Thursday, 12 June 2008

Tech

5 to 123

I love TransportDirect. Having all the UK's public transport timetables in once place is a fantastic resource. It's vital in planning how to get back to the car at the end of a long walk. As will all route planners, sometimes its suggestions are a little out. I've never seen anything as bad as this though.

According to the website, a journey from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Heathrow Central Bus Station will take two and a half hours. The first step is to walk from Terminal 5 to Terminal 1. The website believes you can cover this mile and a half in 14 minutes - which perhaps you could if it was OK to walk along the runway. Once there, it suggests two trains (via Hayes and Reading) and a bus to get back to the very spot where you're standing. Finally it allows 20 minutes to walk across the road to the bus station.

Or you could just take the Heathrow Express. It'll take five minutes.

Software doesn't always get it right.

To try this for yourself, go to Transport Direct, click "Find a Train", use "Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 Rail Station" as the start point and "Heathrow Airport Central Bus Stn (Rail-air)" as the destination. An alternative route suggested goes via London and Watford while a third takes you via Woking.

At least visitors will get tour a small part of the south-east while in transit between terminals.

Posted by pab at 18:47 | Comments will be back later in the year. Please email me instead!