In message , Ian F.
writes

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...

Why? The direct service is 22 minutes (no changing).

It doesn't seem on the map http://www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr/pdf/network/zones.pdf
as though there is a direct service.

I suspect that map was produced before the service pattern was
determined. It has now been decided to run direct services between Bank
and LCY:

http://developments.dlr.co.uk/extens..._pattern.shtml

If so, that makes a difference, yes.

It should do - direct services will run every 10 minutes for much of the
working day, which is a better frequency than any of the Heathrow,
Stansted or Gatwick expresses (and every 14-16 minutes before 9.30 or
after 16.30).

You can get from Bank to Gatwick or Heathrow in less than 22 minutes?
boggle

Heh! No, but it would take me 30 mins to get to Bank and then another,
allegedly, 22 to get to LC. I can get to Gatwick by overground train in
about 30 minutes.

Well, it was you who suggested Bank - obviously, if you live or work
closer to another airport, it is likely to be quicker to get to that
one!

I suspect that much of LCY's traffic emanates from the City, Docklands,
and the areas between and around (Bow, Stratford, inner Essex, etc). For
them, I can see the DLR extension being extremely worthwhile.

--
Paul Terry

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...

Well, it was you who suggested Bank - obviously, if you live or work
closer to another airport, it is likely to be quicker to get to that one!

Of course! But I'm glad there will be an easier way to get to LCY just in
case.

Thanks to all for the responses.

Ian

In message , Paul Terry
writes
It should do - direct services will run every 10 minutes for much of
the working day, which is a better frequency than any of the Heathrow,
Stansted or Gatwick expresses (and every 14-16 minutes before 9.30 or
after 16.30).

Yes, but it's not an express. So a fairer comparison would be the total
number of trains. From Gatwick there are 12 trains/hour to London,
from Luton Airport Parkway to London around 7 trains/hour, so both have
a higher frequency.

I've used LCY several times and like the airport, but the new service
will only change it from being extremely hard to get to, to being very
hard to get to. That's an improvement, but not much.


--
Clive Page

In message , Clive Page
writes

In message , Paul Terry
writes

It should do - direct services will run every 10 minutes for much of
the working day, which is a better frequency than any of the Heathrow,
Stansted or Gatwick expresses (and every 14-16 minutes before 9.30 or
after 16.30).

Yes, but it's not an express. So a fairer comparison would be the
total number of trains. From Gatwick there are 12 trains/hour to
London, from Luton Airport Parkway to London around 7 trains/hour, so
both have a higher frequency.

If frequency is the deciding factor, LCY will actually be getting 12
trains an hour - 6 direct, and 6 involving a change at Canning Town. In
a few more years the latter will provide interchange with a large number
of other mainline and tube services crossing London, including the
Central line, CTRL, (eventually) Crossrail, and SET at Woolwich. Its
likely that the LCY will thus become increasingly useful for a growing
number of people.

I've used LCY several times and like the airport, but the new service
will only change it from being extremely hard to get to, to being very
hard to get to. That's an improvement, but not much.

Surely that depends on where you are coming from? A colleague of mine
who lives in Limehouse and flies frequently from LCY will find it a huge
improvement. On the other hand, I live close enough to Heathrow to find
LCY pretty much of an irrelevance.

--
Paul Terry

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...
In message , Ian F.
writes


Well, it was you who suggested Bank - obviously, if you live or work
closer to another airport, it is likely to be quicker to get to that one!


And hundreds of thousands of people in London live closer to City Airport
than to Gatwick, but will still find it quicker to get to Gatwick.

The 22 minutes from Bank seems pretty slow compared to East Croydon to
Gatwick which covers a greater distance in much less time.

BTN

In message , Sir Benjamin Nunn
writes

And hundreds of thousands of people in London live closer to City Airport
than to Gatwick, but will still find it quicker to get to Gatwick.

Only if they live adjacent to East Croydon station.

The 22 minutes from Bank seems pretty slow compared to East Croydon to
Gatwick which covers a greater distance in much less time.

The time varies between 15 and 22 minutes according to which train you
get.

But I think you are rather missing the point. London City Airport is
so-called because it operates primarily for people working in the city
and docklands.

--
Paul Terry

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...
In message , Sir Benjamin Nunn
writes

And hundreds of thousands of people in London live closer to City Airport
than to Gatwick, but will still find it quicker to get to Gatwick.

Only if they live adjacent to East Croydon station.


Or almost anywhere on the London Bridge / Victoria / Clapham Junction lines.
or Tramlink.

Lots of people South of the river do not live near Underground stations.
Still fewer live near Underground stations with quick, direct routes into
the centre.


The 22 minutes from Bank seems pretty slow compared to East Croydon to
Gatwick which covers a greater distance in much less time.

The time varies between 15 and 22 minutes according to which train you
get.

But I think you are rather missing the point. London City Airport is
so-called because it operates primarily for people working in the city and
docklands.


And thus is vastly more useful for people who are visiting London (and
tending to stay in the centre) rather than those who already live here and
are travelling to Europe.

People who work in the City commute from a vast range of different places
from all directions, varied distances and travelling times from the centre,
and an airport 22 minutes East of Bank is therefore only of convenience to a
limited subset of them.

If City Airport was actually 22 minutes West of Holborn, 22 minutes North of
Euston, or 22 minutes South of Embankment, the impact on visitors to Central
London would be minimal, but the subset of Londoners that the airport
happened to benefit would be significantly different.

BTN

In message , Sir Benjamin Nunn
writes

Or almost anywhere on the London Bridge / Victoria / Clapham Junction lines.
or Tramlink.

London Bridge to Gatwick is 29 minutes.

London Bridge to LCY will be 24 minutes (allowing 5 minutes for the
change at Canning Town).

Obviously, if you are nearer to a Brighton-line station then Gatwick
will be the better option.

And thus is vastly more useful for people who are visiting London (and
tending to stay in the centre) rather than those who already live here and
are travelling to Europe.

It depends entirely on where such people live. If they live near Luton,
Stansted or Heathrow, any of those are likely to be a better option than
London City or Gatwick.

People who work in the City commute from a vast range of different places
from all directions, varied distances and travelling times from the centre,
and an airport 22 minutes East of Bank is therefore only of convenience to a
limited subset of them.

Exactly. That's why London has 5 airports - to cater for as many subsets
as possible. LCY will get increasingly better connected (even to South
London) in a few years time, when the branch is extended south to
Woolwich Arsenal and north to Stratford International. Even more so when
Crossrail is built.

If City Airport was actually 22 minutes West of Holborn, 22 minutes North of
Euston, or 22 minutes South of Embankment, the impact on visitors to Central
London would be minimal, but the subset of Londoners that the airport
happened to benefit would be significantly different.

But its not, is it? I can't really see what your point is, other than
the obvious one that different airports are closer to different groups
of people in the London area.

--
Paul Terry

"Paul Terry" wrote in message
...

Obviously, if you are nearer to a Brighton-line station then Gatwick
will be the better option.

Unless you want to go to Paris, in which case forget about Gatwick!

In message , Vernon writes

Unless you want to go to Paris, in which case forget about Gatwick!

Some decades ago there used to be a wonderful "hedge-hopper" service
from Gatwick to Le Touquet (twin-engined prop, as I recall, which hardly
had time to rise more than a few thousand feet before beginning the
descent). It was met by a train on the tarmac at Le Touquet that sped to
Paris, with only a brief stop at Amiens. It was the bee's knees in terms
of speed and low cost in those days - probably faster than anything
available today, given the almost instantaneous check-in and go.

--
Paul Terry