Transport to and from the airport is an essential component of air travel, but until recently rail planning has been viewed somewhat independently of strategies for hub airports and airport expansion more generally. Rail has not been integrated with air transport into a "seamless", multi-modal transport system. This paper reports on the results of a survey of railway operators and airport authorities. Fifty-nine airport-Central Business District (CBD) links have been identified world-wide and a two-stage, mail-out questionnaire survey has been piloted and implemented. The characteristics of rail operations linking airports with their urban hinterlands are described. Connectivity, interchange, accessibility, market potential and the existence of competing modes are critical success factors. Institutional arrangements and decision making frameworks for new airport rail infrastructure are examined in the context of external factors, such as globalisation, corporatisation, competitive privatisation and sustainable transport systems. (A)
Abstract