Who subsides the Prestwick Airport discount?

[jamesontheroad]

Well. Not much left to write in the post, the title says it all

Passengers with a valid flight ticket or itinerary on any flight departing from or arriving at Prestwick International Airport can claim a 50% discount on an Anytime Single fare between the airport and any station in Scotland. Very handy, means I pay only £3.20 to get there from my suburban station in Glasgow. But who subsidises this? Infratil (the airport's owners) or Scotrail?

Presumably the biggest possible saving would be Prestwick Airport to Wick, £30.20 instead of £60.40...

 

[LondonLarry]

There probably isn't a subsidy. The airport (and possibly the airlines) will promote ScotRail and probably chuck in some joint advertising too. Most TOCs will see this as 'some revenue is better than none'. If they're a tourist, it may even entice them to try more ScotRail services whilst they stay.

 

[kkong]

Infratil and ScotRail are not the best of friends!

Prestwick station is unique in Scotland in that it is privately owned and operated.

In September 1999, an agreement (the Discounted Travel Scheme Agreement) was entered into between PIK Facilities Limited, the train operator at the time (ScotRail Railways Limited) and Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive. This agreement set up a system of discounted railway tickets for those passengers using the airport. In addition, under this agreement. there was a revenue share arrangement providing for PIK Facilities Limited to receive 36% of the revenue collected by the train operator from airline ticket holders using the train service to and from the airport.

That scheme ended in 2004, however.


See the correspondence at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.225

 

[jamesontheroad]

Whoa. I'd need a lawyer to explain all that paperwork I think I should just be grateful the deal still exists (and that ScotRail still stop at the airport station!)

Thanks!