!). But with the constant chopping and changing on the route, rationale, cost and timetable, it may just have been a figment of my imagination.

Can anyone else provide a more definitive position on planned mainline access onto the UK national rail network from Heathrow?

Beyond that, the LHR charging plan smacks of “back of a fag packet” analysis.

[IanFromHKG]

Remember the upcoming across rail link as well

[BigDog.]

There are around 100,000 who work at or from LHR. Most would require access across an 18-20 hour window in any day, often when public transport is virtually closed down – personal transport would be essential.

Contrasting with the LCC – the vast majority of Greater London and beyond transport structure is designed for transiting toward/through inner London, people employed within central the London congestion charge area have a full range of public transport available and therefore little/no need of personal transport.

LHR CC would require a raft of special passes/permits and a bureaucracy to support with far more obvious abuse similar to disabled car permits.

[MarcusUK]

That leaves STN, LCY, Southend, LTN, and the 20 airports you can fly with KLM regionally, and LH LX, AF, and others, to reach.
I commented on the fact that Etihad regional, and then Citijet are starting flights that simply fif not pay.

I can take the same Airlines from paris or AMS, save £400 in the LHR total charges they make, compared to an EU departure point. It seems i can also use a car to and from their major cities to stay over an eve lefore, and not have to pay £60 to their airport to simply drive in and be dropped off.

Clearly a greedy money raising ply, and discriminatory against those that do not live on the Piccadilly line tube, or at Paddington.
There are no other rail links into the airport.
Having seen older people, disabled people, families with young children struggling on the tube, this is discriminatory. Every airport should have equal access for every traveller. They are choosing not too. Surely they make quite enough from parking?
Add another £60 onto your ticket to pay LHR? No, not for me, definitely not.

I hope it is legally challenged, as it will not have a hope of standing taking into account the above.
I am sure many leisure travellers will not pay an additional amount to pull and drop off a car or add £30 onto their taxi fare each way.
The other Regional and EU gateways will gain even more customers.

[Author]

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