Canada Line | Completed

[WaxItYourself]

Originally Posted by lightrail

Apples and Oranges.

The Canada Line is a Subway Line, not a dedicated airport trains service. People using it will get crammed on crowded trains just like everybody else.

London Underground, Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 and the fare is four pounds sterling from central London, same as for all other destinations in zone 6. Travelcards and passes are valid with no surcharges. There are three underground stations serving the Heathrow passenger terminals and one underground station serving the cargo area.

Chicago O'Hare is connected via the Blue Line. The fare is the same as the rest of the Subway system $2.25 flat fare. No surcharge to go to the airport.

Atlanta is connected by Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit rail lines. The fare is a flat $2.00 same as the rest of the area served by MARTA - no surcharges.

Portland airport is connect by the red MAX line. It is in zone three and cost $2.30 form downtown Portland - same as all other three zone destinations. There is no surcharge.

Some examples of subways/LRT connecting the airport to the city. I've not included dedicated rail services, such as Heathrow Express or the JFK Airtrain because they are dedicated purpose built people-movers for the airport only.

The point is - I don't know of another rapid transit line (subway/LRT) that imposes a surcharge for going to the airport.

Second, I don't like the half-assed why it appears to be implemented. Can only buy it as an add-fare and can only buy it from a machine on the Canada Line.

I think it is going to be so unpopular and hard to administer that Translink will drop it - but not until after the cash-cow of the Olympic Games.

Also the comment that Seattle LRT doesn't serve the airport because it requires a walk on a walkway to the terminal is just really stretching it. Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are served by a single Underground station and the walk is longer than at SeaTac to any of the terminals.

We have to remember that by this time or soon they are going to have the card readers in use. I'm sure that the technology will be built into the card readers that can determine how much the entire fair for the airport, including the addon fare, will cost.