Could Aberdeen airport get small tram or guided bus to link the terminal & rail station?

[snakeeyes]

All Aberdeen airport needs is a small tram or guided bus to link to the Termianl and Railway Station, inside the airport perimeter.

 

[najaB]

All Aberdeen airport needs is a small tram or guided bus to link to the Termianl and Railway Station, inside the airport perimeter.

Why not "Heathrow pods" under the runway?

 

[Jordan Adam]

First Aberdeen operates a Service X27 connecting the railway station with TECA, Airport & Heliports. Although reduced to hourly at the moment the service prior to March 2020 operated every 20 minutes Monday-Saturday daytime and every 30 minutes evening/Sundays.

I don't really see why there would be a need for a guided bus or tram as all this would do is massively inflate costs, a bus service is more than sufficient and the existing road infrastructure copes perfectly fine.

 

[Trainer2]

As mentioned, there was pre COVID a regular bus from the station.

 

[Clansman]

I think enhanced transport links to Aberdeen airport is more for the next few decades, rather than the here and now.

Aberdeen's transport problems centre around it's top heavy dependence on road transport, which will cause some major problems in the next 20 years or so without major transport investments. We have seen that already with the new bypass from Stonehaven being opened, which has effectively put the backburner on any rail projects that could potentially provide solutions to the city's ever problematic capacity problem.

So long as there's road solution, rail in Aberdeen isn't a priority except when it concerns ways to improve the existing network.

I think if a link to Aberdeen airport is to happen, it wouldn't be dedicated to providing the connection to Dyce in it's own right, but rather as part of a wider project such as city centre trams or a refined electric bus network. Either that or Aberdeen airport suddenly sees rapid growth which would justify the link to Dyce, which I can't see happening for decades given the majority of people flying abroad from Aberdeen most likely do so from Glasgow/Edinburgh due to the better offering of budget fares.

I think we're more likely to see a direct link to Peterhead happen before we see any sort of direct rail link between Dyce and the airport.

Though having lived and studied in Aberdeen for a while and had the pleasure of enduring it's public transport, one thing is for sure is that sooner rather than later there will need to be further interventions to ease congestion in the city.

 

[waverley47]

I think enhanced transport links to Aberdeen airport is more for the next few decades, rather than the here and now.

Aberdeen's transport problems centre around it's top heavy dependence on road transport, which will cause some major problems in the next 20 years or so without major transport investments. We have seen that already with the new bypass from Stonehaven being opened, which has effectively put the backburner on any rail projects that could potentially provide solutions to the city's ever problematic capacity problem.

So long as there's road solution, rail in Aberdeen isn't a priority except when it concerns ways to improve the existing network.

I think if a link to Aberdeen airport is to happen, it wouldn't be dedicated to providing the connection to Dyce in it's own right, but rather as part of a wider project such as city centre trams or a refined electric bus network. Either that or Aberdeen airport suddenly sees rapid growth which would justify the link to Dyce, which I can't see happening for decades given the majority of people flying abroad from Aberdeen most likely do so from Glasgow/Edinburgh due to the better offering of budget fares.

I think we're more likely to see a direct link to Peterhead happen before we see any sort of direct rail link between Dyce and the airport.

Though having lived and studied in Aberdeen for a while and had the pleasure of enduring it's public transport, one thing is for sure is that sooner rather than later there will need to be further interventions to ease congestion in the city.

Exactly this. Aberdeen city governance isn't exactly hot on rail or light rail solutions to it's quite extensive congestion problems.

In the hierarchy of transport projects for the region, Peterhead/Fraserburgh are at the top. Redoubling the short single track to the north of Aberdeen is next. New stations along the existing railway is up there.

It is likely that something will happen in future to better connect Dyce to the airport terminal. However, it's not a priority. The only rail based link I could think of that would be cost effective, and therefore attractive to quite a car-friendly council, would be Aberdeen city getting a tram system which just so happens to extend to the airport, which could be a decade away from planning permission of one ever happens.

The airport is a problem, and it's being looked at, but it's just not a priority. The bus does well enough as is, and there just aren't enough passengers making the journey for a pod or shuttle service to work. It's admittedly a shame, but it is what it is.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Exactly this. Aberdeen city governance isn't exactly hot on rail or light rail solutions to it's quite extensive congestion problems.

In the hierarchy of transport projects for the region, Peterhead/Fraserburgh are at the top. Redoubling the short single track to the north of Aberdeen is next. New stations along the existing railway is up there.

It is likely that something will happen in future to better connect Dyce to the airport terminal. However, it's not a priority. The only rail based link I could think of that would be cost effective, and therefore attractive to quite a car-friendly council, would be Aberdeen city getting a tram system which just so happens to extend to the airport, which could be a decade away from planning permission of one ever happens.

The airport is a problem, and it's being looked at, but it's just not a priority. The bus does well enough as is, and there just aren't enough passengers making the journey for a pod or shuttle service to work. It's admittedly a shame, but it is what it is.

A tram system is highly unlikely, it's just impractical as there's not the demand for it. However there are plans for a BRT system running Airport - Portlethen and Bridge Of Don to Westhill. If it ever actually happens is another question entirely...

The key bonus of a BRT system over a Tram is that not only does it cost less while delivering much of the same benefits but it also allows for far greater operational flexibility as buses can join the system wherever they like and are not restricted to wherever tracks have been built.

New 'game-changing' Aberdeen rapid transport proposal to rival £90m Belfast plan

A new plan to “revolutionise” Aberdeen’s public transport system will look to rival a £90 million scheme already underway in Belfast. Transport chiefs

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

New ‘game-changing’ Aberdeen rapid transport proposal to rival £90m Belfast plan​

A new plan to “revolutionise” Aberdeen’s public transport system will look to rival a £90 million scheme already underway in Belfast.

Transport chiefs claim the flagship project, dubbed the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) system, would create “game-changing” public transport for the region – and look to deliver a prioritised, high-frequency tram-like solution for passengers.

North-east transport partnership Nestrans said the scheme would provide four key fast-bus routes linking the airport and P&J Live in the north to Portlethen in the south.

Links from Bridge of Don to Kingswells and Westhill are also being proposed.

It is understood that the project could be the first of its kind in Scotland.

‘Game-changer for public transport in Aberdeen’​

Councillor Sandra Macdonald, chairwoman of Nestrans said: “It’s probably the flagship project in the strategy that we’ve been pulling together.

“This is a real partnership endeavour and if this ambitious project was to move forward it really would be a bit of a game-changer for public transport in Aberdeen.
“Compared to Edinburgh’s tram-system, for example, this is a much more affordable option for a city of our size and could really change the way our city centre works.”

Mrs Macdonald also said the plan was a “key focus” of part of the north-east’s Regional Transport Strategy (RTS), which the Nestrans board approved today.

It will now be submitted to Scottish cabinet secretary for transport Michael Matheson for approval.

It is critical that our public transport offering is attractive, efficient, affordable and can compete with car journey times.”
Councillor Sandra Macdonald

The Belfast project has been described as “a symbol for a modern city in this day in age” and hopes to link communities both in the east and west.

Belfast’s rapid transport system, which will use futuristic Glider buses in dedicated lanes, was initially costed at £80m, but has since swollen to more than £90m.


The north-east transport strategy has been worked up over the past two years.

Mrs Macdonald added: “A key focus of the next RTS is to achieve a 50:50 mode split between car journeys and sustainable options such as public transport, walking and cycling.

“It is critical that our public transport offering is attractive, efficient, affordable and can compete with car journey times.

“Aberdeen Rapid Transit is part of an aspirational package of over 100 proposals in the strategy which aim to improve journey efficiencies, improve safety and enable access for all.”

 

[Sycamore]

They were talking about it here, has a picture of a possible route.

Ambitious plans for new £70million train line to Aberdeen Airport and AECC

City council chiefs have unveiled ambitious £70million plans for a rail link to the airport and new exhibition and conference centre. This artist's

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

I've been in Aberdeen a lot recently and the transport links to the airport are not good. The bus to the centre is too slow.

To get from Dyce station to the airport you need to take a taxi and taxis are very unreliable in Aberdeen, not enough of them. They did have a bus service years ago but it doesn't run anymore.

With the vast amount of oil and gas money that has flowed through Aberdeen they should have a better transport link to the airport.

In a direct line it is only half a mile from the Aberdeen airport terminal to the Dyce station, they could have some PRT system in a direct tunnel under the runway. Or even just have a pedestrian tunnel as that distance is walkable.

They could also a tram-train like the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn that goes from the Airport to the city centre with a stop near the TECA and uses the heavy rail line, but branches off towards the airport like the image shows in the P&J article. One tram-train could just shuttle backwards and forth from the Dyce station to the airport.

A tram-train could be eventually extended on out with stations at the likes of Kingwells and Westhill, getting more cars off the road and getting more middle class people from these areas spending money in the city centre.

The vast majority of the land that a tram-train could use has nothing built on it and it could be completely segregated from car traffic, so wouldn't face the same problems the Edinburgh trams have.

You might get a lot of people using the vast parking at the airport as a park and ride, they could park there and take a short tram-train ride into the city centre, it would take a lot of traffic off the road.

'It was like getting microwaved': Aberdeen Airport passenger describes 40-minute taxi queue in hot tunnel

Passengers have complained about the "horrific" conditions due to the heat in the tunnel.

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

Taxi situation in Aberdeen is really bad as that recent article highlights. Think there is a jack of taxis in Aberdeen due to there being plenty of other jobs people can do.

A tram-train from the Airport around to Dyce station and another route from Airport to City Center (partly using the main rail line) would help things a lot.