Wikipedia

Airport rail link

Also found in: Acronyms.
"Airport Express Train" redirects here. For other uses, see Airport Express Train (disambiguation).
For stations named "Airport", see Airport Station.
A Haruka Train to Osaka's Kansai International Airport

An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city by mainline or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover, or light rail. Direct links operate straight to the airport terminal, while other systems require an intermediate use of people mover or shuttle bus.

Although airport rail links have been popular solutions in Europe and Japan for decades, only recently have links been constructed in North America, Oceania, and the rest of Asia. Advantages for the rider include faster travel time and easy interconnection with other public transport, while authorities have benefited from less highway and parking congestion, less pollution, and additional business opportunities. Additionally, the links benefit airports by drawing in more passengers via easy access.

Connection types

Mass transit

Capital Airport Express, Beijing Subway
Toronto's Union Pearson Express links the city centre with the airport, but also has intermediate stations. This has made it a popular premium alternative for local commuters.

For airports built within or close to the city limits, extending mass transit urban rail systems like rapid transit or light rail to airport terminals allows full integration with other public transport in the city, and seamless transport to all parts of town. Service frequency will be high, although travel time is a drawback as the services make many intermediate stops before reaching the city center and thus there may not be enough space for the baggage commonly carried by airport-bound passengers. Furthermore, luggage stowing facilities are not commonly found on mass transit vehicles as their primary objective is to provide high-capacity transport, as in the Airport & South Line in Sydney, Australia. A common solution involves building a separate people mover from a mass transit station to the airport terminal (see below), often using automated systems, allowing faster travel time and fare discrimination, for instance Orlyval. Because they are solely dedicated to passengers using the airport, luggage stowing facilities are more likely to appear on these systems.

The first rapid transit station to connect an airport with a mass transit system was the Berlin U-Bahn's Paradestraße station which opened in 1927 as Flughafen (Airport) and was built to provide direct access to Berlin Tempelhof Airport. The connection between Tempelhof Airport and the Berlin U-Bahn at Paradestraße was however revoked in 1937 and the preceding station Platz der Luftbrücke was instead granted that connection and remained so until Tempelhof Airport's closure in 2008. Other early examples of mass transit stations located at airports include the MBTA Blue Line's Airport station which is situated at Boston's Logan International Airport and opened for service in 1952 and rebuilt in 2004, and Cleveland RTA Rapid Transit Red Line's Cleveland Hopkins International Airport station which opened in 1968 and rebuilt in 1994, although Cleveland's rapid transit is considered the first direct airport-to-downtown rapid transit system in the Western Hemisphere. Boston's Blue Line requires a short bus transfer from the airport rail station to the airport terminal.

Mainline rail

Frankfurt Airport long-distance station

Dedicated railway lines to airports have become popular since the 1980s. In many cases, there are stations at the airport terminal(s) for express, intercity and commuter trains, allowing direct travel to the check-in halls. In most cases, this solution requires the building of new track, whether it is a newly built main line or a branch (spur) line from an existing main line.

A cheaper option is to open a new station on an existing line, again connected to the airport by people mover or shuttle bus (see below). While this option is commonly chosen to reduce construction costs, it is only feasible when the station is located within proximity to the airport itself. Some early examples of mainline rail stations built to serve an airport are Don Mueang Station (which opened in 1898 in Don Mueang District and which happens to be located opposite Don Mueang International Airport opened for commercial flights in 1924), Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen station (which opened in 1951 and served Berlin Schönefeld Airport until 2020 and now Terminal 5 of Berlin Brandenburg airport), Gatwick Airport railway station (of which its first incarnation was opened in 1891 to serve a nearby racecourse and was later rebuilt to directly serve Gatwick Airport in 1958), Brussels National Airport railway station (which opened in 1958 and serves Brussels Airport) and Frankfurt Airport regional station (which opened in 1972 and is one of the two railway stations that serve Frankfurt Airport).

Integration with intercity services has produced alliances where airlines sell air tickets that include the connecting rail service. Central Europe has seen integration of high-speed rail into airports, with domestic and international TGV services from Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2 TGV in Paris and ICE services from Frankfurt Airport long-distance station. Because of this, many airport railway stations have received IATA codes.

Yet another option for airports is to use a high-speed "airport express" train to the city centre, especially if the airport is outside the urban area and some way from the mass transit system, but a direct downtown service is required, such as Flytoget serving Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. There are various ways this can be done: it may operate on a combination of existing and newly built mainline rail or mass transit track using a dedicated fleet of rolling stock designed for airport service. These solutions often have the drawback of lower frequencies (e.g. twice per hour), and often charge a premium fare higher than other services, but are more likely to have luxury features such as luggage racks, power outlets, Wi-Fi, and washrooms.

Most dedicated railways use mainline trains and trackage, while mass transit "airport express" lines are usually found in Asia, as in the case of the Airport Express Line in Hong Kong. Other airports, such as Heathrow Airport, are served by both express trains and mass transit.

Shuttle

In many cases, there is no train station directly at the airport, usually because the infrastructure on which the service operates makes it impractical to build such a station. When this happens, a shuttle system is required for the last part of the journey; using either a people mover (often automated, such as AirTrain JFK in New York City) or a bus. The former allows low operating costs and higher perceived quality; the latter does not require specialized infrastructure to be built, and is often the preferred choice at smaller or low-cost airports. Shuttles do not provide a direct connection, and often involve a wait for a transfer to the next stage of the journey. Thus their market shares are often lower.

In some airports, such as San Francisco International Airport, the rail link may not serve some or all of the terminals or concourses directly; passengers using terminals that lack such connections must use a people mover or airport circulator to access their terminal. These circulators typically also serve parking lots, and sometimes airport hotels and off-site car rental locations.

Current examples

Main-line or commuter rail

Commuter rail-type service directly from a city centre to the airport, without needing to change trains and sometimes without intermediate stops.

Africa

Asia

Airport Express train, Hong Kong

Europe

The Heathrow Express runs non-stop from Paddington station to Heathrow Airport
A BM71 Airport Express train of Flytoget at Oslo Central Station

North America

Union Pearson Express station in downtown Toronto

Oceania

Brisbane Airport Airtrain services Brisbane and the Gold Coast

South America

  • Buenos Aires El Palomar Airport, operative between 2017 and 2020, is served by San Martín Line's El Palomar station.
  • São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport via CPTM Line 13

Light rail or metro

Many cities also provide a link to their airports through their rapid transit or light rail systems, which, unlike express trains, often make numerous stops on the way to the airport. At some airports, such as O'Hare in Chicago or Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, the rapid transit train only visits one terminal or concourse; passengers must transfer to an airport circulator (people mover system) to reach other terminals or concourses.

Africa

Asia

KMRT's Kaohsiung International Airport Station

Europe

Copenhagen Metro has unmanned trains.

North America

A Baltimore Light Rail vehicle at BWI's international terminal

South America

Rail to airport people mover

BART Coliseum–Oakland International Airport line in the background

A hybrid solution adopted in some cities is a direct rail connection to an airport train station instead of to the airport itself. At the airport train station, the passenger switches to a people mover or other train that goes to the airport terminals. The same system can also serve passengers moving between different terminals and traveling between the terminals and car rental lots or parking areas. Several very large airports have rail stations near some terminals, but people movers are used by many to get to some other terminals. Examples: Paris Charles de Gaulle and Oakland.

Asia

Europe

North America

Rail to bus to airport

See also: Airport bus

Another common arrangement requires the passenger to take a train (or metro) to a railway station (usually) near the airport and then switch to a bus that goes to the airport terminals. Most medium and large size airports have bus connections from the inner city. This list only contains connections by bus from a railway station strongly associated, by branding or by name, with the airport.

Asia

Europe

  • Aberdeen Airport, Scotland via Dyce railway station and 80 Dyce Airlink shuttle bus. In addition to linking the airport with Aberdeen, Dyce railway station also provides direct connections to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, as well as intermediate stations on those lines.
  • EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg via BVB's no. 50 shuttle bus from Basel SBB railway station (Swiss exit), and via distribus bus No. 11 from SNCF's Saint-Louis railway station (French exit).
  • Bristol Airport, England, by frequent express bus from Bristol Temple Meads railway station
  • Bucharest's Henri Coandă International Airport via P.O. Aeroport Station, located about 900 m from the airport, and a shuttle bus timed to offer connections with all trains (every half-hour). Combo (bus plus train) tickets are sold under the 'Henri Coanda Express' brand.
  • Cardiff International Airport, Wales via Transport for Wales services and a frequent shuttle bus from Cardiff International Airport Station.
  • Carlisle Lake District Airport offered a connecting bus shuttle between Carlisle railway station and the terminal, with the service withdrawn during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Glasgow International Airport via shuttle bus from Paisley Gilmour Street railway station
  • Liverpool John Lennon Airport via regular shuttle bus services from Liverpool South Parkway
  • London Luton Airport via shuttle bus from Luton Airport Parkway railway station, with works currently underway for a People Mover upgrade.
  • Marseille Provence Airport via free shuttles to Marseille Provence Airport train station, which is used by Transport express régional trains.
  • Moscow Sheremetyevo, buses and minibuses from the metro station Rechnoi Vokzal and Planernaya
  • Moscow Domodedovo, buses and minibuses from the metro station Domodedovskaya
  • Moscow Vnukovo, buses and minibuses from the metro stations Yugo-Zapadnaya and Oktyabrskaya
  • Moscow Zhukovsky International Airport is served by frequent buses from the terminal to Otdykh railway station.
  • Sandefjord Airport (and until 2016 the now closed Moss Airport) in Norway has free shuttle buses to a nearby regional railway station.
  • Paris Orly airport, via shuttle bus to Pont de Rungis – Aéroport d'Orly
  • Rotterdam The Hague Airport via shuttle bus to Meijersplein RandstadRail station
  • St. Petersburg Pulkovo, minibuses from the metro station Moskovskaya
  • Warsaw Modlin Airport is connected by Koleje Mazowieckie, with frequent buses from the airport to Modlin railway station.

North America

Discontinued services

South America

  • São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport via shuttle bus (free of charge) to CPTM Line 13 – Jade at Aeroporto-Guarulhos station. Additionally, one can use Airport Bus Service (paid shuttle bus lines) to reach many different rail stations across the city, including Tatuapé station (access to lines 3 – Red, 11 – Coral and 12 – Sapphire) and Portuguesa-Tietê station (line 1 – Blue), even though at higher fares.
  • Porto Alegre – Salgado Filho Airport via Porto Alegre Metro to Downtown Porto Alegre – São Leopoldo.
  • Recife – Guararapes–Gilberto Freyre Airport via Recife Metro to Downtown Recife – Camaragibe.

Oceania

Proposed airport rail links

Other cities are considering airport rail link services.

Africa

Asia

Europe

  • Alicante Airport is to be connected by a spur of the commuter line between Alicante and Elche around 2025.
  • Belgrade Airport is to be connected with city via airport express bus.[15] Airport is currently connected with public transport's line 72,[16] but it runs on every 30–40 minutes and ride is around 60 to 90 minutes long. There are also plans for constructing rail link.[17]
  • Berlin Brandenburg International Airport is proposed to be linked to U7 (Berlin subway) in the future.[18][19][20]
  • Bristol Airport – in July 2016 a report was produced outlining proposals to improve access from the city to the airport, including a light or heavy rail link.[21]
  • Bucharest Otopeni Airport to be linked via Bucharest Metro Line M6 to the Bucharest Metro network[22][23]
  • Ciudad Real Airport has an agreement with Adif to build a station in the nearby Madrid-Sevilla high-speed and Ciudad Real-Badajoz rail lines providing a fast link to Ciudad Real, Puertollano, Madrid and Córdoba.
  • Dublin Airport in Dublin, Ireland is one of the main destinations of the (in planning) Dublin Metro.
  • EuroAirport (serving Basel and Mulhouse, France) is proposed to be linked to the railway network via de:Flughafenbahnhof EuroAirport as well as an extension of the Basel tram network already serving nearby Saint Louis (Haut Rhin)
  • A new underground rail station is planned at Göteborg Landvetter Airport as part of the new Gothenburg-Borås rail link.[24]
  • There are talks of reopening part of a rail line crossing the Hunsrück-mountains to connect Hahn airport to the rail network with construction starting by 2016[25] This is delayed.
  • A number of additional transport proposals for London Heathrow Airport are being considered
  • Helsinki Airport via Lentorata
  • Luxembourg Airport via an extension of the existing tram system
  • Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport via new CDG Express service, operated by SNCF, to Gare de l'Est.
  • Prague Ruzyně Airport, proposed in 2008[26]
  • Riga International Airport via Rail Baltica.
  • Stockholm Skavsta Airport will gain a high-speed rail link as part of the East Link Project.[27]
  • Stuttgart 21 is set to include a high-speed railway station for Stuttgart Airport. Likewise Stuttgart Stadtbahn is being extended to the airport
  • Tbilisi International Airport via Tbilisi Metro
  • Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza via a spur off the Durrës–Tiranë railway
  • Wrocław–Copernicus Airport is planned to get an underground station below the airport, to be finished around 2010–2015. This is delayed.

North America

Oceania

  • Auckland, New Zealand
    • Auckland Airport via the Auckland Airport Line or the proposed Auckland Light Rail
  • Gold Coast, Australia
    • There has been numerous proposals to extend the Gold Coast railway line and/or the Gold Coast light rail to the Gold Coast Airport.[33]
  • Melbourne, Australia:
    • Melbourne Airport – Proposed rail connection between Melbourne's CBD and Melbourne Airport. The most recent proposal, is in the planning stages and proposed to begin construction in 2022 and open in 2031.
    • Avalon Airport – In 2014, land reservation was set aside for a future branch line off the Geelong line near Lara Station to Avalon Airport, and funding for preliminary planning was provided for in the Victorian state budget.[34]
  • Perth, Australia:
    • Perth Airport, Perth via Forrestfield-Airport Line – Construction began in 2016 and is expected to be complete in 2021.
  • Western Sydney Airport via the Sydney Metro's Western Sydney Airport line in 2026

See also

References

  1. ^ "A ride to the airport on Phnom Penh's latest mode of public transport". The Phnom Penh Post. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  2. ^ [1] Archived 10 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ [2] Archived 2 July 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ http://www.railway.ge/en/traffic-general-schedule/
  5. ^ "Travel by tram". Transport for Greater Manchester. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  6. ^ "connecting airline". Continental.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  7. ^ "(TRE) Travel to DFW Airport". Trinity Railway Express. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  8. ^ "LA Metro Home". Mta.net. 22 April 2010. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  9. ^ Amtrak California Archived 5 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 August 2005. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  11. ^ "Mitchell Airport Railroad Station – Wisconsin Department of Transportation". Dot.wisconsin.gov. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  12. ^ "Public Transportation". www.san.org. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  13. ^ "Transportation Industry: Egyptian National Railways – Egypt". International Railway Journal. Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. October 2001. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  14. ^ "MRT 7 Airport Express". www.ppp.gov.ph. Public-Private Partnership Center. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  15. ^ Serbian:"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  16. ^ Serbian: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  17. ^ [3]
  18. ^ https://www.morgenpost.de/berlin/article215847355/U-Bahn-Der-Ausbau-der-U7-rueckt-ein-Stueck-naeher.html
  19. ^ https://m.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/ihk-fuer-schnellen-ausbau-des-u-bahn-netzes-mit-der-u7-zum-ber/25614034.html
  20. ^ https://www.airliners.de/erste-zahlen-studie-bahn-verlaengerung-ber/54081
  21. ^ https://bysky.aero/articles/pdf/bristol-south-west-economic-link-option-development-report.pdf
  22. ^ https://www.romania-insider.com/expropriations-bucharest-airport-metro-line/
  23. ^ https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/metrorex-and-jica-negotiate-the-financing-of-bucharest-metro-line-6-extension/
  24. ^ "Gothenburg-Borås Project" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  25. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  26. ^ Railway Gazette International July 2008 403.
  27. ^ "Where the future begins: Ostlänken - The East Link Project" (PDF). Swedish Transportation Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  28. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  29. ^ "PORT AUTHORITY BOARD APPROVES HISTORIC $27.6 BILLION 10-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN THAT FOCUSES THE AGENCY ON ITS CORE TRANSPORTATION MISSION". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 19 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  30. ^ "PANYNJ Proposed Capital Plan 2017–2026" (PDF). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  31. ^ Kirby, Jen (5 January 2017). "New York City's Second-Worst Airport Might Also Get an Upgrade". Daily Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  32. ^ "Metrolinx, GTAA sign cost-sharing agreement to study improved transit-airport connections". Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Gold Coast City Transport Strategy 2031" (PDF). City of Gold Coast. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  34. ^ "Avalon Airport rail link". Minister for Public Transport, Victoria. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.

External links

This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by its online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information, please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.