RailAir
RailAir describes a number of airport bus and coach services designed to connect the National Rail network to airports in the United Kingdom. Services are currently concentrated on Heathrow Airport, with one other from Luton Airport. RailAir services are operated as public transport services by or on behalf of train operators, where the whole journey is paid for as a through ticket which combines the railway and bus journey,[1][2] although journeys can be made using the bus only.[1] As such, many are operated where the train and bus operator are owned by the same company.
History
National Bus Company era
Railair services originated as a partnership between the nationalised bus operator, the National Bus Company, and the nationalised rail operator, British Rail, under the Railair Link brand name.
In
From 1967, Thames Valley Traction,[3] (later Alder Valley[4]), operated a Railair Link coach between Heathrow and Reading station in a yellow striped livery as route X25,[5] and later in National Bus Company coach livery.[3] A Railair Link service was also operated by coach operator Rickards from Heathrow to Woking.[6]
Post deregulation
After
Privatised
The Woking to Heathrow service was operated by Speedlink Airport Services in a blue livery. Speedlink was later sold to National Express, which operated it in a light blue version of their 2003 livery,[9][10] in conjunction with Stagecoach's South West Trains subsidiary,[11] also with branding promoting rail connections to the South West.
In 2006
Current services
RailAir is used as a generic term for these services by the public and airline operators, such as
With the exception of
In 2008 National Express dropped the smile livery for a group wide re-branding, thus more normally National Express are running the route. In July 2019
| Brand | Number | Airport | Railway Station | Rail operator | Bus operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feltham Railair | 490
|
Heathrow
|
Feltham | South Western Railway | Abellio London )
|
| Rail Air | RA1 (previously X25) | Heathrow | Reading | Great Western Railway | First Berkshire & The Thames Valley
|
| Rail Air | RA2 | Heathrow | Guildford and Woking | South Western Railway | First Berkshire & The Thames Valley |
| Rail Air | RA3 | Heathrow | Watford Junction | First Berkshire & The Thames Valley |
See also
References
- ^ a b c British Airways Terminal 5 Railair services summary page
- ^ "Airport links page giving details of through ticketing". Archived from the original on 10 March 2008.
- ^ a b History of Reading Railair
- ^ "WJM810T Heathrow". 5 November 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ "HJB467W Heathrow 03/04/82". 4 February 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ "Heathrow terminal 3". 5 November 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ First Railair About Us page
- ^ "Reading Station". 24 August 2006. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Image of a National Express liveried Woking to Heathrow Railair coach, service 701
- ^ "Railair". 20 October 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- ^ Railair Woking service timetable with South West Trains and National Express branding
- ^ Rail Britain News Virgin ExpressCoach launch
- ^ Oxford Chiltern bus page - Friday 20 June 2008 Accessed 18 August 2008.
- ^ Virgin ExpressCoach hompeage
- ^ First RailAir expands with a second service Coach & Bus Week issue 1391 30 April 2019 page 11
- ^ First Group RailAir 2 Extension to Woking