Trains to planes, not automobiles

Private cars provide a convenient way of reaching the airport, but with many having good public transport links, shouldn’t operators be doing more to encourage travellers to use more environmentally friendly forms of transport, asks transport journalist Andrew Wills?

Most passengers arrive at the airport by road, in cars or taxis, and sadly, in these environmentally aware times, that’s a fact – across the world. However, larger international airports are also served by a wide range of public transport, from light and heavy rail systems to rapid transits, bus/coach routes and trams.

Time for radical thinking?

So how does an airport operator or government, in these ‘green’ times, persuade travellers to use public transport? Perhaps it’s the time for some radical thinking – such as banning private vehicles from within, say, a five-mile (eight kilometre) radius of major airports?

For regional terminals, with their often-restricted public transport access modes, such action might be unrealistic, but for hubs such as Heathrow, UK, or Paris, France, who in their right mind would want to rely on driving (or being driven) there, and arriving on schedule?

City centre airports have a built-in advantage – London City Airport with its fast Docklands Light Railway service that links to London’s Underground network and national rail stations, is rated by Business Traveller magazine as having the world's best public transport links.

Airport authorities are under increasing pressure worldwide to highlight their green credentials. Being able to boast a wide choice of reliable and reasonably priced public transport options for passengers is a sure-fire winner.

While tackling air pollution from ground activities, airports must provide more incentives for travellers to use public transport to and from airports. Reducing road congestion must remain a priority in official strategy planning if airports are to operate and grow sustainably.

Remote check-in

Some enlightened airports are offering check-in services at city centre railway stations. In California, USA, Sacramento Regional Transit officials are proposing a new strategy to connect the city to Sacramento International Airport, with a US$785 million light rail link.
 
Many large airports are located next to or even above railway trunk routes, for instance Frankfurt in Germany, Schiphol in the Netherlands, and Heathrow, Gatwick and London Stansted in the UK. Interestingly, the latter has the highest percentage of travellers who use public transport to get to the airport compared with other airports in England, according to figures published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
 
But it’s in Switzerland where we find no better example of successful planning – this country has one of the world’s finest public transport systems. The airports of Zurich and Geneva have their own railway stations providing fast and frequent transfers into the heart of those and other major cities.
 
You can even walk or cycle to Geneva International Airport. Now that’s very refreshing.

Once again the rail situation at the South Bend Regional Airport has been overlooked. 

In 1992 the eastern terminus of the South Shore Railroad, a commuter electric line extending from South Bend some 93 miles (150km) into the center of Chicago, was moved from the current AMTRAK station to the east end of the airport’s terminal building.  The addition of rail to the airport has created the only truly multi-modal terminal in the United States, since we combine intercity bus, interstate rail, and interstate commercial air service, all from one building. 

No one else in the country does that, and yet we continue to be overlooked in articles such as this one. The rail line is experiencing tremendous growth at present, no doubt driven by the cost of gasoline. 

Rail traffic from the South Bend station, for example, is up 33% for the month of August, and yearly traffic for 2007 was right at 230,000 total passengers. 

We are the busiest station on the line on weekends, and draw folks from areas north, east and south to use the train to go into the city.  We have been doing this for 16 years now; some world-wide recognition for far-sightedness would be appreciated!