Article from BTNews 18 JULY 2016
UK focus for air-rail meeting
Representatives from Luton Airport, which is planning a new mass-transit link for passengers (BTN 18 April), and the Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express rail services are among speakers lined up for the Global AirRail 2016 conference in Helsinki from 9-11 November.
Implications for air passengers of HS2, plus air-rail developments at other UK airports, will be part of the agenda, along with details of similar works in progress around the world.
A particular focus will be the host city’s Ring Rail Line, which began operating a year ago connecting the main airport with Helsinki and the city of Vantaa.
Construction on the €774m (about £640m) project began in 2009, with the costs shared among the Finnish Transport Agency, the city of Vantaa and the national airport operator Finavia, with support from the EU.
The construction involved building 18km of new track, 8km of which is in a tunnel.
Five new stations – Vehkala, Kivistö, Aviapolis, Airport and Leinelä – were built, connecting two existing railway lines and creating a loop between Helsinki and the airport itself.
Also under discussion will be Milan’s new 15km Metro Line 4, known as the Blue Line, which will link Linate Airport with Lorenteggio, and will be built entirely underground.
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