Bristol: Airport Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Aviador]

So happy that the A1 airport flyer now drops people off right in front of the terminal building again, and picks them up there as well. Makes a huge difference in terms of experience. Big thank you to whoever sorted that out.

Now we just need to get the airport flyer back to pre-pandemic frequency which was more like every 6-8 minutes I believe, whereas it's at best every 12 minutes now I think (and that's with a lot more mppa).

Do you think it will be a permanent move or just temporary while the airports transport hub is built?

 

[tpm]

Do you think it will be a permanent move or just temporary while the airports transport hub is built?

I have no insights there, but I would guess that once the new transport hub is open the airport flyer operation will move there as well. At least it will be just a short walk to the terminal across the bridge then, without the need to lug bags up multiple flights of stairs and across a busy road. From the renders it looks like they'll remove the road directly in front of the terminal entirely, including the access gates and bollards, but I'm not sure how accurate those are. The renders also show that the roof of the transport hub is just a little bit too short so that you'd still get soaked if you were to board a bus in the rain. Not that I would be surprised if it did turn out like that in the end.

 

[Jerry]

Would a rail link be possible?

Calls for rail link as Bristol Airport plans to spend £400m on upgrades

Over the past six months the airport has commenced its single largest ever scheme which will transform arriving and departing for every customer.

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[tpm]

Would a rail link be possible?

Of course a (heavy) rail link is possible. There are some challenges (the gradient), but I don't think it's anything that can't be solved one way or another (e.g. build station at lower level with lifts going up or such).

The main challenge is funding. We're probably looking at £150-200m at this point, and the way infrastructure funding works in this country that's just not going to happen.

A heavy rail link has been part of the regional joint transport strategy for eternities, and route options have been drawn up.

However, at the moment it's all about "mass transit" for Bristol, and an airport link is an integral part of that. As part of the mass transit strategic business case study options have been evaluated and eliminated for all the major routes, and all heavy rail options have been eliminated for the route to the airport.

Another thing in the planning seems to be the widening and potential re-alignment of the A38 between South Bristol and the airport ("Bristol South West Economic Link" I think it was called), and I think they would put in a segregated "mass transit" lane at the same time then, which I suspect will initially just be a bus lane, but could be turned into a light rail corridor of some sort later.

 

[Aviador]

Of course a (heavy) rail link is possible. There are some challenges (the gradient), but I don't think it's anything that can't be solved one way or another (e.g. build station at lower level with lifts going up or such).

Another similarity to Leeds Bradford Airport!

 

[Severn]

A great boost to the airport coach services. There’ll be direct coach services now to the southwest, Cheltenham, and Birmingham!

New National Express services to Bristol Airport
National Express has announced plans to enhance services connecting Bristol Airport with Birmingham, Gloucester, Cheltenham Arle Court Park & Ride, and Weston-super-Mare.

From Thursday 12 December 2024, the UK’s largest scheduled coach operator is boosting direct transport for passengers heading to and from Bristol Airport, with over 100 journeys each week.

 

[tpm]

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A1 and A3 Flyer to increase services to Bristol Airport​

...

The frequency of the A1 and A3 Flyer will be increased both during the day and night, seeing more journeys than ever, with seven additional buses added to the fleet.

....

The new timetable, which goes live next month (April), means the Airport can offer customers even more flexibility, no matter what time their flight is departing or arriving. Overall there will be an 88% increase in frequency. It is hoped it will enable more people to use public transport as a means of travelling to and from the Airport.

From Sunday 6 April, the A1 that runs from Bristol Temple Meads via Bedminster will be available every eight minutes from 7am – 7pm, and overnight a bus will be available every 30 minutes.

The A3 which currently runs from Weston-super-Mare via Worle Station, Congresbury and Cleeve will be increasing its services by more than 60% during the day, and by night (7pm – 7am) increasing from 10 services to 16.

A1 busses will be running every 8 minutes (instead of 12) during the day, and half-hourly at night from 6 April, great!

Not sure how much changes at night, sounds like they're just adding two or three addditional services in the wee hours. New timetable not published yet, so can't compare.

Doesn't sound like they're doing anything about the fact that at 7pm the service frequency drops sharply from a bus every 8 minutes to a bus every half hour, which is the same frequency as you'll be getting at 2am, which seems frankly ridiculous for early evenings.

 

[Severn]

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A1 busses will be running every 8 minutes (instead of 12) during the day, and half-hourly at night from 6 April, great!

Not sure how much changes at night, sounds like they're just adding two or three addditional services in the wee hours. New timetable not published yet, so can't compare.

Doesn't sound like they're doing anything about the fact that at 7pm the service frequency drops sharply from a bus every 8 minutes to a bus every half hour, which is the same frequency as you'll be getting at 2am, which seems frankly ridiculous for early evenings.

Great news.
Will this require more busses added to the fleet or will the existing fleet be able to manage?

 

[Severn]

​

A1 busses will be running every 8 minutes (instead of 12) during the day, and half-hourly at night from 6 April, great!

Not sure how much changes at night, sounds like they're just adding two or three addditional services in the wee hours. New timetable not published yet, so can't compare.

Doesn't sound like they're doing anything about the fact that at 7pm the service frequency drops sharply from a bus every 8 minutes to a bus every half hour, which is the same frequency as you'll be getting at 2am, which seems frankly ridiculous for early evenings.

Here's a comparison of the old timetable to the new one. Like you said, busses now run every 8 minutes and the A1 Flyer will now be a proper 24-hour operation.
Here's a link to the new timetable: A1 Flyer Timetable

 

[tpm]

Thanks Severn!

Good frequency increases across the board, including the 7pm to midnight slot I've been complaining about.

 

[Jerry]

Tram or light rail link to Bristol Airport?

Bristol Airport could get tram or rail link

It could be part of a new mass transit network

www.somersetlive.co.uk

 

[tpm]

IIRC they excluded all the "heavy rail" based options from the route option shortlist, so at best it would be light rail I think, at some point in the 2040s. And for starters probably just a metrobus extension.

 

[MrFenner]

Travel chaos in Bristol area as bus drivers strike over pay

Looks to include the airport flyer services too.

 

[t.ash.27]

Travel chaos in Bristol area as bus drivers strike over pay

Looks to include the airport flyer services too.

From what I've heard the flyer contract includes a hefty penalty if it doesn't run. I expect any non striking drivers will be prioritised on these routes

 

[t.ash.27]

New electric buses for the A1 and A3 starting in the new year

Aviation Minister announces that all A1 and A3 Airport Flyer buses will be electric

Bristol Airport will welcome 21 new electric buses in the new year, transforming the A1 and A3 Airport Flyer services operated by First Bus. The investment forms a key part of the Airport’s commitment to reach net zero operations by 2030, with the entire Airport Flyer fleet becoming fully electric.

www.bristolairport.co.uk

 

[BRSflyer]

I don't want to pee in their cornflakes, but if they're the same new electric "Westbus" branded buses that go around the city centre they definitely steam up!

 

[t.ash.27]

New A2 bus service Portishead-Clevedon-Nailsea-Airport. Unfortunately different to the routes in the previous master plan. Can't imagine portishead being popular with a journey that long?