Sector Focus
Business Travel Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business
Partnership aids access to airport
Birmingham Airport and transport body Midlands Connect have signed an agreement committing to work closely together to improve access to the airport. The commitment includes a
pledge to collaborate on road and rail projects, both central to the airport’s masterplan, which will see £500m being invested during the next 15 years. The two organisations will work in partnership to try and secure Government backing for Midlands Engine Rail, a £3.5bn plan to transform inter-regional rail connectivity. Midlands Engine Rail includes the ‘Birmingham Airport Connectivity’ project, which is a plan to introduce direct links between Birmingham International Station and Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster and York, while also doubling rail services from Birmingham International to Leamington, Banbury, Oxford and Reading. Midlands Connect chairman Sir
John Peace said: “This collaboration agreement demonstrates our commitment to opening up local, regional and national access to Birmingham Airport. Improving connectivity for passengers and businesses is essential if we are to support the airport’s ambitious growth plans.” Nick Barton, chief executive
officer of Birmingham Airport said: “It’s fantastic to sign this agreement with Midlands Connect, underpinning our strong, strategic relationship, as well as a joint commitment to improving the passenger experience.”
Getting a sprint on: how the new Sprint vehicles may look
Sprint to speed up travel
A new cross-city bus rapid transit route that is being introduced in time for the Commonwealth Games has been given the green light. Funding for the new ‘Sprint’
route, which will travel on the A34 and A45 between Solihull, Birmingham Airport and Walsall, has been approved by the board of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). The route is being funded as part
of capital expenditure spending of £307m in the WMCA’s 2020/1 budget, which will be used by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) for the design and construction of new tram routes, Sprint networks and local rail stations. The initial plans for the Walsall –
Solihull Sprint include extended bus lanes, priority signalling and swift boarding to improve journey times and reliability across the route.
‘A comfortable and reliable alternative to the car’
There will also be improved bus
shelters along the route will include CCTV to support passenger safety, and real-time journey information. Changes in stop layouts and off- board ticketing will also speed up the boarding process reducing time spent at each stop compared to conventional buses. The Sprint concept is new to the
West Midlands, but some 166 cities around the world have so far introduced similar projects, many of which use roadways which are dedicated to buses, which are often articulated or even bi-articulated. A spokesperson for Transport for
West Midlands said: “Sprint will offer commuters quicker boarding and a
comfortable and reliable alternative to the car that bypasses congestion, while also supporting our commitment to the environment. “We are delivering the scheme
over two phases. The first phase will be completed before the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and phase two will be delivered by 2024.” Mayor of the West Midlands
Andy Street said: “The first phase of the Sprint scheme will see the introduction of a brand-new, cross- city service running in time to ferry thousands of visitors around the region for the Commonwealth Games. The scheme is also a key part of our transport revolution which is, after decades of under investment, delivering new bus, rail, Metro and cycle schemes to serve the people of the West Midlands for generations to come.”
Coach firm to operate ‘Dublin Express’
National Express Coach has won a major contract in Ireland, which will see it operating various high- frequency routes between Dublin and its airport. Initially, ‘Dublin Express’ will be three cross-city
routes, but this will be expanded to add various other locations in time. The service will be operated on National Express’
behalf by Irish coach firm I Bernard Kavanagh Coaches, of Urlingford, Co Kilkenny. John Boughton, managing director of National
New service: John Boughton 72 CHAMBERLINK March 2020
Express Ireland, said: “Dublin Express will transform what it means to ride an airport service in the Irish capital. We currently run 1,100 airport services every day on a 24-hour basis direct to the terminal for all major UK airports including Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Heathrow and Manchester.
“And as Ireland’s largest private coach operator, we
have previously worked with Bernard Kavanagh Coaches to operate Irish services. Bringing together this collective experience, local knowledge and expertise as Dublin Express will allow us to provide a much enhanced experience at a great price.” The service will use a fleet of modern and efficient
coaches that meet the latest standards for engine emissions (Euro VI). Passengers will have access to real time tracking information, easy booking and payment with tap-and-go, contactless ticketing at the airport and an array of digital and mobile channels. Managing director Bernard Kavanagh said: “We
have a long standing, strong relationship with National Express. We look forward to building on this in 2020 with the new Dublin Express service.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92
