NWDA plans are to have Manchester airport as the North West regions airport and do all to promote it. It is in the bottom right hand corner of the North West region, unlike Liverpool which is more central. Manchester airport station has more long distance routes than Liverpool's Lime St. Outside of the North West Liverpool only has FOUR long distance routes. A disgrace. Manchester airport trains are empty most of the time. Liverpool has no direct rail link with adjacent North Wales. Something the Welsh want rectified.
Passenger figures for Liverpool & Manchester airports:
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- Dec 2009 stats L'pool 358,000, Man 1,086,000. (approx ratio 1:3 to MAN)
- Dec 2004 stats L'pool 244,000. Man 1,330,000. (approx ratio 1:5.5 to MAN)
- Dec 1999 stats L'pool 124,000. Man 938,000. (approx ratio 1:7.5 to MAN)
It is closing all the time.
In 10 years from 7 to 1 to 3 to 1. Matters have changed dramatically. This indicates the need for a cheap Merseyrail airport extension from Halewood station across fields to the airport, with only one bridge constructed. Trains running into the airport from Manchester and Warrington will close that passenger gap. I think it will increase business in both airports and not steal from Manchester. The airport station is now essential for the future of the city. It will provide growth and jobs. The terminal is now 25 years old. A new terminal is in order with a station under the terminal, as in Manchester and Gatwick.
If the airport station is built, trains from the Wirral can access the airport "directly" using the stock interchange tunnel from James St to Central. The old 1800s original tunnel is still there and used for shunting. That means a train from West Kirkby, or any Merseyrail Wirral terminal, even Chester, can go directly to the airport.
Wrexham and Chester were on about getting the Halton Curve uprated to get direct trains from North Wales to the airport via Runcorn - uprating the curve is a relatively cheap undertaking - the curve is there and used, it just needs uprating. Again, a great boost the local economy. The line could also continue to Lime St.
This overt bias to Manchester, which despite vast investment, is not really working as lowly Liverpool's John Lennon, without a direct rail station, has come right up with people preferring its more central location over Manchester. We need NWDA funds to assist in a Merseyrail airport station extension. This will assist in promoting Wirral and Liverpool Waters.
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