Tram-Trains Recommended For Leeds-Bradford Airport Link
This report on Global Rail News is entitled Tram-train preferred for Leeds Bradford Airport link, which probably says most of it.
This Google Map shows the cities of Bradford and Leeds and the airport to the North.
Bradford, Leeds and Leeds-Bradford Airport
And this map shows the airport and the surrounding area from Guiseley in the North West to Horsforth in the South East.
Leeds Bradford Airport
Both towns have stations.
- Horsforth station is on the Harrogate Line.
- Guiseley station is on the Wharfedale Line
If you need to travel between the two towns by rail, you need to change trains at Leeds.
The consultants report recommends that to link Leeds to the airport a tram-train link be built from Horsforth.
This Google Map shows the countryside between Horsforth station and the southern end of Leeds-Bradord Airport.
Horsforth To Leeds-Bradford Airport
Horsforth station is in the South East corner of the map.
It would seem to not be the biggest engineering project to construct the airport link.
Although, it should be born in mind, that the area around and between Leeds and Bradford is not by any means flat and pilots of light aircraft are usually cautious on the approach to the airport, because the terrain causes all sorts of winds and updraughts.
This Google map shows the country between Guiseley and the northern end of Leeds-Bradford Airport.
Guiseley To Leeds-Bradford Airport
Guiseley station is in the North West corner of this map.
It would probably not be as easy to built a link from Guiseley to the airport, that could handle tram-trains, as to build one from Horsforth.
Years ago, the Otley and Ilkey Joint Railway planned to create a railway from Guiseley to Horsforth via Yeadon, but it was never built and the Yeadon Branch was closed to all traffic in 1964.
It would be ironic, if tram-trains were to reconnect Guiseley and Horsforth via Leeds-Bradford Airport, along the route of the Yeadon Branch.
If a route from the airport to Guiseley could be built for tram-trains, then they could carry on to Bradford Forster Square station, thus giving Bradford direct access to the airport.
Heathrow Express In Trouble
I have used it occasionally, but I don’t use Heathrow Express much, as it is very overpriced and terminates in London at the difficult-to-access Paddington station.
So to go to and from Heathrow, I usually use the Piccadilly Line. Cramped and slow it might be, but when going, I can take a bus to the convenient Manor House station, get a seat and read all the way to the airport for free.
Coming back from the airport, depending on the time, I use a variety of routes. The last time, I swapped to the District and then used the East London Line to get to my nearest station at Dalston Junction and two stops on a frequent bus home.
This report on the BBC web site is entitled ‘Crack’ in train forces Heathrow Express to replace stock and tells how the Cl;ass 332 trains have been withdrawn for checks.
They’ve probably developed the crack due to the overweight passengers with their overweight luggage, who are on expenses, so they can afford Heathrow Express.
So what have Heathrow Express done to get round the problem of no trains?
They’ve taken the Class 360 trains used on Heathrow Connect, thus removing the only affordable way for a lot of passengers and airport workers to get to Heathrow, unless they use the 140 bus.
I’ve just looked at how you get from Hayes and Harlington station to Heathrow this morning and the National Rail Journey Planner, is telling everybody to get a train into Paddington and then get Heathrow Express.
Taxi and mini-cab drivers must be laughing all the way to the bank.
It all goes to show how the Heathrow Express/Connect service is good and expensive when it’s working, but totally useless when there is a problem.
It could be thought that Crossrail will solve the problem.
At present there are four Heathrow Express and two Heathrow Connect services an hour between Paddington and the Airport. I think that Crossrail will still provide four much larger trains an hour to Paddington and additionally another four trains through London to Shenfield or Abbey Wood.
That could be a tripling of capacity between Heathrow and Central London. And unless it is convenient for you, you don’t have to change to the Underground, a bus or a taxi at Paddington.
I shall take a direct train between Whitechapel and Heathrow, if I need to get to the airport.
But will I be able to?
This article in Rail Magazine is entitled ORR consults on Heathrow Spur access charges and reports on the ongoing row between Heathrow and everybody else, about letting Crossrail trains use the spur into Heathrow Airport.
Consider the following.
- Heathrow desperately wants to build a third runway, which is opposed by nearly all Londoners.
- UK taxpayers are paying for the upgrading of the link between the Heathrow Spur and the Great Western Main Line.
- Crossrail will bring a massive increase in capacity to the airport.
- Heathrow Express only serves Paddington, which ironically is on Crossrail.
- Londoners generally don’t like Heathrow and rarely use Heathrow Express.
- Gatwick is getting two affordable world-class links into London.
- Boris Johnson has said that Freedom Pass holders will be able to use Crossrail to the Airport for free.
On top of all that, the current disruption to rail services has occurred at just the right time, when the ORR are calling Heathrow to act in the best interest of travellers to the airport.
I’m sure another rail company will welcome the chance to use Heathrow Express’s Class 332 trains, even with a few cracks, when the service is closed in a few years time.
The Anonymous Widower 