Business Travel
Sector Focus
Passenger figures are right on track
Passenger numbers on the Midland Metro have risen sharply since the Birmingham city centre extension to New Street Station opened at the end of May. Figures show the number of people using the trams between June and
October was up by 28 per cent compared to the same period last year. The system, which runs between Wolverhampton city centre and Birmingham’s Grand Central shopping complex, is now carrying an average of 126,000 passengers each week with Saturday numbers up by 33 per cent on last year and Sundays by 30 per cent. And the school half-term holiday last month saw an impressive 43 per
cent increase compared to the same week in 2015. Cllr Roger Horton, lead member for rail and Metro on the West Midlands
Combined Authority’s (WMCA) transport delivery committee, said: “The Metro’s 99 per cent per cent reliability and quick journey times have always made it popular with weekday commuters. “But these half-term figures along with big increases in weekend use
suggest many more people are now using the Metro for shopping and other leisure pursuits. This is perhaps due to the Metro now going right into the heart of the city’s main shopping district, with a direct connection from New Street Station and its Grand Central shopping complex, to Snow Hill Station, the Jewellery Quarter and out to the Black Country.”
‘These half-term figures along with big increases in weekend use suggest many more people are now using the Metro for shopping and other leisure pursuits’
Cllr Horton said that on current trends the WMCA expected to see a total
of around 5.7 million passengers this year (April 2016 to March 2017) - up from just under five million last year. National Express, which runs the Metro on behalf of the combined
authority, also introduced contactless payment on the trams at the same time as the extension was opened and this may also have contributed to the increase in patronage. Passengers say they like the convenience of using contactless bank cards
or smartphones installed with the Barclays, Apple or Android contactless apps. Contactless now accounts for 14 per cent of all tickets bought on board the trams. Meanwhile work is underway extending the tram route from New Street
Station to Centenary Square, with track completion expected in 2019. Funding has also been earmarked for the line to go further along Broad Street, past Five Ways and on to Edgbaston by 2021.
Take to the skies this winter with Flybe
Flybe has launched its expanded winter schedule from Birmingham – with new daily flights to Toulouse and a weekly ski service to Geneva. An additional four routes will operate for the
first time this winter - to Knock, Luxembourg, Nantes and Rotterdam. Flights operate through to 25 March 2017 with
one way fares from ££24.99 including taxes and charges. The inaugural flight to Toulouse was celebrated with a special cake featuring the heraldry of both cities and arriving passengers were surprised with locally sourced ‘purple’ gifts. The city of Toulouse – just a short one hour and
50 minutes’ flight away from Birmingham – is one of France’s most historic cities featuring medieval architecture and unique pink terracotta buildings. It is also the centre of the European aerospace
industry and of leading companies within the technology sector.
Flights to Geneva start on 17 December from
where there are convenient onward connections to many of the most popular ski resorts in Switzerland, France and Italy. The new route also provides Birmingham
Vincent Hodder, Flybe’s chief revenue officer,
said: “We have expanded our winter schedule this year, not only with new leisure and business routes but also by adding frequency to accommodate the needs of our business customers.” Flybe’s expanded schedule includes increased
flights to Edinburgh (up to seven a day) and to Amsterdam (up to six a day).
travellers with fast and convenient access to a city that is not just at the centre of world politics and finance but is also an attractive ‘must-see’ destination in its own right. William Pearson, aviation director at Birmingham Airport, said: “It is excellent news that Flybe will be increasing its selection of routes this winter for our passengers. “Toulouse is one of France’s great cultural and
commercial centres. Geneva is a commercial hub. “We are sure both of these routes will prove
popular with our passengers looking for city breaks and fantastic Christmas markets, ski and snowboard holidays or for business trips.”
December 2016/January 2017 CHAMBERLINK 55
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