On a recent trip through Stansted, I happened to get a position at the
front of the little transit train on the way to Satellite 2 so I whipped
out my pocket camera and took a few pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

While waiting for the delayed flight in the Satellite, I realised that the
long underground transit ride had actualy brought us back to a satellite
pier that's also connected directly to the terminal building with a
walkway. I was, of course, aware that the underground route has a long
curve, but hadn't realised that it takes you almost back to where you
started. It's certainly an unusual route for an airport satellite pier
shuttle, and the convulated route seems to be based on the original plan
for another satellite pier where the cargo terminal now stands.

Stansted has one passenger terminal with three satellite piers as well as a
nearby freight terminal. All passenger gates are on the satellites, not the
main terminal building. The three satellites are each connected to the
terminal in a different way:

- Starting at the north east, Satellite 3 is used by international flights
using gates 40-59. It's connected to the righthand corner of the terminal
by an up-down dog-leg passage, used by all passengers. The transit is not
used. I think this spartan satellite is used exclusively by Ryanair.

- The centre Satellite 2 is used by both domestic (gates 81-88) and
international (gates 20-39) flights. The domestic gates are closest to the
terminal, and passengers access the terminal using a straight, direct
overhead walkway, not the transit. But the international gates further
along the satellite are accessed by the underground transit which follows a
long J-shaped route to get there.

- The southwest Satellite is remote from the terminal. Its international
gates 1-19 can be accessed only via the transit.

- The cargo terminal is further to the southwest. It doesn't have a transit
station, but perhaps surprisingly, the transit passes underneath it, and
could easily have a station had another passenger satellite been built
there.


So, when you set off from the terminal, you descend into the tunnel,
heading southwest, passing just underneath the walkway to Satellite 2. As
you enter the tunnel portal, you're just passing the end of Satellite 1
(but can't see it).

The tunnel then continues straight for some distance, taking you under the
southern end of the cargo terminal. It then has a long 180 degree bend,
after which you pass back under the cargo terminal, heading northeast. This
is where there could have been a station had another (fourth) passenger
satellite been built, as BAA originally intended.

The line continues underground, under Apron A, heading northeast, until you
get to the station under Satellite 1. It then continues in a straight line
under Apron B, to Satellite 2, the final station. At this point, almost two
miles after you started on the transit journey, you're within 150m of the
starting station at the terminal. You could have walked it quicker!

The transit then crosses over to the other tunnel, and retraces its journey
for arriving passengers, again taking them on a two mile journey to cover
the direct distance of about 150m to the arrivals station at the terminal
(which is just along from the departures station).

This map (from Wikipedia) makes it clearer:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

Stansted is running at well below its runway capacity. If it ever grows to
need more passenger terminal capacity, it will simply need a new, fourth
satellite replacing the current cargo terminal, with a station on the
transit line running directly underneath. There's plenty of room to move
the cargo handling area to the west, or north of the runway.

On 30/04/2018 23:36, Recliner wrote:
On a recent trip through Stansted, I happened to get a position at the
front of the little transit train on the way to Satellite 2 so I whipped
out my pocket camera and took a few pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

While waiting for the delayed flight in the Satellite, I realised that the
long underground transit ride had actualy brought us back to a satellite
pier that's also connected directly to the terminal building with a
walkway. I was, of course, aware that the underground route has a long
curve, but hadn't realised that it takes you almost back to where you
started. It's certainly an unusual route for an airport satellite pier
shuttle, and the convulated route seems to be based on the original plan
for another satellite pier where the cargo terminal now stands.

Stansted has one passenger terminal with three satellite piers as well as a
nearby freight terminal. All passenger gates are on the satellites, not the
main terminal building. The three satellites are each connected to the
terminal in a different way:

- Starting at the north east, Satellite 3 is used by international flights
using gates 40-59. It's connected to the righthand corner of the terminal
by an up-down dog-leg passage, used by all passengers. The transit is not
used. I think this spartan satellite is used exclusively by Ryanair.

- The centre Satellite 2 is used by both domestic (gates 81-88) and
international (gates 20-39) flights. The domestic gates are closest to the
terminal, and passengers access the terminal using a straight, direct
overhead walkway, not the transit. But the international gates further
along the satellite are accessed by the underground transit which follows a
long J-shaped route to get there.

- The southwest Satellite is remote from the terminal. Its international
gates 1-19 can be accessed only via the transit.

- The cargo terminal is further to the southwest. It doesn't have a transit
station, but perhaps surprisingly, the transit passes underneath it, and
could easily have a station had another passenger satellite been built
there.


So, when you set off from the terminal, you descend into the tunnel,
heading southwest, passing just underneath the walkway to Satellite 2. As
you enter the tunnel portal, you're just passing the end of Satellite 1
(but can't see it).

The tunnel then continues straight for some distance, taking you under the
southern end of the cargo terminal. It then has a long 180 degree bend,
after which you pass back under the cargo terminal, heading northeast. This
is where there could have been a station had another (fourth) passenger
satellite been built, as BAA originally intended.

The line continues underground, under Apron A, heading northeast, until you
get to the station under Satellite 1. It then continues in a straight line
under Apron B, to Satellite 2, the final station. At this point, almost two
miles after you started on the transit journey, you're within 150m of the
starting station at the terminal. You could have walked it quicker!

The transit then crosses over to the other tunnel, and retraces its journey
for arriving passengers, again taking them on a two mile journey to cover
the direct distance of about 150m to the arrivals station at the terminal
(which is just along from the departures station).

This map (from Wikipedia) makes it clearer:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

Stansted is running at well below its runway capacity. If it ever grows to
need more passenger terminal capacity, it will simply need a new, fourth
satellite replacing the current cargo terminal, with a station on the
transit line running directly underneath. There's plenty of room to move
the cargo handling area to the west, or north of the runway.


Wasn't the original idea that it would form a closed loop when/if they
built a 4th satellite at the right hand end?

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read.

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:36:36 on Mon, 30 Apr 2018, Recliner
remarked:
On a recent trip through Stansted, I happened to get a position at the
front of the little transit train on the way to Satellite 2 so I whipped
out my pocket camera and took a few pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

While waiting for the delayed flight in the Satellite, I realised that the
long underground transit ride had actualy brought us back to a satellite
pier that's also connected directly to the terminal building with a
walkway. I was, of course, aware that the underground route has a long
curve, but hadn't realised that it takes you almost back to where you
started.

It's fairly obvious where the satellites are relative to the main
building (by looking out of the window!), so I'm surprised at your
surprise.

It's certainly an unusual route for an airport satellite pier
shuttle, and the convulated route seems to be based on the original plan
for another satellite pier where the cargo terminal now stands.

Did you take a picture of the track from the portal to where the curve
begins, because that would be the most unexpected part for most
travellers.

Stansted has one passenger terminal with three satellite piers as well as a
nearby freight terminal. All passenger gates are on the satellites, not the
main terminal building. The three satellites are each connected to the
terminal in a different way:

- Starting at the north east, Satellite 3 is used by international flights
using gates 40-59. It's connected to the righthand corner of the terminal
by an up-down dog-leg passage, used by all passengers. The transit is not
used. I think this spartan satellite is used exclusively by Ryanair.

That satellite used to be just the shed at the end (in fact, I think a
predecessor of that shed). It was built for BA's low cost airline 'Go'
and the only way to reach it was by bus from where the current walkway
departs the main terminal.

In the mean time, it's been extended to make a more conventional
terminal.

--
Roland Perry

In message , at 07:39:50 on Tue, 1 May 2018,
Graeme Wall remarked:

Wasn't the original idea that it would form a closed loop when/if they
built a 4th satellite at the right hand end?

You'd need another huge ramp, and portals, though.
--
Roland Perry

In uk.railway Recliner wrote:
Stansted is running at well below its runway capacity. If it ever grows to
need more passenger terminal capacity, it will simply need a new, fourth
satellite replacing the current cargo terminal, with a station on the
transit line running directly underneath. There's plenty of room to move
the cargo handling area to the west, or north of the runway.

There's a plan to build a new arrivals terminal, to the northeast of the
current terminal building:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-39507329

That will presumably mean some rejigging of pier walkways, or else another
stop on the transit (it's roughly where the depot is now).

It will presumably also block any attempts to extend the Stansted railway
branch eastwards.

Theo

On 01/05/2018 07:55, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 07:39:50 on Tue, 1 May 2018,
Graeme Wall remarked:

Wasn't the original idea that it would form a closed loop when/if they
built a 4th satellite at the right hand end?

You'd need another huge ramp, and portals, though.

True, but not that difficult in the scheme of things.

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read.

In message , at 09:07:47 on Tue,
1 May 2018, Theo remarked:
In uk.railway Recliner wrote:
Stansted is running at well below its runway capacity. If it ever grows to
need more passenger terminal capacity, it will simply need a new, fourth
satellite replacing the current cargo terminal, with a station on the
transit line running directly underneath. There's plenty of room to move
the cargo handling area to the west, or north of the runway.

There's a plan to build a new arrivals terminal, to the northeast of the
current terminal building:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-39507329

That will presumably mean some rejigging of pier walkways, or else another
stop on the transit (it's roughly where the depot is now).

The new terminal is alongside the tracks from the current terminal to
the depot. In practice they could keep the current arrivals station, and
filter people into the new terminal instead of the old. The full plans
are doubtless online, for anyone interested.

It will presumably also block any attempts to extend the Stansted railway
branch eastwards.

More than the Radisson already does? And even with the station at such a
low level. Where would the branch extend to, anyway?

--
Roland Perry

On Tue, 1 May 2018 07:43:08 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:36:36 on Mon, 30 Apr 2018, Recliner
remarked:
On a recent trip through Stansted, I happened to get a position at the
front of the little transit train on the way to Satellite 2 so I whipped
out my pocket camera and took a few pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

While waiting for the delayed flight in the Satellite, I realised that the
long underground transit ride had actualy brought us back to a satellite
pier that's also connected directly to the terminal building with a
walkway. I was, of course, aware that the underground route has a long
curve, but hadn't realised that it takes you almost back to where you
started.

It's fairly obvious where the satellites are relative to the main
building (by looking out of the window!), so I'm surprised at your
surprise.

It was the underground route of the shuttle that surprised me: I
hadn't realised it went past and under the cargo terminal. Also, I'd
not previously noticed that Satellite 2 had a direct walkway to the
terminal; I'd always assumed it was further to the southwest.


It's certainly an unusual route for an airport satellite pier
shuttle, and the convulated route seems to be based on the original plan
for another satellite pier where the cargo terminal now stands.

Did you take a picture of the track from the portal to where the curve
begins, because that would be the most unexpected part for most
travellers.

Yes, it turns out that I did:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/41108679764/in/album-72157668434701408/lightbox/


Stansted has one passenger terminal with three satellite piers as well as a
nearby freight terminal. All passenger gates are on the satellites, not the
main terminal building. The three satellites are each connected to the
terminal in a different way:

- Starting at the north east, Satellite 3 is used by international flights
using gates 40-59. It's connected to the righthand corner of the terminal
by an up-down dog-leg passage, used by all passengers. The transit is not
used. I think this spartan satellite is used exclusively by Ryanair.

That satellite used to be just the shed at the end (in fact, I think a
predecessor of that shed). It was built for BA's low cost airline 'Go'
and the only way to reach it was by bus from where the current walkway
departs the main terminal.

In the mean time, it's been extended to make a more conventional
terminal.

Ah, I wasn't aware of that. I seldom use Stansted, and never used Go.

On 01 May 2018 09:07:47 +0100 (BST), Theo
wrote:

In uk.railway Recliner wrote:
Stansted is running at well below its runway capacity. If it ever grows to
need more passenger terminal capacity, it will simply need a new, fourth
satellite replacing the current cargo terminal, with a station on the
transit line running directly underneath. There's plenty of room to move
the cargo handling area to the west, or north of the runway.

There's a plan to build a new arrivals terminal, to the northeast of the
current terminal building:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-39507329

The article says, "Stansted will be the only airport in the UK
operating dedicated arrivals and departures terminals". That's only
half-true, as LHR T3 has long done exactly that.


That will presumably mean some rejigging of pier walkways, or else another
stop on the transit (it's roughly where the depot is now).

Wouldn't they just move the arrival stop on the transit to the
northwest to be in front of the new building, where the depot is now,
and move the depot further to the northwest?

The larger terminal buildings could handle more flights, possibly
making it worth adding another passenger satellite where the freight
terminal is now (and creating a new freight terminal somewhere else).
That could increase gates and capacity by a third, without having to
extend the transit line; all that would be needed would be a new
station where the line already passes under the location of the new
satellite.

It would also be possible for the new fourth satellite to be aimed at
full-service airlines, with proper air bridges, business class
lounges, etc, leaving the existing three satellites purely for lo-cos.

In message , at 14:18:29 on
Tue, 1 May 2018, Recliner remarked:
On Tue, 1 May 2018 07:43:08 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:36:36 on Mon, 30 Apr 2018, Recliner
remarked:
On a recent trip through Stansted, I happened to get a position at the
front of the little transit train on the way to Satellite 2 so I whipped
out my pocket camera and took a few pictures.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/sets/72157668434701408

While waiting for the delayed flight in the Satellite, I realised that the
long underground transit ride had actualy brought us back to a satellite
pier that's also connected directly to the terminal building with a
walkway. I was, of course, aware that the underground route has a long
curve, but hadn't realised that it takes you almost back to where you
started.

It's fairly obvious where the satellites are relative to the main
building (by looking out of the window!), so I'm surprised at your
surprise.

It was the underground route of the shuttle that surprised me: I
hadn't realised it went past and under the cargo terminal.

I'm becoming less and less convinced it does.

Also, I'd not previously noticed that Satellite 2 had a direct walkway
to the terminal; I'd always assumed it was further to the southwest.

Again, you can see it out of the terminal window!

It's certainly an unusual route for an airport satellite pier
shuttle, and the convulated route seems to be based on the original plan
for another satellite pier where the cargo terminal now stands.

Did you take a picture of the track from the portal to where the curve
begins, because that would be the most unexpected part for most
travellers.

Yes, it turns out that I did:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...um-72157668434
701408/lightbox/

It's difficult to see the distance, and is it really further from the
portal to the start of the bend, as from the station to the portal (as
suggested by some mapping sources)?

--
Roland Perry