AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
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captainch
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AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by captainch »

Think its about time to bring back the AIRPORT EXPRESS BUSES. Having to pay $80 dollars to go 3 stations domestic station to central 2 ADULTS 2 KIDS on a A.M peak hour train standing with luggage & workers packed like sardines ......Bring back the old AIRPORT EXPRESS BUSES a great service that was sold of to the private companys we allready had the stations .....
Last edited by captainch on Thu Jan 30, 2020 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by moa999 »

Early leader for most pointless thread of 2020
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boronia
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by boronia »

It was all the mini shuttle buses that helped kill off the AE, as much as the train. They are still there and fares not much cheaper the train
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by BroadGauge »

The more logical thing would just be to reduce or eliminate the surcharge for the airport stations.

It really does seem ridiculous that my journey from Central - Campbelltown - Moss Vale a few Sunday mornings ago, taking 2.5 hours, only cost me $2.80, whilst for the airport passengers who made up the vast majority of people on my train leaving Central at 7:30am, the cost of the journey would have been $17.39 :shock:
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by moa999 »

I view the surcharge as more of a full cost recovery.
Remember the train network cost recovery is something around 25%.

Most places with airport rail have some form of a surcharge or special service that is more expensive on a per km basis than other modes in the city.
Singapore an exception.

Its more ridiculous that you were only charged $2.80 for that Central-Moss Vale journey
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by boronia »

It is a full cost recovery - for the owners/operators of the stations.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by captainch »

moa999 wrote:Early leader for most pointless thread of 2020
you sure are! happy new year.I was waiting for the bit but you traveled FREE but see you get that for going to war & fighting for your country. I suppose you object to that to?????
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by stajourneyman »

I think you will find that the Airport Express was deliberately killed off by Government interference.

The service had been provided by the STA since around 1983 and operated out of Port Botany depot.

It operated for about 16 to 18 hours per day and ran seven days per week.

The bright yellow/blue/black ...(updated into yellow and green) livery vehicles were extremely popular with interstate and international travellers.

Once the new Airport Rail link was built and commenced, it was still business as usual for the Airport Express operation.

The buses were still crowded, whilst the rail link was largely carrying fresh air (insofar as boarding/alighting passengers at the new stations was concerned).

The private owners of the rail link cracked the sooks on a grand scale and threatened the NSW Government with legal action for overestimating the potential loadings.

Enter Andrew Constance :roll: ...err... Bob Carr ... in a breathtaking act of arrogance, ..and whooshka..... 'due to lack of patronage :roll: as of next week the Airport Express will cease operation.

Bang ! ..that's how you kill off a much loved service for a purely political reason.
Last edited by stajourneyman on Tue Jan 14, 2020 9:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by Fleet Lists »

stajourneyman wrote:
The private owners of the rail link cracked the sooks on a grand scale and threatened the NSW Government with legal action for underestimating the potential loadings.
I think underestimating should be overestimating.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by boronia »

Fleet Lists wrote:
stajourneyman wrote:
The private owners of the rail link cracked the sooks on a grand scale and threatened the NSW Government with legal action for underestimating the potential loadings.
I think underestimating should be overestimating.
The "potential loadings" might have been correct. I wonder if the operator factored in the public backlash to their high surcharge, which is probably what kept people away?
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by tonyp »

When you invest in a major new piece of rail infrastructure you typically don't keep the service/s that it's supposed to replace running. That's defeating the purpose of the investment. The situation with the airport line is I guess somewhat analogous with the present situation with CSELR where the buses are still running until they bring the new system up to scratch. The airport line remains hampered as long as there is such a stiff surcharge on it and that perhaps warrants some continuation of an affordable alternative. However, what has changed since the Airport Express is all those mini shuttle buses. They're providing the alternative that would have eventually defeated the Airport Express even if it had continued operating.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by boronia »

My job back in the 1990s had me working out of the airport terminals on a daily basis, so I was able to take particular notice of transportation trends. It was obvious back them that the shuttles were eroding the AE patronage. As well as KST, which was semi organised with their own sales booths, there were over 50 independents touting for business before people even got to the AE stand.

For anyone not familiar with Sydney (or any city), a door to door service (for the same price) is probably more reassuring than being dumped at a bus top that could be some distance away from your destination.

Interesting story was that one of the AE drivers/Q conductors got the sack when management found out he actually owned a couple of the shuttles. I knew him quite well, and he certainly didn't make any obvious attempt to deflect AE customers.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by kypros1992 »

stajourneyman wrote:I think you will find that the Airport Express was deliberately killed off by Government interference.

The service had been provided by the STA since around 1983 and operated out of Port Botany depot.

It operated for about 16 to 18 hours per day and ran seven days per week.

The bright yellow/blue/black ...(updated into yellow and green) livery vehicles were extremely popular with interstate and international travellers.

Once the new Airport Rail link was built and commenced, it was still business as usual for the Airport Express operation.

The buses were still crowded, whilst the rail link was largely carrying fresh air (insofar as boarding/alighting passengers at the new stations was concerned).

The private owners of the rail link cracked the sooks on a grand scale and threatened the NSW Government with legal action for overestimating the potential loadings.

Enter Andrew Constance :roll: ...err... Bob Carr ... in a breathtaking act of arrogance, ..and whooshka..... 'due to lack of patronage :roll: as of next week the Airport Express will cease operation.

Bang ! ..that's how you kill off a much loved service for a purely political reason.
STA Media release 2003:
The Airport Express operated its last service from Sydney Airport on Saturday 10 May. Travellers can travel to and from the city on the AirportLink rail service.

The Airport Express had been an outstanding success over much of its 21 years of operation, but the AirportLink rail service is now the main carrier for passengers to and from the city.
Patronage of the Airport Express has declined since the faster AirportLink has established. Continuing to run the Airport Express would mean an unnecessary duplication of services.
Before it ended, the fare was $7.00 one way and $11.00 for AirportLink
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by lunchbox »

Just do what everybody else who doesn't have time to waste on internet posts does -
Interchage between the Airport Line and the 400 bus at Mascot Station.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by boronia »

As far as tourists are concerned, they spend hundreds/thousands of dollars each on air fares, departure taxes, and holidays with a lot of "wastage", yet complain about $15 for the train ride to/from the airport. Business travellers can write it off as a travel expense.

Staff working at the airport get a pretty good deal with the weekly cap.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by neilrex »

Those shuttle buses were and are popular, even when the airport bus was running, for several obvious reasons. They went to places like Redfern Glebe and Rushcutters Bay where a lot of tourists wanted to go, both backpacker types and regular tourists, many of which would have been a confusing nightmare to get to with Sydney's disjointed transport system. They are/were popular to many areas which don't have train services. Or have train services but no accessible way of getting the last two kilometres. And, prohi8bitively expensive taxis compared to most overseas places.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by moa999 »

For comparison most of the shuttles (eg. KST) are $18 for 11+ now, so not much different to the train.

I've taken one once and never again.. spent 30min picking up other people before finally heading to the airport the slow way.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by thunderbird »

boronia wrote: Staff working at the airport get a pretty good deal with the weekly cap.
I disagree.

I make 3-4 return trips a week to the airport for work (full time) and I pay $1500 a year more, $31 per week, than if I travelled to the CBD.

Hardly a good deal, but unfortunately the best means of getting to the domestic airport. Travelling past the airport to mascot to take the 400 bus back adds 20-30 mins to the commute, time I could be spending with my family, so regrettably I suck it up and pay the $31 extra a week.

Does that make it fair but given our main customers are government employees getting their transport paid for them?
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by jacko1958 »

boronia wrote:Interesting story was that one of the AE drivers/Q conductors got the sack when management found out he actually owned a couple of the shuttles. I knew him quite well, and he certainly didn't make any obvious attempt to deflect AE customers.
I think you will find he ended up at Kingsgrove depot where he worked till he retired..
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by Newcastle Flyer »

Captianch, Route 400 or 420, and if you stay at an accommodation places, they may have discounted fares to use an airport bus.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by Swift »

moa999 wrote:Early leader for most pointless thread of 2020
20 replies and counting, many a good read and you get all the thanks, including from the OP you lambasted.

I'll never understand most members here.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by moa999 »

None on topic though.

I'm sure a thread
"All Pensioners to get Free Maserati's" would get plenty of comments too, and it's got about the same chance of happening.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by Swift »

How is discussion on how the Airport Express came to cease off topic? This thread was a great start to 2020 I say.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by captainch »

you will be pleased to know my self AND BETTER HALF she traveled for $2.50 and myself veteran free by train from maitland to central train then train to bondi junct then bus to airport! and it took a little longer but saved the airport extra fee.. also showed 5 tourists how to do it as well.they got to see a bit more of SYDNEY.
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Re: AIRPORT EXPRESS BUS

Post by moa999 »

Hope you didn't cause anyone to miss their flight

Mascot for Domestic
Or Banksia/Rockdale for International
Would be much quicker in future.
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