Why doesn't East Midlands Airport have long distances coach /bus services

[Simon75]

I've noticed East Midlands Airport just has bus services ti local towns/cities eg Derby, Leicester or Nottingham, but no long distance. Coach or bus service?
Any reason why?

 

[m0ffy]

EMA is a peculiar airport. It’s extremely well located and fairly well served by airlines, but onward connectivity is atrocious. Even local buses are weird - some serve the business park, some don’t.

It shouldn’t be that difficult for coaches to serve, it’s right on the motorway!

 

[edwin_m]

Basically it's a "local airport for local people". It's reasonably close to Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and has pretty good bus services to all three, many of which are probably more for employees than for passengers. But landside origins/destinations further away are likely to have much thinner demand, as it starts overlapping with Birmingham, Luton, Leeds/Bradford and Manchester (all of which are better for "business" destinations). So it probably doesn't have much patronage from further away, and those that do use it are probably holidaying families who are more likely to drive.

Hence there's unlikely to be much long-distance land travel to EMA of the sort National Express gets at Heathrow or Gatwick. It's the same reason a shuttle to East Midlands Parkway has been tried but never really (excusing the pun) taken off.

 

[MCR247]

The airports bread and butter is budget flights and holiday sun can’t think of many people who want to travel long distance by train or coach before and after such flights. There’s also probably few destinations served that you’d not find elsewhere, so unlikely that non-locals would use it.

I wouldn’t describe the airport as particularly peculiar other than the difference in the scale and importance of the airport when looking at passenger and cargo operations, which is probably more unusual than peculiar as such.

 

[BranstonJnc]

More importantly, why isn't there a local bus service to East Midlands Parkway station?!

Even an hourly little Optare thingymabob from East Mids Parkway, into Kegworth, down to the Airport, and up to Castle Donington so there's a public transport option for leisure passengers might be very helpful. That you quite literally have to be dropped off or park at East Mids Parkway is quite rubbish.

 

[MCR247]

More importantly, why isn't there a local bus service to East Midlands Parkway station?!

Even an hourly little Optare thingymabob from East Mids Parkway, into Kegworth, down to the Airport, and up to Castle Donington so there's a public transport option for leisure passengers might be very helpful. That you quite literally have to be dropped off or park at East Mids Parkway is quite rubbish.

There was one but unsurprisingly no one used it. An option for leisure passengers going to/from where exactly?

 

[BranstonJnc]

There was one but unsurprisingly no one used it. An option for leisure passengers going to/from where exactly?

I mean, if I live in a large village such as Castle Donington or Kegworth, I should be able to get to East Mids Parkway to get a train to London and onwards on Eurostar, or perhaps up to Luton Airport, or something equivalent.

 

[edwin_m]

I mean, if I live in a large village such as Castle Donington or Kegworth, I should be able to get to East Mids Parkway to get a train to London and onwards on Eurostar, or perhaps up to Luton Airport, or something equivalent.

The Parkway is served by Nottsbus On Demand (no idea how useful they are in practice): https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/...nottsbus-on-demand-zones/west-rushcliffe-zone

 

[BranstonJnc]

The Parkway is served by Nottsbus On Demand (no idea how useful they are in practice): https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/...nottsbus-on-demand-zones/west-rushcliffe-zone

I do occasionally see it, but I would have thought a scheduled service would be best.

 

[station_road]

I mean, if I live in a large village such as Castle Donington or Kegworth, I should be able to get to East Mids Parkway to get a train to London and onwards on Eurostar, or perhaps up to Luton Airport, or something equivalent.

You would already have buses to Derby, Loughborough, Leicester (and Long Eaton from Castle Donington)

 

[Nottingham59]

if I live in a large village such as Castle Donington or Kegworth, I should be able to get to East Mids Parkway to get a train to London and onwards on Eurostar, or perhaps up to Luton Airport, or something equivalent

That's what the station car park is for.

And at £8 per day to park there, there's no incentive for the ToC to encourage better local bus services

 

[30907]

Checking NX departures from Derby, only one route goes near EMA and that serves Loughborough, Leicester, MK and London.

MK customers are far more likely to use Luton and as for London....