Airport rail link

An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport between an airport and a nearby city. Direct links operate straight from the airport terminal to the city, while other links require an intermediate use of a people mover or shuttle bus. Advantages for the passenger include faster travel times and easy connections with other public transport. Advantages for the airport include increased patronage and enhanced accessibility for staff. Additionally, authorities have benefitted from less highway congestion, less pollution, and more business opportunities.

History

Although airport rail links have been a popular solution in Europe and Japan for decades, only recently have links been constructed in North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, and the rest of Asia.

Some early examples of inter-city railway stations built to serve an airport include:

Station	Country	Opened	Details
Don Mueang	Thailand	1898	Serves Don Mueang International Airport which opened in 1924
Schönefeld (bei Berlin)	Germany	1951	Served Berlin Schönefeld Airport, later served Berlin Brandenburg Airport Terminal 5
Gatwick Airport	United Kingdom	1958	Rebuilt to directly serve Gatwick Airport^[1]
Brussels Airport-Zaventem	Belgium	1958	Serves Brussels Airport
Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Regionalbahnhof	Germany	1972	Serves Frankfurt Airport

The first rapid transit station to connect with an airport was Berlin's U-Bahn U6 Paradestraße station which opened in 1927 as Flughafen (lit. 'airport') and was built to provide direct access to Berlin Tempelhof Airport. However, the connection was removed in 1937 and the preceding Platz der Luftbrücke station was instead granted the connection and remained so until Berlin Tempelhof Airport's closure in 2008.

Other early examples of rapid transit stations connecting with airports include Boston's MBTA Blue Line Airport station which opened in 1952 (rebuilt in 2004), and Cleveland's RTA Rapid Transit Red Line Cleveland Hopkins International Airport station which opened in 1968 (rebuilt in 1994). Boston's link requires a short shuttle bus transfer from the station to the airport terminal,^{[citation needed]} whilst Cleveland's link is considered the first direct service in the Western Hemisphere.^[2]^[3]

Tokyo Monorail, which opened in 1964 as Japan's first airport rail link, had its original southern terminus underneath the old domestic terminal of Haneda Airport. When Haneda Airport was expanded onto landfill reclaimed from Tokyo Bay in the 1980s–2010s, the monorail was extended to the new terminals as well, with the original southern terminus later renamed as Tenkūbashi Station.^[4]

Connection types

High-speed rail and inter-city rail

A high-speed or inter-city service provides direct travel between an airport and its surrounding cities. This solution usually requires the building of new track, whether it is a newly built main line or a branch (spur) line. These services often have premium fares, lower frequencies (e.g. every 30 minutes) and luxury features (e.g. luggage racks, power outlets, Wi-Fi, bathrooms).

Integration with high-speed and inter-city services has produced alliances where airlines sell tickets that include the connecting rail service. Parts of Europe have seen integration of high-speed rail stations into airports, with domestic and international TGV services from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and ICE services from Frankfurt Airport. Because of this, some stations have received IATA codes.

Regional rail and commuter rail

A regional or commuter "airport express" service provides direct travel between an airport and its city centre. This solution is often used where the airport is outside the urban area and some way from the mass transit system but a direct downtown service is required. There are various ways this can be achieved: it may operate on a combination of existing or newly built mainline rail track using a dedicated fleet of rolling stock designed for airport service. Similarly to high-speed and inter-city services, these services often have premium fares, lower frequencies and luxury features.

Rapid transit and light rail

For airports built within or close to the city limits, extending rapid transit or light rail to the airport allows seamless transport to suburbs and full integration with other lines. These services usually have a higher frequency (e.g. every 5 minutes) but longer travel times due to the service making many intermediate stops between the airport and the city centre. Additionally, there may not be enough space for baggage commonly carried by airport-bound passengers. Luggage stowing facilities are not commonly found on rapid transit or light rail vehicles as their primary objective is to provide high-capacity service.

Rail to people mover

A hybrid solution adopted in some cities is a direct link to an airport railway station connected to a people mover. The passenger transfers from the railway station to the people mover which then completes the journey to the airport terminal. While this option is commonly chosen to reduce construction costs, it is only feasible when a rail line is near the airport. Some airports, such as San Francisco International Airport, are directly served by an airport rail link to some terminals but not others. In such cases, passengers using terminals that lack a direct connection must use a people mover to access their terminal. People movers typically also serve parking lots, airport hotels and off-site car rental facilities. People movers are seen to have a higher perceived quality compared to a shuttle bus.

Rail to shuttle bus

Another hybrid solution is a direct link to an airport railway station connected to a shuttle bus. The passenger transfers from the railway station to the shuttle bus which then completes the journey to the airport terminal. A shuttle bus requires no specialised infrastructure, and is often the preferred choice at smaller or low-cost airports. Shuttle buses may involve a wait for a transfer to the next stage of the journey and often suffer from lower perceived quality and market share compared to direct connections.

Current examples

High-speed rail and inter-city rail

Examples include Schipol Airport station to other Dutch cities, Zürich Flughafen station to other Swiss cities, and Daxing Airport station to other Chinese cities.

Regional rail and commuter rail

Examples include the Airport Rail Link between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Bangkok, the Narita Express between Narita International Airport and Tokyo, the Union Pearson Express between Toronto Pearson International Airport and Toronto, and the Leonardo Express between Leonardo da Vinci–Rome Fiumicino Airport and Rome.

Rapid transit and light rail

Examples include the East–West Line between Changi Airport station and Singapore, the Silver Line between Washington Dulles International Airport station and Washington, D.C., the Canada Line between YVR-Airport station and Vancouver, and the Orange Line between DFW Airport Terminal A station and Dallas.

Rail to people mover

Examples include Soekarno–Hatta International Airport via Soekarno–Hatta Airport Skytrain to/from SHIA station, London Luton Airport via Luton DART to/from Luton Airport Parkway station, and Paris Orly Airport via Orlyval to/from Antony station.

Rail to shuttle bus

Examples include Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport via shuttle bus to/from Zhengding Airport station, Salvador Bahia Airport via shuttle bus to/from Aeroporto station, and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport via shuttle bus to/from Milwaukee Airport station.

References

^ "1958: Queen opens revamped Gatwick". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
^ "Urban Transportation". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
^ Hritz, Thomas M. (16 November 1968). "Rails Link Cleveland To Airport". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 3. Retrieved 1 November 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ 天空橋見上げれば広がる青い空. Nikkei Shimbun. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.

[1] "1958: Queen opens revamped Gatwick". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 January 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2024.

[2] "Urban Transportation". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved 1 November 2024.

[3] Hritz, Thomas M. (16 November 1968). "Rails Link Cleveland To Airport". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 3. Retrieved 1 November 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] 天空橋見上げれば広がる青い空. Nikkei Shimbun. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Commercial aviation
Airlines	Airline codes Airline holding companies Cargo airline Charter airlines Flag carriers Low-cost airlines Non-scheduled airline Passenger airlines Regional airlines
Alliances	Oneworld SkyTeam Star Alliance Value Alliance Vanilla Alliance U-FLY Alliance
Trade groups	International ACO ATAG IATA IATAN IFALPA ISTAT United States A4A RAA Europe A4E ASD ECA EBAA ERA ETWF Other regions AACO AAPA AFRAA RAAA
Aircrew	Pilot in command (Captain) First officer Second officer Third officer Relief crew Flight attendant Flight engineer Loadmaster Aircraft pilot Purser Dead mileage
Airliner	Travel class First class Business class Premium economy class Economy class Basic economy class Aircraft cabin Aircraft lavatory Aircraft seat map Airline meal Airline seat Buy on board Crew rest compartment In-flight entertainment Inflight smoking Galley Sickness bag
Airport	Aerodrome Airline hub Airport check-in Airport lounge Airport rail link Airport terminal Airside pass Airstair Boarding Domestic airport Gate International airport Jet bridge Low-cost carrier terminal Runway Transit hotel
Customs / Immigration	Arrival card Border control (internal) Departure card Passport Timatic Travel document Travel visa (Electronic)
Environmental effects	Hypermobility Environmental effects of aviation
Law	Air transport agreement Air route authority between the United States and China Bermuda Agreement (UK–US, 1946–1978) Bermuda II Agreement (UK–US, 1978–2008) Cross-strait charter Beijing Convention Cape Town Treaty Chicago Convention Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives European Common Aviation Area Flight permit Freedoms of the air EU–US Open Skies Agreement Hague Hijacking Convention Hague Protocol Montreal Convention Paris Convention of 1919 Rome Convention Sabotage Convention Tokyo Convention Warsaw Convention
Intergovernmental organizations	ICAO ECAC Eurocontrol EASA ENCASIA
Baggage	Bag tag Baggage allowance Baggage carousel Baggage cart Baggage reclaim Baggage handler Baggage handling system Baggage sizer Checked baggage Hand luggage Lost luggage (WorldTracer) Luggage lock
Aviation safety	Air rage Air traffic control Air traffic service Aircraft safety card Airport authority Airport crash tender Airport police Airport security Airspace class Area control center Brace position Civil aviation authority Control area Control zone Controlled airspace Evacuation slide Flight information region Flight information service Flight recorder Instrument flight rules Overwing exits Pre-flight safety demonstration Sky marshal Special use airspace Special visual flight rules Terminal control area Terminal control center Uncontrolled airspace Upper information region Visual flight rules
Airline tickets	Airline booking ploys Airline reservations system Airline ticket Airline timetable Bereavement flight Boarding pass Codeshare agreement Continent pass Electronic ticket Fare basis code Flight cancellation and delay Frequent-flyer program Government contract flight One-way travel Open-jaw ticket Overbooking (Overselling) Passenger name record Red-eye flight Round-the-world ticket Standby Tracking Travel agency Travel website
Ground crew	Aircraft maintenance technician Aircraft ground handling Baggage handler Flight dispatcher
Miscellaneous	Air cargo Air travel Aviation taxation and subsidies Mile high club

v t e Public transport
Bus service	Bus driver list Bus rapid transit Express bus Guided bus Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit Intercity bus Open top bus Charabanc Public light bus Rail replacement bus Share taxi/Taxibus Marshrutka Pesero Shuttle bus Transit bus Trolleybus
Rail	Passenger rail terminology glossary Airport rail link Commuter rail Elevated railway Funicular Heritage railway Heritage streetcar High-speed rail Higher-speed rail Inter-city rail Interurban Maglev Monorail Narrow-gauge railway People mover Railbus Metro/Rapid Transit Medium-capacity rail system Rubber-tyred metro Regional rail Street running Suspension railway Tram Cable car Horsecar Light rail Tram-train
Vehicles for hire	Auto rickshaw taxi Boda boda Combination bus Cycle rickshaw Demand-responsive transport Microtransit Paratransit Dollar van Dolmuş Hackney carriage Jeepney Limousine Motorcycle taxi Marshrutka Nanny van Personal rapid transit Pesero Public light bus Pulled rickshaw Share taxi Songthaew Taxi Tuk tuk
Carpooling	Car jockey Flexible carpooling Real-time ridesharing Slugging Vanpool
Ship	Cable ferry Ferry Gondola Hovercraft Hydrofoil Ocean liner Vaporetto Water taxi
Cable	Aerial tramway Cable ferry Cable railway Elevator Funicular Gondola lift bicable tricable Inclined elevator
Other transport	Airline Airliner Carsharing Bicycle-sharing Scooter-sharing Elevator Escalator Horse-drawn vehicle Hyperloop Inclined elevator Moving walkway Personal transporter Robotaxi Shweeb Slope car Trackless train Vactrain
Locations	Airport Bus bulb Bus garage Bus lane Bus stand Bus station Bus stop Bus turnout (bus bay) Dry dock Ferry terminal Hangar Harbor Interchange station Kassel kerb Layover Metro station Park and ride Port Queue jump Taxicab stand Train station Tram stop Transit mall Transport hub
Ticketing and fares	Automated fare collection Bus advertising Contract of carriage Dead mileage Exit fare Fare avoidance Fare capping Fare evasion Free public transport Free travel pass Integrated ticketing Manual fare collection Money train Paid area Penalty fare Proof-of-payment Reduced fare program Transfer Transit pass
Routing	Circle route Cross-city route Network length Non-revenue track Radial route Transport network
Facilities	Checked baggage First class Sleeper Standing passenger Travel class
Scheduling	Bus bunching Clock-face scheduling Headway Night (owl) service On-time performance Public transport timetable Short turn
Politics	Airport security Complete streets Green transport hierarchy Farebox recovery ratio Rail subsidies Security Street hierarchy Transit district Transit police Transportation authority Transportation demand management Transportation planning Transit-oriented development (TOD)
Technology and signage	Destination sign Passenger information system Platform display Platform screen doors Smart cards CIPURSE Calypso Ticket machine Timetable Transit map
Other topics	Boarding Bus rapid transit creep Crush load Dwell time Hail and ride Land transport Outline of transport Passenger load factor Public good Request stop Service Sustainable transport Timing point Transport economics Micromobility
Transport portal

History

Connection types

High-speed rail and inter-city rail

Regional rail and commuter rail

Rapid transit and light rail

Rail to people mover

Rail to shuttle bus

Current examples

High-speed rail and inter-city rail

Regional rail and commuter rail

Rapid transit and light rail

Rail to people mover

Rail to shuttle bus

See also

References