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Gatwick Airport Surface Access Strategy 2007

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Gatwick Surface Access Strategy 1

Contents1 Welcome note2 Setting the scene

Where we have come from4 Gatwick Surface Access Strategy –

progress since 2000

Where we are today6 Air passengers8 Employees9 Freight, retail and other movements

10 Rail11 Bus and coach12 Roads13 Car parking

Where we are going14 Targets16 Reducing the rate of growth

of road trips24 Easing congestion 29 Managing on-site traffic emissions30 Plans at a glance32 Monitoring progress

Running Gatwick, the UK’s second busiest airport, brings with it many challenges,not least ensuring that our passengers and employees are able to travel toand from the airport safely and swiftly with a choice of transport options.

The good news is that the proportion of Gatwick’s air passengers andemployees using public transport continues to increase and the air passengershare now stands at over 35%. This figure is higher than at any time in thelast ten years. Our goal of achieving 40% comes closer, with the excitingprospect of a new rail station and combined transport interchange for theairport, the welcome news of the retention of Gatwick Express, and the go-ahead for the much awaited Thameslink project. These are importantsteps which form part of our strategy to reinforce Gatwick as an obviousgateway into London – in time for the Olympics in 2012.

We recognise that the volume of trips generated by an airport the size ofGatwick requires a set of measures to mitigate the environmental impacts of airport-related road trips. This strategy lays out the framework for suchmeasures and highlights the importance of working in partnership withothers to reduce car dependency. At the same time, it is vital that the localand strategic road network is able to cope with the demands of the airport,local businesses and residents, many of whom work in airport-related jobs.Therefore, a key part of our strategy focuses on working with the highwayauthorities to keep the traffic moving and minimise congestion.

We also need to provide sufficient on-airport parking to meet future growthand avoid a proliferation of unauthorised off-airport sites, and the localauthorities work hard to address this. Our strategy sets out realistic forecastsof the scale of supply that we think is necessary, taking into account thehigher use of public transport. We are also putting renewed efforts into themanagement of the terminal forecourts to improve safety, security andcustomer service and reduce the risk of congestion.

This document supports the future growth strategy outlined in our InterimMaster Plan published in 2006. In this context, we are reviewing ourcommitments made with the local authorities in 2000 relating to thesustainable development of the airport. We continue to report on progressagainst these commitments and our surface access targets through theAnnual Monitoring Report which is available to view on our websitewww.gatwickairport.com.

Andy FlowerGatwick Airport Managing DirectorOctober 2007

Gatwick Airport Surface Access: “A strategy focused on building for the future – engaging

with our business partners and stakeholders to ensurethat our passengers and employees have access to arange of travel options that meet their particular needs.”

Welcome note

02 Gatwick Surface Access Strategy Gatwick Surface Access Strategy 03

Nearly 100 airlines fly from Gatwick toover 200 destinations across the globe.The growth of short breaks, changingholiday patterns and internet bookingsare all having their impact on the way in which the airport continues to grow.Gatwick is unique amongst the Londonairports in having a significant presenceof airlines operating within each of thethree main sectors – full fare scheduled,charter and low cost – with the latterassuming an ever more influential role.By 2015 we are predicting that we willbe handling close to 40 millionpassengers a year compared to thecurrent figure of 35 million. Moreover,Gatwick is a key economic driver for theregion, supporting almost 40,000 jobs inthe regional economy, of which 25,000are within the airport itself.

An effective surface access strategy is centralto the delivery of Gatwick’s responsible growthagenda. The management of road traffic atthe airport will contribute to air qualitymanagement, reduce congestion and providea better environment for our customers.Gatwick’s scale of aviation activity has a directbearing on the demand for road and rail travelto and from the airport, and the 2012London Olympics promises to put evengreater pressure on the transport network.

At the heart of the strategy lies an overridingtarget of 40% of passengers travelling to andfrom the airport by public transport by thetime we are handling 40 million passengers.With a firm commitment from our businesspartners and stakeholders, we believe thatgoal is achievable and we are already makingprogress in achieving it.

Gatwick Airport Interim Master PlanAll major UK airports are required to preparea surface access strategy that sets out howthey propose to handle the demand for travel to and from the airport. This latestGatwick edition, which replaces the versionpublished in 2000 and covers the period upto 2015, supports our Interim Master Plan.The strategy is guided by a series ofcommitments that we have entered into withlocal authorities, as part of our licence togrow the airport within the boundariesdefined by the Interim Master Plan. We haverecently reviewed these commitments inconjunction with the local authorities, andexpect to conclude an updated schedule inthe very near future. There is however broadagreement on the issues to be addressed, andthese are reflected in the strategy.

The strategy does not stand alone, and is integral to:• BAA’s Corporate Responsibility and airport

sustainable development agendas• Gatwick Airport Interim Master Plan• Gatwick’s commitments and legal

obligations• Local air quality action plan• Local and regional transport strategies.

Customer focusThe focus of the strategy is on the customer –primarily our passengers and airportemployees but also other airport visitors. Key components of the strategy are a choiceof affordable and reliable public transportoptions for passengers and staff, maintaininggood road and rail links and developingGatwick as a major transport interchange.

Successful delivery of the strategy requirespartnership, commitment and investment.Effective engagement with our partners is critical – BAA Gatwick’s area of directresponsibility in relation to surface accesscovers the provision and maintenance of the airport’s external infrastructure within the airport boundary (roads, forecourts, and car parks) but not the strategic road links to the airport, the rail lines and railstation. All public transport services areprovided by external operators. That is not to say that BAA cannot influence the widersurface access picture and much of thestrategy focuses on how we work with othersto achieve our common objectives and anintegrated transport strategy.

Transport ForumOur role is to work with a wide range ofstakeholders and business partners in order to achieve a co-ordinated approach and common agenda. The main consultativegroup is the Gatwick Area Transport Forum,set up in 1998 and made up of around 60representatives from BAA, local authorities,transport providers, airlines, car parkoperators and other interested parties.

The Forum’s remit is to co-ordinate andintegrate transport solutions across theGatwick area and the wider South Eastregion. In so doing, it supports the localauthority Local Transport Plan programmesand the objectives of the Regional TransportStrategy for the South East. The Forumnormally meets annually and has three mainobjectives:• To draw up and agree challenging short-

and long-term targets to increase thepercentage of airport passengers usingpublic transport

• To devise strategies to achieve these targets• To oversee the implementation.

A smaller steering group meets every quarterto progress topical issues and emergingpolicy. Members of the steering group aredrawn from the following organisations:• West Sussex County Council• Surrey County Council• Crawley Borough Council• Tandridge District Council• Government Office for the South East• South East England Regional Assembly• Network Rail• Gatwick Diamond (local business

development association).

In addition, from time to time the steeringgroup appoints task groups, to look atspecific issues. Recent examples includelooking at the viability of potential new bus routes to improve public transportaccessibility, the development of the local cycling and pedestrian network and areview of the airport car parking strategy.

The way forwardMuch has happened since our originalstrategy was launched in 2000. Passengergrowth suffered a downturn due to theevents of 9/11, coupled with BA’s strategicdownsizing of its long-haul operations atGatwick. The passenger mix has changed inthe intervening period, with low-cost carriers,for example easyJet, making significantinroads into the market. The real costs ofmotoring continue to fall whilst that of publictransport has generally increased. The muchawaited Thameslink rail project has now beengiven the go-ahead but is still several yearsaway from completion. Perhaps mostsignificantly, the Gatwick Express has beenunder scrutiny during the prolongedconsultation on the future of the BrightonMain Line. Its future now seems securefollowing the Government’s announcement,although some aspects of the currentoperation will change.

In addition, awareness of climate change hasrisen on the political and social agenda, withsurface access and energy consumption verymuch to the fore. Against this background,we have set out our strategy to 2015 whichprovides a framework for initiatives and actionplans that we intend to progress with ourpartners and stakeholders during this period.

This document includes:• Progress since the first Surface Access

Strategy was released in 2000• A picture of where we are today• Our targets• Our strategy and work programme• The monitoring and review process.

Setting the scene

Figure 1 Public Transport usage

Passengers using Passenger Non-transferpublic transport numbers passengers

% m m

2000 31.5% 31.9 24.6

2001 30.3% 31.1 25.0

2002 30.2% 29.5 23.8

2003 32.2% 29.9 24.6

2004 31.3% 31.4 26.5

2005 31.9% 32.7 26.6

2006 35.3% 34.1 28.2

Gatwick’s Surface Access Strategy has three main objectives,working with our stakeholders and business partners to:• Reduce the rate of growth of trips by private car and taxi to and

from the airport by encouraging greater use of public transport• Ease congestion by better traffic management and

implementing strategic road improvements• Manage on-site traffic emissions

Source: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Airport Survey

> >Schemes and initiatives introduced since 2000


Gatwick’s first Surface Access Strategy,published in 2000, focused on the sameessential premise that defines all ourwork in the field of surface transport –namely, influencing the way passengersand employees travel to and from theairport in order to reduce the growth ofroad trips. When we published thestrategy it was predicted that passengernumbers would reach 40 million by 2008and one of our key targets was toincrease the percentage of passengersusing public transport from 31% in 2000to 40% by 2008.

The impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in2001, coupled with the scaling back of BritishAirways’ long-haul operations at Gatwick,resulted in a significant downturn in passengernumbers in the years that followed. Passengernumbers returned to pre 9/11 levels in 2005.Gatwick now expects to reach the 40 millionpassenger milestone in 2015 or shortly after.

The strategy was updated in 2004, lookingforward to 2012 with revised passengerforecasts. It continued the theme of promotingalternative means of travel, and introducedtargets for specific travel corridors to supportthe overall 40% public transport target.

Since 2000, Gatwick has invested £7 millionin a range of schemes and initiatives, bothlarge and small, to support our surface access commitments. We regularly producemarketing and publicity material to promotepublic transport alternatives for passengersand staff. The primary source of funds for ourpublic transport and staff travel initiatives is aTransport Levy which is imposed on all publicand staff car parking. The revenue is ring-fenced for projects that support our surfaceaccess objectives.

There has been significant progress in threekey areas:• Use of public transport by air passengers

increased to 35.3% in 2006 compared to31.5% in 2000, which means that anadditional two million journeys were madeon rail, bus and coach services compared to 2000.

• Over the last ten years, the proportion ofairport employees driving to work from theCrawley/Horley area has dropped from71% to 63%*, the equivalent of around aquarter of a million fewer road trips perannum on the local roads.

• Peak hour road trips to and from theairport are on average fewer than in 1998despite a 25% increase in the number of non-transfer passengers. In the sameperiod the volume of traffic using Britain’sroads has risen by almost 9%**.

* Source: BAA Staff Travel Survey 2007

* * Source: Transport Statistics for Great Britain 2006, DfT

Where we have come fromGatwick’s Surface Access Strategy – progress since 2000

2000> Gatwick published its first

Surface Access Strategy>Gatwick signed unique legal

agreement with West Sussex andCrawley councils to protect localcommunities from the impacts offuture airport growth

>Gatwick Direct bus serviceintroduced (forerunner toFastway service)

>Completion of Cycle Route 21between Horley and Crawley via the airport

>Discounted bus and rail travelfares introduced for airportemployees

2001> Airport Car Share scheme launched

to encourage greater employee car sharing

>Secure cycle storage pods installed at North and South Terminals

2002> Development of traffic model for

Gatwick and its approach roads>Automatic traffic count loops

installed on landside roads toenable the airport to monitor trafficlevels 24 hours a day.

>Travel survey of all airport employees>Consultation paper on coach

station strategy

2003> BAA invested in Fastway quality bus

scheme to improve public transportoptions for airport employees wholive in Crawley and Horley. Phase 1services launched in September.

>Launch of Oxford Airline expresscoach service to Gatwick

>Gatwick Traincard relaunched togive wider range of benefits toairport employees – 34% off mosttrain fares

2004> BAA Gatwick led high-profile

campaign to retain the GatwickExpress

>New, air-conditioned trains onSouthern Train services replaced oldslam-door stock

>24-hour operation introduced onFastway

>d2d – a ‘demand-responsive service’ bus service for airport staff living in East Grinstead – was trialled

>Interim update of 2000 Surface Access Strategy

2005> Outline Master Plan consultation

document launched>Launch of Fastway phase 2 services

to Horley>Introduction of early morning

airport bus service from EastGrinstead

>Completion of refurbishment ofmulti-storey car park 2

>Discussions reopened withHighways Agency and West SussexCounty Council on highway accessimprovements

2006> Department for Transport (DfT)

launched second round ofconsultation on Brighton Main Linetrain services

>Launch of Gatwick Commuter – atravel plan for the entire airportcommunity

>Fastway service grew to 6,000passengers a day

>First Capital Connect took over theformer Thameslink franchise

>Express coaches moved to upperforecourt level at South Terminal

>Gatwick published Interim MasterPlan outlining potential futuredevelopment

>Completion of refurbishment ofmulti-storey car park 3

>Consultation began on revisedSurface Access Strategy

2007>Network Rail started a major

study into the redevelopment of Gatwick rail station

>New Airport Car Share Schemeintroduced

>Fastway service used by over9,000 passengers a day

>Updated airport-wide staff travel survey

>Implementation of forecourtaccess traffic management plan

>Completion of refurbishment of multi-storey car park 1and 5

>Government decision onBrighton Main Line and GatwickExpress

All passengers (millions) Non-transfer passengers (millions)


PassengersAirports have seen tremendous changes sinceGatwick launched its Surface Access Strategyin 2000. Booking flights over the internet was in its infancy and low-cost airlines werestill testing the water in terms of routes andaircraft numbers. Since then, the growth in short breaks, allied with newer airlineschallenging the power base of the traditionalairlines, have changed the landscape ofEurope’s airline industry. The terrorist attacksof 2001also had significant impacts onairlines, air passengers and airport operators.

Passengers have become increasingly astutein shopping around on the internet for goodflight deals and have also broadened theirhorizons to travel to destinations furtherafield. These changes have had a knock-oneffect on the way people choose to travel toand from the airport, none more so than atGatwick where we have a mix of full costscheduled, charter and low-cost passengers,all with their own preferences and needs. Inthis section we explore the surface transporttrends and the factors that influence people’ssurface travel decisions.

Looking forwardPassenger growth will have significantimplications on the overall demand for roadand rail journeys in Gatwick’s vicinity andfurther afield.

Figure 2 shows the annual passengernumbers at Gatwick since 1996, with figuresfor non-transfer passengers (passengers whostart or finish their journey at Gatwick). Theproportion of transfer passengers hasdeclined rather than rising as we predicted in2000, largely due to the after-effects of 9/11and British Airways switching long-haulservices from Gatwick to Heathrow. The netresult of this is that we are expecting moresurface journey trips than previouslypredicted for 2008, which makes it all themore pertinent to have a surface accessstrategy to complement our responsiblegrowth agenda.

Passenger mix and mode choiceThere are four distinct areas in the passengermix – UK leisure; UK business; foreign leisureand foreign business. UK leisure accounts for more than 70% of our passengers, withforeign business and leisure traffic making up 20% and UK business 10%. Those ratiosare expected to continue much the same to2015, but with further growth in the low-costmarket and a dimunition of the traditionalcharter carriers.

Recent trends include:• Since 2001 there has been a steady

growth in the proportion of UK businesspassengers that use public transport –currently almost 40%, with a correspondingreduction in the percentage using privatecar and taxi

• There are signs of more UK leisurepassengers using public transport followinga decline at the end of the 1990s; just overa quarter of UK leisure passengers usedpublic transport in 2006, compared to20% a few years ago

• Not surprisingly, foreign visitors have a much greater propensity to use publictransport, since 60% do not have readyaccess to a private car, and many aretravelling to/from London for the initial/lastleg of their UK trip

• Growth of low-cost airlines, whosepassengers are more inclined to use public transport.

The majority of Gatwick passengers aretravelling to and from locations in GreaterLondon and the South East (accounting for84% in 2006), with a further 10% comingfrom East Anglia, South Wales and the WestCountry. The dominance of passengers fromthe South East outside central London – 60%– is a major factor in the modest growth inoverall public transport mode share to date.

Where people are travelling from, and theirease of access to public transport, are crucialfactors in their choice of travel. For example,the majority of passengers travelling fromcentral London take the train because of theease, quick journey times and frequency ofservices on offer. Similarly, the excellent coachlinks along the M4 and M40 corridors haveproved very popular with air passengers (seeFigure 3). On the other hand, poor publictransport options from Kent and goodmotorway links make driving to the airport an attractive option from this part of theSouth East.

The time factorThe time of people’s flights is a significantfactor in making their travel plans. There’sbeen a shift towards early morning departuresas low-cost and charter airlines have takenover previous long-haul in-bound slots. This has led to more passengers arriving earlyin the morning for check-in, especially withthe introduction of increased securityregulations. At those hours there aren’t manypublic transport options, meaning driving orgetting a taxi are the only practical ways toget to the airport. Late evening flight arrivalsincur the same problem, as does the reducedavailability of many public transport serviceson Sundays.

Where we are todayAir passengers

The challengeThe reality is that, for many, the car willremain the preferred choice of travel to theairport – based on a variety of factors thatcan include built-in prejudice against publictransport, the size of the group travelling, the amount of luggage they are carrying,what time they are travelling and how easy it is to get to the airport by public transport.This is particularly the case at Gatwick given the dominance of UK leisure traffic,often away from the main rail corridors. The challenge for us and our partners is tofind a way of breaking down these real andperceived barriers, and in particular to identifythose market sectors where there is thegreatest potential to influence change.

> Strategy – see page 16 formore details

1996

24.0

19.8

26.2

21.2

28.5

22.9

30.0

22.9

31.9

24.6

31.1

25.0

29.5

23.8

29.9

24.6

31.4

26.5

32.7

26.6

34.1

28.2

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Figure 2 Passenger numbers

EastMidlands / East Anglia

Surrey / Thames West

Brighton / Sussex Coast

Reading /Oxford / W Mids

LocalHants / Dorset

North London South West /South Wales

Croydon &surrounds

Rest ofUK

KentCentralLondon

2.5

73.8 76

.3

7.4

12.7

20.1

1.7

10.5 12.2

1.9

16.5

18.4

2.5

25.5

28.0

14.2

13.8

28.0

6.3 10

.7

17.0

3.3 7.7

11.0

5.4

34.5

39.9

13.6 10

.6

24.2

1.6

47.5 49.1

35.8

24.8

60.6

Figure 3 Public Transport Share by corridor 2006

Coach / Bus Rail (National Rail and Gatwick Express) TotalSource: BAA Source: CAA Airport Survey


WorkforceKeeping a major international airport likeGatwick running 24 hours a day clearlyrequires a large and multi-skilled workforce.More than 25,000 people work at the airport,with up to 18,000 reporting for work on anyone day, and with different shift patterns.

Most staff are based in the North and SouthTerminals or in one of the airport’s nearbyoffice blocks. The other significant workplaceareas are the cargo area and the aircraftmaintenance area. There are an additional4,000 directly airport-related jobs, many ofwhich are based on the Manor Royalindustrial park to the south of the airport.

Where people liveThe largest group of airport employees –about one third – lives in nearby Crawley and Horley. Brighton, Horsham and Croydonare also home to significant numbers ofemployees.

How they travel to workFor employees, as for passengers, homelocation plays an important role in their traveldecisions. Gatwick has carried out periodicairport-wide employee surveys in 1997, 2002and 2007. The results for the most recentsurvey revealed the following:

The strong growth in bus usage since 1997reflects the major investment made by BAAGatwick and its partners in services likeFastway and its precursor Gatwick Direct (see page 11).

More details of the staff travel survey will bemade available in due course in a supportingtechnical appendix to the strategy and on our website.1www.gatwickairport.com

Gatwick CommuterOur employee travel plan took a step forwardwith the launch of Gatwick Commuter in2006. Essentially Gatwick Commuter pulls allthe existing employee surface access work wehave been doing into one cohesive strategy,around which the airport community cantailor action plans geared to their needs.

Gatwick Commuter is built on the followingfoundations:• Discount on buses and rail travel• Car sharing scheme • Cycle and walking strategy• Staff surveys• Marketing and communications plans.

Further discussion about how we propose tocontinue to develop the airport staff travelplan is detailed on page 22.


Air cargo and retailFreight, retail and other movements accountfor a relatively small percentage of airport-related road trips at Gatwick (see Figure 5).

Gatwick handled around 212,000 tonnes of cargo in 2005/06, which is 30% below the peak achieved in 2000. The vast majorityof air cargo is carried in the holds ofpassenger aircraft with the rest taken bydedicated freighter aircraft. Cargo carried by planes tends to be high value goods likecosmetics, jewellery or bullion, andperishables with tight sell-by dates.

By its very nature, transporting air cargo byroad mainly uses HGVs for the onward travelof goods to/from UK destinations. Howeverthese movements account for no more than1% of the total traffic using the M23 spur,the primary cargo route to and from theairport, with many such movementstransferring via Heathrow. The lack of a majorinter-modal rail freight depot in the region islikely to mean a continued reliance on roadfor the movement of Gatwick’s cargo trafficfor the foreseeable future.

The goods traffic around Gatwick is mainlysupplying the retail and catering businesses in the North and South Terminals.

Distribution networkThe landside perimeter road is an essentialpart of the distribution network for many of these vehicles. We have recently had tointroduce restrictions on access to the tunnelunderneath South Terminal, with the resultthat some movements that previously madeuse of the tunnel are now required to use theA23 to travel between the south and northsides of the airport.


Where we are todayFreight, retail and other movements

Where we are todayEmployees

Figure 5 Average daily split of airport-relatedvehicle trips on landside roads

Air passenger 63%

Employees 19%

Public bus and coach 4%

Crew buses 1%

Courtesy buses 7%

Cargo 2%

Goods and servicing to terminals 2%

Control post movements 3%

Source: BAA

Figure 4 Airport-wide employee travel surveys

All airport employees Crawley/Horleyonly

Car driver 70% (78%) 63% (71%)

Car passenger 5% (5%) 5% (7%)

Train 11% (8%) 5% (6%)

Bus and coach 9% (3%) 18% (5%)

Cycle and walk 1% (1%) 3% (4%)

Source: BAA Gatwick Staff Travel Survey 2007 (1997)


Transport hubGatwick’s railway station and rail links are vital factors in the airport’s continueddevelopment as a regional public transporthub. We work closely with Network Rail andthe train operators to provide and market therange of services and connections availablefrom the airport.

Currently, 29% of all passengers who flyfrom Gatwick travel to and from the airportby rail – that’s around 8.6 million trips perannum. For a while, rail struggled to maintainits share of the market in the face ofincreased competition from car and taxi,coupled with the growth in UK leisure trafficfrom outside London. However it is nowshowing positive signs of a healthy recovery,due in part to the growth of low-cost airlinesand more trips being made to and fromLondon, but also as a result of heavyinvestment in new trains and marketinginitiatives from train operators.

Network RailThe station concourse and platforms areowned and operated by Network Rail. The station connects directly to the SouthTerminal and there is a transit link forpassengers to get to the North Terminal.There have been improvements to the stationin recent years but access to platforms 3-6 is an ongoing issue due to sub-standard liftsand lack of escalators on platforms 5 and 6.This and all other aspects of the station’sfuture development are under review in a Network Rail study that began in 2007.

Rail servicesSix train operators run services from Gatwick,providing links to destinations across thecountry (Figure 6). The high-speed GatwickExpress connecting the airport with CentralLondon is Gatwick’s flagship rail service. Theservice is key to achieving our target of 40%of Gatwick’s passengers travelling by publictransport. After lengthy consultation on thefuture of the Brighton Main Line, the DfT hasdecided that the Gatwick Express will beretained as a non-stop service between theairport and London every 15 minutes. At peak times, however, trains will run beyondGatwick to Brighton to provide additionalcommuter capacity. The potential impact ofthis on air passengers is discussed on page 18.

There are currently 950 trains serving Gatwickevery day, but the lack of early morning andlate night services means passengers travellingat those times have limited options, as doemployees working shift patterns.

The Cross Country franchise, recently awardedto Arriva, seems likely to result in the removalof the Gatwick–Brighton arm of the network,thus depriving Gatwick of its only throughinter-regional rail service.

The future of the Tunbridge Wells andWatford services are also subject to theoutcome of ongoing network studies.


Affordable alternativeModern-day coach travel offers a high-quality, affordable alternative to private car or taxi. In 2006, around 1.8m air passengerstravelled by coach to and from Gatwick.Although overall market share has declined inrecent years, this is attributable to a reductionin the tour coach trade, reflecting changes inthe type of passenger using Gatwick. Thescheduled national and regional expressservices continue to account for about 5% of non-transfer passengers.

Coach stationAt Gatwick’s South Terminal, scheduledcoaches pick up and set down on the upperforecourt, giving coach passengers easy, levelaccess to and from the terminal building.Other coach services operate from the lowerforecourt. We are currently reviewing thetraffic management regime on the forecourts,and working with the operators to ensurethat public transport continues to enjoypriority status pending decisions around thedesign and functionality of the proposedtransport interchange (see pages 16-17).There are also separate set down and pick up points for coaches at North Terminal.

Coach servicesNational Express is the airport’s main coachoperator and there are also services run bythe Oxford Airline and the Gatwick Flyer (todestinations in Essex). On average there arebetween 450 and 500 daily arrivals anddepartures, offering services to destinationsthroughout the UK, either directly or viaHeathrow, Victoria or Birmingham.Paradoxically, with the exception of theLondon–Brighton corridor, the areas mostpoorly served by coach are the southernHome Counties that collectively make uparound 40% of Gatwick’s traffic.

Local busesSince 2000, Gatwick has invested £6 millionin local bus services and infrastructure. Thisincludes revenue support for route 200(former Gatwick Direct) which has recentlybeen extended to Horsham on a trial basis,and certain peak hour services from EastGrinstead and Maidenbower. Fastway is theairport’s flagship bus service, running along24km of route network with extensive buspriority, including stretches of innovativeguideways that allow the buses to by-passcongestion hotspots. Fastway has provedimmensely successful since its introduction in2003 and now carries over 9,000 passengersa day. Many of these are airport employees, athird of whom live in Crawley and Horley.

ConnectivityTo facilitate travel around the airport site,Gatwick and tenants of the City PlaceBusiness Park co-fund a scheme allowing freebus travel around the airport. In addition,staff car park shuttle buses provide a link tothe various business premises. In 2004, weintroduced a trial demand-responsive busservice for airport staff to cover areas not wellserved by public transport and night timeservices. The service was withdrawn in 2006having failed to generate sufficient demand,resulting in an excessive level of subsidy peruser. We continue to work with airlines andthe rest of the airport community to find anaffordable solution that meets the needs ofstaff and reduces their dependency on private cars.


Where we are todayRail

Where we are todayBus and coach

Figure 6 Rail operators at GatwickRail operator ServiceGatwick Express non-stop service

to Central LondonSouthern Trains high-frequency services

to London rail terminals,Brighton and the South Coast

First Capital Connect services to London City,Bedford and Brighton

Southern/South Eastern services to Tunbridge Wells

and HorshamFirst Great Western services to Reading for

onward travel to the West,Wales and Midlands

Arriva services to West Midlands and North-West

Rail services to Gatwick

West Midlands/North West Reading, Wales and West

London

Bedford

Tunbridge Wells and Kent

Horsham andArun Valley

Brighton

South Coast (West)

South Coast (East)

Gatwick

Getting to Gatwick by bus or coach

Midlands/the North

Wales and South West

London Victoria

Stansted Airport

Brighton

GatwickSouth Essex

Heathrow Airport


Current situationAs the UK’s second busiest airport, Gatwick is well placed in relation to the national roadnetwork. On an average summer day, thenumber of vehicles entering the airport is 45,000, and a similar number departing, with most of the traffic using the M23 viaJunction 9, which connects to the M25 andrest of the UK network.

There are three main entry/exit points to the airport:• The two roundabouts off the M23 link

that provide access to the South and North Terminals

• The A23 Gatwick Road roundabout.

These roads and access points are managedby the Highways Agency (M23) and WestSussex County Council (A23 roundabout). In addition there is a further controlled-accessbarrier at Povey Cross Bridge. The A23Longbridge Roundabout to the north of theairport, managed by Surrey County Council,is also a critical junction for local traffic to andfrom Redhill, Reigate and Horley.

Gatwick manages the landside road systemthat takes traffic from the external highwaynetwork to the various parts of the airport.

Junction improvementsPrior to Gatwick’s Surface Access Strategybeing published in 2000, a joint HighwaysStrategy Task Group identified a package ofroad improvements to enable Gatwick togrow to 40 million passengers. BAAcommitted to contribute to the cost of certain junction improvements.

The timescales slipped following revisedpassenger forecasts post 9/11. There has also been a review of the proposed worksand the latest position is:

M23 junction 9 – in 2003, the HighwaysAgency installed dynamic controls on thetraffic signals controlling the roundabout, andthis has successfully balanced traffic flows offand on to the motorway.

M23 junction 9A – the primary access routeto the South Terminal. Installation of trafficlights and road widening are planned for2008/09.

Airport Way West roundabout – theprimary access to the North Terminal.Previous signalling schemes are beingreviewed following changes in intra-airportmovements. Gatwick is working with theHighways Agency and West Sussex CountyCouncil to improve connections betweenNorth Terminal and the A23 through theconstruction of a new link road that will alsofree up capacity on the roundabout.Programmed for construction in 2007/08.

Other road junctions:

Longbridge roundabout – improved in2005 to coincide with Fastway’s new Horleyservice. Expected to come under pressurewhen proposed new housing developmentsto the north of Horley are completed.

Gatwick Road roundabout – previouslyjudged to have sufficient capacity to handletraffic flows up to 40 million passengers, butneeds to be kept under review post-Fastway,and with the redistribution of some airportmovements (see below).

Internal road networkGatwick’s internal road network distributestraffic to and from the forecourts, car parksand on-airport hotels. Good trafficmanagement, coupled with forward planningto cope with new airport developments andpassenger growth, are essential to avoidvehicles blocking back on to the externalhighways. Gatwick has developed aCONTRAM (Continuous Traffic AssignmentModel) to identify solutions to current and future traffic scenarios, including the impact of new developments and traffic management schemes.

National Cycle Route 21passes through theairport on a north–south axis. It is the principalpedestrian and cycle access to the airport andlinks into the local networks in Crawley andHorley. There is also access to the airport viaPovey Cross bridge which is convenient forstaff living around Charlwood and Hookwood,and from the Balcombe Road for residentialareas to the east of the airport.


Car parking provisionWith half of all Gatwick passengers currentlytravelling to and from the airport by car,parking and pick-up/drop-off facilities are anintegral part of the airport’s operations. Whilereducing the number of airport-related cartrips is a key goal for us, we recognise thatsome passengers will always prefer to drive to Gatwick or indeed may have no otherpractical choice. Thus car parking provision is a residual need, to meet the requirementsof the reducing proportion of our passengersmaking surface journeys by private car, as the public transport mode share growstowards 40%.

There are different types of airport-relatedparking:• Air passengers – comprising on-airport –

long stay; short stay; short stay kiss-and-fly;and off-airport – long stay and valet parking

• Rail users (commuters/leisure) – short-term parking

• Staff – BAA controlled car parking; leased areas

• Contractors, deliveries and visitors.

For air passengers, the actual number of cartrips to or from Gatwick, and the requirementfor car parking spaces, is strongly influencedby the manner in which those cars are usedas Figure 7 demonstrates.

The significance of this is that, on average,the first category of car users were responsiblefor more than twice as many road vehicletrips to/from Gatwick as the other two,principally because each car driver, prior tomeeting or after dropping off passengers,makes an unaccompanied trip. The same istrue of most taxi trips.

Public car parkingShort-stay spaces are situated on-airport inmulti-storey car parks (MSCPs) close to theairport terminals. With a combined capacityof 4100 spaces, these car parks are primarilyused by people dropping off or picking up airtravellers (kiss-and-fly).

The combination of easy road access andfirst-class rail connections to London alsomakes Gatwick an attractive railhead forcommuters. Some are driven to/collectedfrom the airport but there are also regularcommuters who park on-site. To free upparking space for air travel-related journeys,we have created 200 dedicated spaces forcommuters through the removal andreallocation of some staff spaces to moreremote locations.

There are approximately 41,000 authorisedlong-stay spaces located both on- and off-airport. Parking duration varies according tojourney purpose and type of flight, rangingfrom an average of 12 days for a typical long-haul flight to just over three days for adomestic flight. The current average acrossthe airport is around seven days. Length ofstay is directly related to the overall numberof spaces required: generally speaking, thelonger the average length of stay, the greaterthe total number of spaces required.

BAA’s parking charges include a levy that isused to finance various transport initiatives insupport of our targets.

A growing problem for the airport and thelocal community is that of unauthorised off-airport parking sites. In 2006, they accountedfor some 5,600 spaces. In recent years, thesituation has been compounded by theproliferation of unlicensed off-airport ‘Meetand Greet’ services. These are not onlyundesirable from an emissions point of view(cars are often driven over 25 miles roundtripfrom the airport to be parked) but often failto meet basic customer service standards.

Where we are todayRoads

Where we are todayCar parking

Figure 7 Breakdown of the 51% of passengersarriving/leaving by car in 2005

27% travelled in cars that were driven away rather

than parked at/near Gatwick (kiss-and-fly traffic)

or which were parked in short-stay car parks

(mostly by drivers who were seeing off or

meeting air passengers)

13% were parked in on-airport long-stay

car parks

11% were parked off-airport, at hotels or in

private car parks

Staff car parkingStaff car parking facilities are provided withinthe boundary of the airport in:• BAA-managed car parks, used by

employees of many airport companies. Car park passes are issued for a price thatincludes a contribution to the TransportLevy fund. There are currently 7,000 ofthese spaces at Gatwick spread betweenten car parks around the airport

• Tenanted car parks within leased areas,managed by the tenant for use by theirstaff. The number of such spaces in usevaries, but is in the range of 2,500 to 3,000in total.

The shift work nature of an airport enables us to make productive use of the spacesavailable and in BAA-managed car parksthere is an average of 2.5 passes issued foreach space.


Source: CAA Airport Survey


Staff mode share targetsGatwick has made good progress inencouraging more employees to travel bypublic transport since 2000. The introductionof the Fastway bus service coveringCrawley/Horley and increasing numbers ofstaff travelling by train from Croydon andBrighton are among the highlights. We haveset stretching targets for staff from thosethree areas:• 20% of staff living in Crawley/Horley to use

Fastway service to travel to work by 2008,three years after completion of the Fastwaynetwork

• 45% of staff living in Croydon, Bromleyand Merton to travel to work by publictransport by 2015

• 30% of staff living in Brighton and SouthCoast to use alternatives to single useprivate car to travel to work by 2015.

Air passengers mode share targets• 40% of all non-transfer passengers to use

public transport for travel to and fromGatwick when passenger throughputreaches 40mppa (current figure is 35%)

• An interim target of 36% non-transferpassengers to use public transport by 2008

A combination of factors including Gatwick’spassenger mix, the shift in early morning/lateevening passenger arrivals/departures and thecapacity constraints on the Brighton MainLine mean these targets are challenging, butachievable given the commitment of all therelevant players.

The headline target is an average across theyear and performance will vary according toseason, time of day and different passengertypes. To support the air passenger overalltarget, we have set secondary targets for thesix transport corridors that account for 50%of passenger traffic (Figure 8). Focusedstrategies for these corridors representopportunities for making significant impactson transport mode share.

Road tripsThe Surface Access Strategy and supportingmode share targets are aimed at limiting therate of growth of vehicle trips to and fromthe airport. We have agreed two airport-related road trip targets applicable to a 40million passengers per year airport:• The number of trips to and from Gatwick

should not exceed 7,850 in the morningpeak hour (8am to 9am)

• The number of trips to and from Crawleyand Horley should not exceed 1,000 in themorning peak hour.

The actual number of peak hour road trips in 2005 averaged 5,700. Daily road trips arevariable but, on an average summer day,when some 120,000 passengers would fly to or from the airport, and some 18,000 staffwould report for work, the number of vehiclesentering the airport is of the order of 45,000with a similar number departing, most of themon the M23. The ratio of vehicle trips to airpassenger trips on such a day is around 0.75:1.

Achievement of our transport targets shouldlead to a reduction in this ratio over time, andwe are aiming for a ratio of 0.70:1or lower by2015. We will work with our stakeholders todetermine the best way of monitoring andreporting against this performance indicator.

Automatic traffic counters are the main sourceof data for measuring performance in this area,but for trips in the local area additional datawill be derived from a local area traffic model.

Full details of the strategies, actions plans andcommitments made by Gatwick that will helpit achieve these targets for air passengers, staffand road trips appear in the next section.

Where we are goingTargets

Gatwick’s Surface Access Strategy

“A strategy focused on building for the future – engagingwith our business partners and stakeholders to ensure thatour passengers and employees have access to a range oftravel options that meet their particular needs”.

Figure 8 Corridor targets

% non-transfer passengers using public transport

Additional passenger trips using public transport

Corridor( % non-transfer passengers) 2005 Target 40mppa in each corridor

Central London (10.8%) 82.4% 90% 960,000

Kent (11%) 9.6% 15% 280,000

Brighton & Hove (3%) 44.8% 50% 150,000

Rest of Sussex Coast (4.9%) 18.0% 25% 180,000

M3 (7.4%) 17.4% 20% 150,000

M4/M40 (13.0%) 26.5% 30% 410,000

Source: CAA Airport Survey

The strategy is built around threeprincipal objectives:

• Reducing rate of growth of road trips• Easing congestion • Managing on-site emissions

These are described in pages 16 onwards.As a measure of how effective thestrategy is, we have agreed the followingtargets and performance indicators.


Creating a 21st-century passengertransport interchange for Gatwick

Transport hubAchievement of the 40% public transporttarget means that usage of rail and coachservices by air passengers needs to grow fromaround 10 million trips in 2006 to around 14 million by 2015. In addition, there are staffand other airport visitors to take into accountas well as those using Gatwick as a domestictransfer point.

From an airport operator’s perspective, ournumber one strategic priority in terms ofsurface access is to make sure that we havefirst-class transport interchange facilities,something that needs addressing as currentand projected passenger numbers haveoutgrown present infrastructure. Moreover,we recognise that Gatwick, because of itslocation in the heart of the South East andbeing a major international airport, hasdeveloped as a regional transport hub in itsown right, and a key player in the South EastPlan’s hubs and spokes strategy for the region.

Rail and coach interchangeThe Network Rail study into theredevelopment of the rail station andassociated works is potentially the key totaking Gatwick’s public transport facilities to a whole new level. There are two mainelements of the study:• Looking at the opportunities to create

additional track and platform capacityincluding improved vertical access and,notably, terminating facilities for GatwickExpress-type services with direct access tothe fast lines

• Concentrating on above-ground facilitiesand we are working closely with the studyteam to identify opportunities to create a21st-century front door to Gatwick, with a high-quality passenger transportinterchange (PTI) between all modes.

Network Rail aims to identify a preferreddesign option by early 2008 with a view to construction beginning in 2009 andcompletion of the rail station works in 2011.This is subject to Network Rail securing afunding package with external stakeholdersand to planning consent.

We are reviewing the options for a long-termstrategy for coach facilities in the context ofthe PTI. Our policy is to give priority to publicover private transport on our forecourts, andthe aim is to integrate the coach stationwithin the PTI. This will improve access notonly to the terminal building but also withother transport modes to support Gatwick’srole as a regional hub.

Local bus interchangeLogically, it would be preferable to co-locaterail and national/regional coach services withlocal buses. Unfortunately, the geography ofGatwick’s roads does not lend itself to thisand, for the foreseeable future, most localbuses, including Fastway, are likely tocontinue to operate via the A23 and AirportPerimeter Road. We are working to ensurethat the facilities and pedestrian routes to and from the bus stops are developed in thecontext of the PTI, with good wayfinding tothe terminals and other transport modes.

Working with operators to promote anddevelop the range and quality of publictransport services to and from the airport

Identifying customer needsGatwick’s ability to achieve its publictransport targets depends on providing airpassengers and employees with the servicesthey need and making sure that capacitymatches demand.

In order to do that, we need to consider howthe airline markets are likely to develop in thefuture, and the effects of external influences.We have already witnessed the growth of thelow-cost airlines, increased popularity of shortbreaks and self-service check-in. Lookingahead, we need to factor in issues such asincreased average aircraft loads, the increasinguse of remote check-in and the impact ofchanges in security procedures. We also needto consider how the private versus publictransport debate will shape up in relation tofuture government policy on road pricing andcarbon trading. These are just some examplesof the sort of issues that will have a bearingon how we and our business partners tailorthe public transport offer in the future.

So an understanding of the passengerforecasts will help to identify the differentpassenger characteristics and influences onchoice of travel to the airport: for example,the once-a-year, long-haul family holidaymaker may have different needs and valuesfrom business travellers or a couple on a short break to Europe. And foreign visitorsmay have a different travel pattern comparedto UK residents. To this end, we are workingin close partnership with our airlines;understanding more about their customerbase will help us shape the public transportoptions of tomorrow.

The same goes for airport employees andstaff travel. By developing close relationshipswith our business partners, we can get tounderstand better their particular travel towork needs which will help us develop theright package of travel options.

In short, the more we know about ourcustomers, passengers and staff, the betterchance we and our partners have ofdeveloping the: • Right type of service• At the right time • At the right price.

Objective – Reducing the rate of growth of total private car and taxi toand from the airport by encouraging greater use of public transport

We will achieve this by:

• Creating a 21st-century passenger transport interchange for Gatwick

• Working with operators to promote and develop the rangeand quality of public transport services to and from the airport

• Incentivising staff to use public transport, car share, cycle or walk to work.

Developing a 21st century experience• Working with Network Rail to create a new rail station

for Gatwick• Developing integrated bus and coach and other onward

travel facilities • Delivering a seamless travel experience for our passengers• Harnessing new technology.


We remain concerned, however, at thecurrent proposal to remove from December2008 the direct hourly cross-London serviceto Watford, which provides not only avaluable link to destinations in West London,but also gives those from further afield analternative to travelling via Central London.

Together with the threatened withdrawal at the same time of through Cross Countryservices, this will reduce the range of traveloptions available to our passengers, at a time when Victoria Underground stationfaces a six-year reconstruction programme.We will therefore work with the DfT, trainoperators and other bodies to try and ensureretention of good cross-London and inter-regional train links via the West London linefor Gatwick users.

Coach services Travelling by coach offers passengers a widevariety of routes, competitive prices, highstandards of comfort, assistance withluggage and easy access to services from theairport. Generally speaking, there is capacityon existing coach services and room to growon the existing network. The flexibility of thecoach business means operators can respondmore quickly than rail and bus operators tomarket demands to open up new routes.

Express coach has successfully built up marketshare on certain routes. For example, on theM4 and M40 corridors to the West, SouthWales and West Midlands, coach has a modeshare of 17%, compared to the average of7% for all passengers. This shows what canbe done if a route is successfully targeted and marketed.

The airport is well served by existing rail,coach and bus services but we continue towork with operators to explore new routesand marketing initiatives to drive us towardsthe 40% target.

The growth of low-cost passenger trafficcould be an advantage: these passengersgenerally have less luggage and are morelikely to travel by public transport. The influxof European low-cost carriers also meansthere will be more foreign leisure passengers,the majority of whom are travelling toLondon – hence the need to maintain aquality rail link.

The challenge for public transport is toprovide the right services, running at a timeto suit flight schedules, particularly the earlymorning departures and late evening arrivals.Here the operators face stiff competition fromlocal hotels offering heavily discounted carparking; and, for those not wishing to stayovernight, the prospect of relatively emptyroads during the night time period makesdriving an even more attractive proposition.

Rail servicesMore than three quarters of air passengerstravelling by public transport to Gatwick doso by rail. We will continue to work with therail operators to improve existing services,explore joint marketing opportunities,promote online ticket sales and work withairlines to understand more about theircustomer profiles so timetables can reflect the changing patterns of flight times.

We welcome the recent decision on thefuture of the Gatwick Express that retains a 15 minute non-stop service to London. It means that we can now move forward on the detail and work with the rail industryto make sure it best serves the needs of air passengers.

In particular, we need to assess how thethrough trains to and from Brighton duringthe commuter peaks will be able to continueto provide the same high levels of service forair passengers that the dedicated trainscurrently provide. The type of rolling stock tobe used on these services is critical – not justensuring that adequate seating and luggagecapacity is provided, but also that the doorarrangements are able to cope with the limitedboarding and alighting times at Gatwick.

Looking further ahead we need to ensurethat the retention of the Gatwick Express is preserved in the new Southern franchise due for renewal in 2009.

The issues of improving existing services andopening up new routes are inextricably linkedwith adequate levels of investment in therailway infrastructure. We are working withNetwork Rail to ensure that the currentstation study includes provision not only fordedicated express services to London, butalso safeguards for improved east–west links– in particular a half-hourly frequency on thehighly popular Gatwick–Reading service asenvisaged in the current Greater Western railfranchise specification.

There is also encouraging news to report onthe Thameslink Programme with the recentGovernment go-ahead for this strategic raillink. We welcome this much-needed project,not only in the context of facilitating betternorth–south links to Gatwick, but alsoenhancing the existing service to the City and Kings Cross/St Pancras. The first phase of the programme will see increased capacityin the form of 12-coach services fromDecember 2011.


Developing airport-focused transport solutions• Ensuring the future of Gatwick Express• Promoting London/Brighton and cross-London links • Improving east/west connections• Meeting passenger needs – working with operators to

offer the right product.

20 Gatwick Surface Access Strategy

Figure 10 – Key transport corridors

Public transportCorridor target Action plan

Central London 90% • Keep Gatwick Express as a dedicated premiumbrand for air passengers

• Promote Southern and First Capital Connect ascomplementary services to Victoria and the City

• Closer engagement between airlines and traincompanies to promote London rail connections

• Continue to support the Thameslink programme

Kent 15% • Investigate trialling new coach service(s) toMedway towns and to East Kent

• Work with train operators to promoteGatwick/Tonbridge connections and services toKent via London

Brighton & Hove 50% • Continue promotion of existing network, includingbus/rail deals

• Investigate potential to introduce earlier/latertrain services

Rest of Sussex coast 25% • Joint marketing opportunities with rail and coach operators

M3/A31 20% • Investigate trialling new direct coach service toPoole via the Solent region

• Review business case for Woking/Gatwick railaircoach link

• Joint marketing opportunities with rail and coachoperators

M4/M40 30% • Work with First Great Western to promoteReading/Gatwick link and increase frequency

• Joint marketing opportunities with First GreatWestern/Arriva

• Continue to build on the success of expresscoach along this corridor

Gatwick Surface Access Strategy 21

We will continue to work with Gatwick’sexisting operators – National Express, Go-Ahead’s Airline (Oxford) and Gatwick Flyer(Essex) – to promote a high-quality service to our air passengers and grow the coachmodal share.

We also wish to engage with other marketleaders to promote the potential of Gatwick asa destination and identify synergies betweentheir growth strategies and our corridortargets, particularly towards Kent and downthe M3 corridor to Hampshire and Dorset.

Even in the transport corridors that are wellserved by daytime services, there is thepotential to introduce new early morning or late night services for passengersflying/arriving at either end of the day andemployees working shift patterns.

However, the economics of coach operationsare a potential constraint on the developmentof new routes. We are particularly interestedto see how the coach industry responds to theopportunities that the opening of Heathrow’sTerminal 5 will present, and will explore howthis might improve the economics of coachservices to Gatwick. Specific actions in supportof the corridor targets, which support ourcommitments and obligations, are shown inFigure 10.

Travel corridorsThere will be a particular focus on keytransport corridors. These corridors representour best opportunity to increase mode shareand it makes sense to focus marketing andinvestment opportunities in these key areas,whilst continuing to work on other geographicareas as part of the overall 40% target.

TaxisAlthough not traditionally regarded as publictransport, we are keen to improve thesustainability of this highly flexible mode oftransport. We intend to do this by encouragingoperators to proactively market taxi-sharingand to seek bookings for in-bound journeysto the airport, thereby reducing the numberof empty return taxi movements.

Local busesIn parallel with the promotion of regional and longer distance public transport services,there is a strong focus on developing the localbus network. This is integral to the GatwickCommuter staff travel programme (asdetailed in later pages) but is also aimed atlocal residents that fly in and out of Gatwick.

Development of the flagship Fastway networkas shown in Figure 9 is seen as the key toachieving a real shift in travel behaviour in the local area.


We are committed to working with ourTransport Forum partners to look at ways of further developing the Fastway and localbus network:

• Continue to improve the quality andfrequency of existing services with aparticular focus on early morning, lateevening and weekend services

• Explore potential to extend the Fastwaybrand to Maidenbower, Redhill, EastGrinstead and Horsham

• Where appropriate and where there isthought to be the potential to grow thepublic transport mode share, considerproviding financial support to enable theoperation of services that would nototherwise be commercially viable

• Within the context of the local developmentframeworks, explore the potential for oneor more park-and-ride locations withquality bus links to the airport

• Ensure that on-airport local bus waitingfacilities and supporting road infrastructureare fit-for-purpose, conveniently situatedfor both passengers and staff, equippedwith real-time information and with goodwayfinding to and from the terminals.

As a measure of our support for local busservices, we have waived all local busdeparture charges since 2000 and intend to continue this policy for the time being,subject to operator compliance on engineemissions and other licensing regulations. The value of this concession is estimated to be around £150k per annum, based oncurrent annual movements.

Figure 9 – Fastway network


Incentivising staff to use public transport,car share, cycle or walk to work

Gatwick CommuterWhereas most airport passengers visit theairport once or twice a year, the airport’s25,000 employees work an average ofaround 200 days a year. The total number of journeys made by staff to and from work –around 10 million over a year – makesreducing their road trips a key part of ourfuture plans.

Our strategy for employees focuses onreducing single car occupancy. We will beworking harder to understand the transportneeds of airport employees through on-goingsurveys and by developing closer links withour airlines and other businesses. Many otherlocal businesses are facing similar employeetransport issues to Gatwick and there is scopefor joined-up marketing campaigns to reducecar usage.

Our employee travel plan is encapsulatedwithin the Gatwick Commuter scheme. Ourapproach varies between different corridors.For example in the areas local to Gatwick wehave successfully worked with the localauthorities and bus operator to develop anetwork of bus services to suit employee shiftpatterns. For employees in Brighton and theSouth Coast we have been working toencourage greater use of trains and carsharing. To help us monitor the success ofGatwick Commuter we have agreed threemode share targets for three majorrecruitment areas and will carry out regularstaff surveys to monitor performance (see page 14).

Public transport The development of the highly successfulFastway bus service is a prime example ofwhat can happen when Gatwick, airportemployers, bus companies, businessassociations and local authorities worktogether in sourcing public transport solutions.

Since 2003, we have invested £3 million inthe Fastway 24-hour bus service for employeeswho live in Crawley-Horley. We’ve beenrewarded with a real turnaround in thenumber of employees from these towns (who comprise a third of all airportemployees) using the service. The 2007survey revealed that 18% now use local bus compared to only 5% ten years ago.

The Gatwick Staff Travelcard is a powerfulincentive for staff to use the bus, offering asubstantial discount over standard bus fares.We will continue to work with the operatorto try and ensure continuity of the schemeand to look at ways of refreshing themarketing in order to maintain and increaseawareness of the benefits on offer.

For many employees, the rail network is aconvenient and, with the attractive farediscounts available, affordable way of gettingto work. Staff usage of the rail network ishighest among employees travelling fromCroydon, London and Brighton, withsubstantial numbers also from places likeHorsham and Redhill.

Our task is to build on those trends andencourage more employees, particularly thoseliving along the South Coast, to consider thetrain as a viable alternative to the car.Extending the timetable at either end of theday to better meet air passenger travelrequirements would also benefit staffworking early and late shifts.

As with bus services, all airport staff areeligible for a Gatwick Traincard which gives a34% discount on most train fares across the South East rail network. We will continue towork with the rail operators to promote thescheme to all those working at the airport,which includes bespoke travel leaflets for themost popular residential areas highlightingthe savings in both journey time and travelcosts compared to car.

Car sharing One of the main thrusts of GatwickCommuter is to promote incentives to reduce the number of single occupancy car trips to and from the airport.

The majority of staff working at the airportcurrently benefit from free car parking(although their employers have to pay for thecost of passes). The usage of such spaces ismaximised due to the 24-hour shift workingat the airport, with the result that we onlyneed to provide one space for every 2.5passes issued.

One of the consequences of shift working isthat some people, for example those whowork in our security teams, will still need todrive to work because there are noconvenient buses or train at the times whenthey need to travel to and from work. As aresult, we recognise the need to encouragemore car sharing, and to help us in this wehave recently relaunched our carsharescheme in conjunction with Liftshare.com,which is used by our local authority partners.

Cycling and walking Cycling and walking are small but importantcomponents of our strategy. The Cycling andWalking group of Gatwick’s Transport Forumoversees the development of the localnetwork, including providing cycling facilitiesand publicity material.

Building on the incorporation of nationalcycle route 21 through the airport, weinvestigated the feasibility of establishing adedicated link between North Terminal andLongbridge Roundabout in Horley to enhancethe cycling and pedestrian network. Theworking group will use the results of thestudy to establish a programme to furtherimprove accessibility to Gatwick in line withcurrent and future usage levels.


Managing a dynamic travel plan for employees• Maintaining and promoting a travel plan for the

airport community• Making public transport more competitive – price,

frequency, hours of operation and service proposition• Encouraging car sharing, cycling and walking• Co-ordinating with business partners and the local

community to achieve common goals.


Whilst the major focus of the 2015 strategy ison increasing public transport usage, it is justas important that passengers choosing todrive to the airport are able to arrive anddepart safely and swiftly. Above all, we wishto ensure that growth in airport-related trafficdoes not significantly increase congestioneither on the airport roads or those in theimmediate vicinity.

The car parking section on page 13 looked atthe historic and current situation regardingaccess to and from the airport and plannedworks in the future. Moving forward, ourstrategy is to ensure that the road networksand car parks can cope with our projectedgrowth between now and 2015.

Implementation of highway accessimprovements

• M23 Junction 9 – Work with HighwaysAgency and other stakeholders tounderstand the need for further capacityenhancements and associated investmentprogramme

• M23 Junction 9A – Highways Agency isproposing to install traffic lights and carryout selective widening of approach lanes –implementation planned for 2008/09

• North Terminal Roundabout – completionby Spring 2008 of the A23 link schemethat is currently being progressed withWest Sussex County Council to facilitatelocal bus access to South Terminal whichwill also provide capacity benefits to theroundabout. We will then monitor thetraffic flows around the roundabout todetermine what, if any, additional measuresmay be required to maintain traffic flowsand when such measures might need to be implemented.

Working with regional and local highwayauthorities to secure improvements tostrategic connections and the local roadnetwork

As an airport operator, we have no directcontrol over priorities and investment in theexternal road network. However, we pressthe case for timely investment through ourwork on the Gatwick Area Transport Forumand bodies like the West Sussex EconomicPartnership and the South East EconomicDevelopment Agency.

In this context, continued delays to the much-needed improvements to the A23Handcross/Warninglid section and A27 atWorthing, Arundel and Chichester aredetrimental to the South East economy ingeneral as well as affecting future accessibilityto Gatwick. Both the West Sussex CountyLocal Transport Plan and the RegionalTransport Strategy note the importance ofthese schemes, and whilst the A23 andChichester are now on the list ofgovernment-approved schemes, theextended timeframe for their completion(2011-2016) seems likely to lead to worseningcongestion generally, and delays getting toand from the airport.

In terms of local road access, we will workwith West Sussex County Council and SurreyCounty Council to keep under reviewperformance of the A23 and adjacentjunctions, including the proposed new linkroad to the Perimeter Road.

Ensuring that the development andmanagement of the on-airport roadnetwork supports the sustainablegrowth of the airport

Internal road system For our internal road system, our strategyneeds to complement the growthexpectations of South and North Terminalsrespectively. In conjunction with the airlines,we are looking at alternative growthscenarios for the two terminals and part ofthat process involves considering the surfaceaccess implications of the different options,including the supply and location of futurecar parking capacity. So just as we have anagreed strategy to improve the external linksinto the airport, we are developing a landsideroads strategy to help us develop a coherentapproach to improving access and movementon the internal road network.

South TerminalDevelopment of the South Terminalforecourts is constrained by the railway onone side and the short-stay car parks on theother. The roads are prone to congestion atpeak times, especially during the summer,hence our strategy is to use trafficmanagement to make the most efficient useof the space available, whilst seeking toaccord priority to public transport, andconversely make ‘kiss-and-fly’ a lessconvenient and attractive option. In June2007, we restricted access to the upperforecourt to scheduled coaches, airport taxisand BAA long-stay parking shuttle buses.Private car drop-off takes place on the lowerforecourt with all pick-up traffic diverted tothe short-stay car parks with a new reducedtariff for stays under 15 minutes. We willmonitor the success of this to help plan forthe future.

The long-term development of the forecourtand coach station will be influenced by theoutcome of the Network Rail station studyand lie at the heart of the aspiration todevelop the airport as a major regional Public Transport Interchange.

Objective – Easing congestion by better traffic management andimplementing strategic road improvements


• Implementing highway access improvements• Working with regional and local highway authorities to

improve strategic connections and the local road network • Ensuring that the development and management of the

on-airport road network supports the sustainable growth of the airport

• Pursuing a managed approach to car parking that is builtaround our public transport targets and is consistent withlocal authority policies on off-airport parking.


North Terminal The North Terminal forecourts are less proneto congestion than the South, but facesignificant growth in future years as we workwith the airlines to maximise the capacity ofthe single runway airport. Even with higherpublic transport usage, this will put increasingpressure on the forecourts and car parkaccess routes.

In addition, the performance of the roadsystem is affected by the proximity of theAirport Way roundabout, so we need toconsider the close interaction between thetwo and the proposed capacity enhancementsto the latter.

Road access charging BAA has indicated its support for theintroduction of road access charging as ademand management tool linked to majorairport development.

We are investigating whether it would befeasible to introduce such a scheme atGatwick, but have not yet formulated anyspecific proposals or work programme. If we were to do so, we would consult all therelevant business partners and otherstakeholders before such a scheme wasimplemented. If an airport-specific chargingscheme were to be introduced at Gatwick,funds would be ring-fenced and invested inschemes to facilitate the responsible growthof the airport.

Pursuing a managed approach to carparking that is built around our publictransport targets and is consistent withlocal authority policies on off-airportparking

Page 13 describes the current situationregarding the provision of airport-related carparking, both air passenger and employee. Itis clear that even taking account of the aim togrow the air passenger public transport shareto 40%, the projected growth in passengerswill require additional car parking.

The purpose of this section is to set out ourproposed car parking master plan that willthen form the basis for bringing forwardspecific proposals for when they are required.In addition, we aim to rationalise the planningstatus of the various existing car parking areasin the airport’s north-west zone.

Car parking strategy In moving forwards to 2015, our strategy isguided by the following principles:• Continue to work towards achievement

of our public transport targets • Enable our passengers to enjoy a choice

of travel options and parking products• All additional airport-related car parking

to be accommodated on airport• Make the most efficient use of the

combined on-airport supply – public and staff

• Optimise car parking locations in relation to South and North Terminal demand

• Minimise total vehicle kilometres travelledon-airport

• Restrict access to terminal forecourts byprivate car users

• Encourage pre-booking, but ensuresufficient spaces are available for thosecustomers that turn up on the day

• Implement a charging structure that:– Maximises yield and flexes according to

season and available capacity– Includes a levy on all transactions that is

ring-fenced to finance transport initiativesthat support our surface access targets

– Establishes differential charging for staffparking according to proximity of carpark to workplace and the economicvalue of the land that the spaces occupy.

We need to acknowledge that there is a risk involved in using price to suppress peakdemand. Whilst it tempers on-airportdemand for long-stay parking, and probablydoes influence some people to use publictransport, it also has three potentially adverseconsequences:• Some switch to taxi, doubling the number

of road trips• Some switch to kiss-and-fly, also doubling

road trips (although the intention is torestrict forecourt access for private users inthe future which could put more pressureon short-stay car parks)

• Increased pressure on off-airport sites andencouraging growth in unauthorisedoperations.

Car parking is a residual component that takesinto account our various public transporttargets as well as a drive to restrict anddiscourage kiss-and-fly traffic. Our forecastsalso take into account factors such as lengthof stay, group size, market mix and theimpact of holiday peaks. Using this approach,we estimate that the required scale of publiccar parking provision will be:• In the range 53,000-57,000 long-stay

spaces (combined on- and off-airport)• Around 3,200 short-stay spaces at

South Terminal• Around 2,500 short-stay spaces at

North Terminal.

The detailed assumptions behind theseforecasts and supporting demand/capacityschedules will be contained in asupplementary technical appendix to thisstrategy document, and will be reviewedannually with the local authorities.

There are currently estimated to be around5,000 spaces in a variety of off-airport sitesthat do not have planning permission forairport-related car parking. It is assumed thatbetween now and 2015, the trading standardsagencies will have made progress in clampingdown on such operations. To the extent thatthey succeed, and assuming no increase inauthorised off-airport parking, this will putgreater pressure on the airport to absorbfuture demand.

On the basis of the above forecasts, the on-airport supply may need to increase by10,000 to 12,000 long-stay spaces by 2015depending on the extent of off-airport parkingthat remains. Moreover, if we are to succeedin our objective to locate car parking closer tothe terminal through which our customersare travelling, the focus of these additionalspaces needs to be around South Terminal.

Currently, about 30% of South Terminal’slong-stay demand, requiring about 6,000spaces, needs to be accommodated in thenorth-west zone of the airport which isestimated to add an average 14 kilometres to every return journey made by customersparking there. We therefore intend as part ofour on-going dialogue with local authoritiesto investigate how we can best achieve thisobjective within the confines of the airportboundary and in the context of local land use policies.


Managing the car• Improving access to the airport • Controlling access to forecourts• Tackling ‘kiss-and-fly’• Developing and managing on-airport parking.


Strategic park-and-rideWe remain open to the concept of an airport-related park-and-ride operation at one ormore locations adjacent to the strategichighway network within a 30-45-minutejourney time radius of the airport. They havethe potential to fill the gap that conventionalpublic transport links to the airport are unableto cover on a commercial basis. The onwardjourney to the airport would either be bycoach or, subject to location, rail.

We will work with the Regional Assembly and relevant local authorities to explore thefeasibility of establishing such an operationand synergy with other local transportinitiatives. In the event that any significantairport park-and-ride operation isimplemented within the timescale of thisstrategy, this would be taken into account infuture planning of parking requirements onthe airport.

For short-stay users, we have recentlycompleted a programme of substantial capitalinvestment to refurbish the multi-storey carparks (MSCPs), and we also plan to provideadditional short-stay capacity at NorthTerminal to some 2,500 spaces. We do not currently anticipate the need to createadditional short-stay capacity at SouthTerminal before 2015. However, somemodifications to the layout of the MSCPs may be necessary as a result of the desire toremove kiss-and-fly/meet-and-greet trafficfrom the forecourts. We may also have toexpand the dedicated facilities for railcommuters (in the surface car park in front of the Hilton Hotel) in order to free upcapacity for bona fide airport users.

There are no plans to increase the overallnumber of staff car parking bays, despite aprojected modest increase in the size of theairport workforce as the airport grows to 40million passengers per annum. Instead weanticipate growing use of public transportamong those employees for whom this is arealistic option, plus a sustained drive toencourage more car sharing. We intend topromote the latter by the creation of morededicated car sharing bays with prioritypedestrian access to the terminals orconnecting shuttle services. We also intend to introduce a differential charging policy toemployers that better reflects the value of thespace in relation to its proximity to workplace,and this is expected to provide a furtherincentive to business partners to promote the travel alternatives to their staff.

The main focus of this strategy combinesreducing car dependency among passengersand employees, and ensuring that those whodo travel to the airport by road are able to doso safely, swiftly and with minimal congestion.Having the right roads infrastructure in placeis a key factor in keeping the traffic movingand avoiding unnecessary queuing. At a locallevel, however, there are other measures thatcan be taken to manage vehicle emissions aspart of a strategy to keep air quality withinreasonable limits.

Inclusion of controls in licensing andconcession agreements

Our approach to managing air qualityrecognises the importance of reducing vehicleemissions and encouraging use of cleanerfuels. Airside vehicles are a particular focus(see below). As an airport operator we canexert greatest influence in this area, throughboth vehicle licensing and ensuringcompliance with airfield instructions.

As far as landside operations are concerned,our licensing and concession lettingregulations require public bus and coachoperators, car park and hotel courtesy buses,and airport taxi companies to use modern,low emission or alternative fuel fleets. Wealso encourage drivers of vehicles to switchoff engines whilst stationary.

Reducing total distance travelled withinthe airport complex

One clear way to reduce the contribution ofairport-related vehicles to local emissionsconcentrations is to reduce the total distancetravelled on airport roads. Apart from thegeneral efforts to encourage greater use ofpublic transport and reduce ‘kiss-and-fly’traffic, another area to explore is the potentialfor achieving greater efficiencies in the use of

road space by airport-related activities such as goods deliveries, landside/airside accessprocedures, coach and taxi feeder parks, carrental operations and on-airport car parking. In particular our long-stay car parking strategyseeks to achieve a better geographical balanceof spaces between North Terminal and SouthTerminal to reduce unnecessary mileage. Wewill be looking at this as part of our airportdevelopment plans in partnership with thevarious stakeholders.

Airside vehicle emissions reduction strategyThe emissions inventory for 2002/3,conducted by AEA Technology, identified that airside vehicles and plant contributed an estimated 114 tonnes of NOx (Oxides ofnitrogen), which accounts for approximately6% of airport-related NOx emissions. A widevariety of vehicles operate airside at Gatwick,ranging from small road sweepers that accessthe tightest areas on the airfield to pushbacktugs that manoeuvre some of the airport’slargest aircraft. In 2007 baseline data will becollected on these vehicles to determineaverage mileage, maintenance regimes andtypical emissions figures for each group ofvehicles. Once this baseline is established anemissions reduction strategy will be developedfor implementation in 2008.

The emissions reduction strategy will focus onNOx emissions from airside vehicles to assistReigate and Banstead Borough Council in theirefforts to ensure that air quality standards aremet in designated areas of South Horley. It isintended that the emissions reduction strategywill target specific reductions in airsideemissions. The mechanism to achieve this is in the process of being developed but it isimportant for BAA to quantify the reductionachieved at Gatwick.


Objective – Managing on-site traffic emissions


• Inclusion of controls in licensing and concession agreements• Reducing total distance travelled within the

airport complex.


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Gatwick Surface Access Strategy 3332 Gatwick Surface Access Strategy

The Surface Access Strategy is guided by and elaborates on a series of commitments,prepared in discussion with the localauthorities and other stakeholders. It sets out the policy framework and broadstrategies required to achieve our targets and commitments.*

We have established a monitoring process todemonstrate progress towards meeting thosetargets and identification and delivery ofspecific action plans and remedial measures.The table below illustrates the various datasources and indicators that are used in themonitoring process.

The Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) is theprimary vehicle for reporting progress againstall of BAA Gatwick’s commitments, whichincludes those relating to surface access anddetailing action plans for the coming year.The AMR is subject to independentverification by auditors jointly appointed byWest Sussex County Council, CrawleyBorough Council and BAA Gatwick.

Each year a number of commitments areselected for detailed scrutiny to establishwhether the stated progress was an accuraterecord of what was achieved and whetherthe previous action plan was followed up.

Monitoring progress

Inputs

• CAA air passenger statistics

• BAA market research data

• Staff travel surveys

• Bus, coach and train operator sales

• Traincard/travelcard issues

• Road traffic counters

• Road traffic model

• Car parking transactions

• Car parking occupancy surveys

• Project plans

• Joint working initiatives

Process

• GATCOM

• Transport Forum Steering Group

• AMR audit

Outputs

• Annual Monitoring Report andindependent verification statement

• Corporate Responsibility Report

• Quarterly progress reports toSteering Group and to GATCOM

An Executive Summary of the audit ispublished in the AMR. The AMR issupplemented by interim reports to theTransport Forum Steering Group andGatwick’s Consultative Committee(GATCOM).

We are currently in discussion with the local authorities about the monitoring and reporting requirements that cover the period 2009-2015.

* As this document went to press we were still in the

process of agreeing the revised schedule of surface access

commitments with the local authorities. When that process

has been agreed, we will publish a supplementary note to

the Surface Access Strategy, containing a list of the

updated commitments, together with an explanation of

how they cross-relate to the various strategies, targets and

action plans set out in this document.

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