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East Midlands Parkway-Airport Bus Service to End

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HOOVER29

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They’re planning to build a fair few houses just up the road by Clifton South tram station.
East Mids Parkway is ideal for that area.
Just wish they’d lower the parking price.
 
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Scotty

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You can also use the Skylink Express from Nottingham which takes the quick route via the A453 and no longer wastes the benefit of doing so by trundling through Clifton estate. Assuming you're travelling from Skegness that saves one change of train and may be quicker overall.

That sounds awesome, didn't realise there was an express route (and it goes via the Nottingham train station). Thank you.

Travelling from Boston.
 

Comstock

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In that case how come people are not driving to the station from places like Chellaston to catch the train?

Quite a lot of people probably drive from Chelleston to Derby station...or just drive all the way to their destination. Chelleston to most places other than Central London is probably quicker by car.
 

edwin_m

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That sounds awesome, didn't realise there was an express route (and it goes via the Nottingham train station). Thank you.

Travelling from Boston.
It's had rather a chequered history so not surprising few people know about it.

It started off with NCT over ten years ago, funded by various local bodies, but was then taken off when TB started the Skylink via Long Eaton as a funded service isn't allowed to compete with a commercial one. It then reappeared three or four years back as Skylink Express on the route it uses now, but seemed to be very little used. After a short-lived diversion and renaming as Skylink Clifton, it's now reverted to the previous route but using buses instead of coaches. I won't get into the vacillation about whether it goes into the Clifton P&R or not!

It seems to have been marketed phenomenally badly - something TB are supposed to do well. Skylink.co.uk still has it as Skylink Clifton on the old route, and hides it very effectively (I'll drop them an email). I do have my doubts about whether it will survive!
 
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Robertj21a

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It's had rather a chequered history so not surprising few people know about it.

It started off with NCT over ten years ago, funded by various local bodies, but was then taken off when TB started the Skylink via Long Eaton as a funded service isn't allowed to compete with a commercial one. It then reappeared three or four years back as Skylink Express on the route it uses now, but seemed to be very little used. After a short-lived diversion and renaming as Skylink Clifton, it's now reverted to the previous route. I won't get into the vacillation about whether it goes into the Clifton P&R or not!

It seems to have been marketed phenomenally badly - something TB are supposed to do well. Skylink.co.uk still has it as Skylink Clifton on the old route, and hides it very effectively (I'll drop them an email). I do have my doubts about whether it will survive!

They can call it whatever they like but it never really had the potential to be successful, particularly when they charged a premium fare for it. I always thought it was only introduced as Trent had some spare coaches available, off the Red Arrow.
 

edwin_m

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They can call it whatever they like but it never really had the potential to be successful, particularly when they charged a premium fare for it. I always thought it was only introduced as Trent had some spare coaches available, off the Red Arrow.
Yes I think it was some kind of toe-in-the-water exercise and there was some discussion about it somewhere on this site including contribution from a poster involved in planning it. But don't ask me to find the thread! The fact it's been relaunched with somewhat newer vehicles suggests someone thinks it's worth another try.
 

edwin_m

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I ment the bus service to the airport was never going to work.
If you're referring to the bus service from the Parkway (shock horror back on topic!) then I agree. Anywhere significant within the Leicester/Derby/Nottingham triangle that has a train service to Parkway also has a frequent bus direct to the airport which will be no slower end-to-end and much more convenient. There can't be many passengers from further away than that, and any that there are can change onto buses elsewhere. I hope when EMR comes to re-brand the signage at Parkway they don't perpetuate the misleading "for East Midlands Airport" text.
 

WillPS

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It's had rather a chequered history so not surprising few people know about it.

It started off with NCT over ten years ago, funded by various local bodies, but was then taken off when TB started the Skylink via Long Eaton as a funded service isn't allowed to compete with a commercial one. It then reappeared three or four years back as Skylink Express on the route it uses now, but seemed to be very little used. After a short-lived diversion and renaming as Skylink Clifton, it's now reverted to the previous route but using buses instead of coaches. I won't get into the vacillation about whether it goes into the Clifton P&R or not!

It seems to have been marketed phenomenally badly - something TB are supposed to do well. Skylink.co.uk still has it as Skylink Clifton on the old route, and hides it very effectively (I'll drop them an email). I do have my doubts about whether it will survive!
Straight after the NCT service ended Premiere Travel ran the direct A453 route in opposition to Trent, branded 'Red Flyer'. It lasted about a year I think, including appeals to get people to buy long term passes to keep the service going. The whole operation went down the pan a few months after that.
 

edwin_m

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Straight after the NCT service ended Premiere Travel ran the direct A453 route in opposition to Trent, branded 'Red Flyer'. It lasted about a year I think, including appeals to get people to buy long term passes to keep the service going. The whole operation went down the pan a few months after that.
Yes I'd forgotten that particular turn in the complex history of the route!
 
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I live one mile from M1 Junction 26 and thus five miles north west of Nottingham Railway Station, and am a 10 minute walk from the Phoenix Park tram stop for tram access to Nottingham station. I know of a number of locals who prefer a quick drive down the M1 to Junction 24 & thus East Midlands Parkway for trains to London, rather than using Nottingham station - this certainly reflects earlier statements about the East Midlands being car dependent.
 

edwin_m

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I live one mile from M1 Junction 26 and thus five miles north west of Nottingham Railway Station, and am a 10 minute walk from the Phoenix Park tram stop for tram access to Nottingham station. I know of a number of locals who prefer a quick drive down the M1 to Junction 24 & thus East Midlands Parkway for trains to London, rather than using Nottingham station - this certainly reflects earlier statements about the East Midlands being car dependent.
But if the Parkway wasn't there those people could drive a similar distance to Derby, where the station has good road access from the east. And in the long run they will drive to Toton, which if and when it opens will kill patronage at Parkway.
 

ivanhoe

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Having a son who has worked in security at EMA, he said the ‘mad’ time was between 4am and 7am . This coincides with the flights out to Malaga, Alicante, Faro , Canaries etc. Trains , with bus connection, would be absolutely useless for these flights . EMA is still a holiday airport in many respects and I wouldn't trust a train and bus to catch early morning flights. Edwin_m has already stated the popularity of Skylink services which also serve the many warehouses etc around the airport. Indeed, it would be interesting to see how much of the patronage actually use the Skylink for just going to the airport. They have brought increased bus services and opportunities for people of Long Whatton, Diseworth,Hathern,Kegworth, Shepshed ,Castle Donnington and Long Eaton.
 

Kettledrum

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In that case how come people are not driving to the station from places like Chellaston to catch the train?
1) peak time journey times to London from EMP are not the fastest
2) long intervals between trains to London
3) car parking charges too high - making the option of getting a taxi to Derby a competitive option
 

Robertj21a

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The car park charge (£8 per day, cheaper for longer periods) isn't bad for a businessman travelling to London with an expenses budget. It's probably too high for casual usage from those without expenses budgets.
 

ChrisC

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1) peak time journey times to London from EMP are not the fastest
2) long intervals between trains to London
3) car parking charges too high - making the option of getting a taxi to Derby a competitive option

4) No Day Return Fares to popular destinations travelling north, resulting in fares being almost double those from Nottingham or Derby. People are not going to pay approx £45 to Leeds, Manchester or Chester, when it’s only about £25 from Nottingham. Even Sheffield is considerably more than from Nottingham or Derby.
 

Comstock

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The car park charge (£8 per day, cheaper for longer periods) isn't bad for a businessman travelling to London with an expenses budget. It's probably too high for casual usage from those without expenses budgets.

Also worth considering you can park at Derby for £3.50 more.
 

mikestone1952

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I wonder if there is more to the withdrawal of the shuttle than meets the eye - the last time I was at East Midlands Parkway, Elite had a stand in the booking hall, something I had never seen before.
 
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