Airports rated worst in survey of public transport links demand Government action

Exclusive: Survey reveals the dire state of rail links to most of London’s airports

The Gatwick Express will not be running for 10 days over the holiday period (Wikimedia/Creative Commons)

The airports rated worst in The Independent’s survey of public transport links have demanded Government action to improve rail services.

The survey reveals the dire state of rail links to most of London’s airports. Among 23 of the UK’s major airports, the four worst performers are Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and Southend.

A spokesperson for Stansted airport said: “What all passengers urgently need, and what the Airports Commission called for in their interim report two years ago, is a sustained programme of investment in the ageing track infrastructure between London and Stansted to speed up journey times and reduce disruption.”

Luton airport (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

The trip between Liverpool Street station and the Essex airport takes 15 per cent longer than it did when the link first opened in 1991.

Luton has frequent fast trains to its “Parkway” station, but it scored poorly because of the need to catch a connecting bus. Nick Barton, the airport’s Chief Executive, said: “We know the missing link is to replace the buses between Luton Airport Parkway station and the airport with a permanent fixed link.”

A leading aviation consultant, John Strickland, said: “It's essential to have the best rail access possible to airports. The UK should do better and aim to emulate the air/rail linkages at major airports in France, Germany and the Netherlands.”

Stephen Joseph, Director of the Campaign for Better Transport, said that the lack of “smart ticketing” was partly responsible for the dismal performance of four London airports: "I'm not surprised that Gatwick, Southend, Luton and Stansted airports come bottom for public transport links. None of those airports are on the Oyster network, though Gatwick will finally join it in the New Year. To encourage more people to leave their cars at home when travelling to the airport we need to see smart ticketing introduced as a matter of urgency.”

Stansted Airport was among the 23 major UK airports rated worst for public transport links (Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)

The survey looked at the three factors of most importance to airline passengers: frequency, travel time and price, for journeys outside rush-hour. The capital’s other two airports, London City and Heathrow, perform relatively well, taking fourth and fifth places respectively.

At the top of the table are three provincial cities: Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester. Each boasts at least five fast trains an hour, taking 15 minutes or less, at fares of a few pounds.

Jan Halliday, Marketing Director at the top-rated airport, said: “We are delighted that Southampton Airport's excellent rail links are being recognised. We are also seeing a growth in inbound air passengers from the Channel Islands and regional France who are choosing to use Southampton Airport as a quick way of getting to London Waterloo.

The claim to be a plausible alternative to the capital’s airports was echoed by Paul Kehoe, Chief Executive at second-placed Birmingham - planned to as a stop for the High Speed 2 rail line: “Once HS2 Phase One is complete, we will be the UK's most convenient airport for 19 million people, effectively closer to central London than Luton and Stansted and only 15 minutes further than Heathrow Terminal 5.”

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: "Government should integrate road, rail and air policies. As the recent Transport for the North interim report emphasised, reducing journey times between the major towns and cities and Manchester Airport is key to realising the full potential of the Northern Powerhouse.”

Outside the capital, Scotland’s main airports were mostly mid-table, while the only international hub in Wales, Cardiff airport, was rated worst for transport outside the London area.

Gatwick will be cut off by rail from London for 10 days from Christmas Day onwards, for engineering work to help boost in capacity on the line.

Airports rated for transport links

1 Southampton

2 Birmingham

3 Manchester

4 London City

5 Heathrow

6 Aberdeen

7 Newcastle

8 Belfast City

9 Edinburgh

10 Glasgow

11 Leeds/Bradford

12 Bristol

13 Liverpool

14 Exeter

15 Inverness

16 East Midlands

17 Belfast International

18 Prestwick

19 Cardiff

20 Gatwick

21 Luton

22 Stansted

23 Southend