Carousel brings back airport service
Go-Ahead-owned Carousel Buses is once again running its Heathrow Airport service, providing a link for workers and passengers on the A40 corridor.
It has partnered with Heathrow Airport again to extend the Chiltern Hundreds 102 service to reintroduce direct links between High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and Uxbridge and the airport. The service includes very early morning and late-night journeys providing useful links for both airport workers and travellers.
Buses operate via a fast, limited-stop route between Uxbridge and Heathrow Central Bus Station, calling at The Greenway, Lees Road and Stockley Park bus stops. It also serves the new Wilton Park housing development in Beaconsfield.
The return of the extension of the Chiltern Hundreds 102 service was again made possible thanks to financial support from Heathrow Airport, as part of its commitment to encourage more people to travel to the airport via sustainable modes. The previous service to Heathrow had to be suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“As the airport grows back, we want to see an increase in the number of people using public transport, compared with pre-Covid levels” – Matthew Wooll, Route Development Lead at Heathrow Airport
Matthew Wooll, Route Development Lead at Heathrow Airport, said: “The re-extension of route 102 beyond Uxbridge is a great way for Heathrow’s passengers and colleagues to get to the airport more sustainably.
“As the airport grows back, we want to see an increase in the number of people using public transport, compared with pre-Covid levels. The 102 fills one of the strategic gaps in Heathrow’s bus and coach network and the very early start and late finish will reduce the need to use private transport. We are also pleased to see some great-value tickets for regular travellers on route 102, which makes working at Heathrow even more attractive.”
“As the travel and transport industries continue to bounce back from the pandemic it is great to be able to re-introduce this important service for passengers and make bus travel more accessible and convenient” – Luke Marion, Interim Managing Director at Carousel Buses
Luke Marion, Interim Managing Director at Carousel Buses, said: “This is fantastic news for airport workers and passengers living in the Chilterns. As the travel and transport industries continue to bounce back from the pandemic it is great to be able to re-introduce this important service for passengers and make bus travel more accessible and convenient.
“This is the best way to access the airport on the A40 corridor and the return of the service would not have been possible without the support of Heathrow Airport to help address the challenges around improving public transport mode share to the site. It further highlights what can be achieved by bus operators when external funding support is provided by key stakeholders.”