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by \oel IVIllicr
FOR THE first time in its 75year history the British International Motor Show has moved from London to Birmingham, in the heart of England. Also for the first time in its history, the Commercial Motor Show has been combined with the car show to provide possibly Britain's largest motor industry attraction ever.
Birmingham was chosen for the site of the new National Exhibition Centre because it has good communications not only with the rest of the country but with Europe too. If the crowd levels for the 1 978 Motor Show reach expectations, these communications will be tested to the full.
West Midlands Police and the NEC are treating the Motor Show as the largest traffic and parking management challenge ever in Britain. Radio stations, helicopters and aircraft are involved with the AA, RAC and the police in the planning and operation of the traffic management that the NEC will require.
Extra facilities to cater for the expected demand will be provided by British Rail, the airlines, and the many coach operators who will be running private hire coaches to the event.
By Air
Birmingham Airport is situated immediately north-west of the NEC and is served by a number of British and international airlines.
Airlines serving Birmingham include Air Anglia who provide three flights a day to and from Norwich Airport and one flight a day to and from Swansea and Newquay.
British Midland Airways operate four flights a day to London-Heathrow (which connects with almost 200 departure points in five continents) and to Brussels.
British Airways fly from Birmingham direct to Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Paris, Milan, Jersey and Guernsey. Dutch airline KIM has daily services to and from Amsterdam and Dan-Air has services to and from the Isle of Man.
Dublin, Cork and Shannon are also connected to Birmingham by regular direct Aer Lingus flights.
London's second airport at Gatwick is also connected to Birmingham by regular flights operated by British Caledonian Airways. Gatwick also has many flights to destinations in Europe, South America, the USA and Africa.
Birmingham Airport is now growing due to the success of the National Exhibition Centre. The present terminal building, which will be served by a coach to and from the Motor Show, is rapidly becoming outdated and it is hoped tha a new terminal, possibly near the railway station adjoining the NEC. will be built in the not-too-distant future.
By Rail
British Rail has planned what it claims is the largest operation of its kind to cater for the 1978 Motor Show.
From London 170 extra trains will be arranged to give a ten-minute-interval service between Euston and Birmingham International during the weekly peak travelling times and 15minute intervals on both Sundays during the show.
Special temporary ticket offices selling combined rail travel and admission tickets be put up at Euston Stai during Motor Show week.
Extra trains will be laid o link Birmingham Internatic with Birmingham New Str where Inter-City trains fr South Wales, the South-We: England, Manchester, Li, pool, and the North-Eas. England will terminate.
Extra trains will also be from Liverpool, Manches Oxford and Reading direc Birmingham International, \ return trains in the evening.
British Rail is also urging passengers to avoid delay booking in advance. Passem will be able to purchase c Pined rail fare and Motor SI admission tickets in adva from principal stations . appointed travel agents.
Various cheap fare packe for families, cheap week tickets and season tickets also be available for rele% services during the Motor SI period.
A package fare will be a. able from all stations in the V Midlands and from all 01 principal stations througlthe British Rail network.
A special season ticket exhibitors staff and 01 people who need to be at NEC during showtime is . available from Euston and o points such as Watford Junc on British Rail and Lon Transport Underground bons.
-mingham is situated in the of England and is linked by rways to all the parts of the try. The M42 motorway the NEC with the M6 way.
rking spaces for 15,000 ire at present available on EC site and extra facilities p to 45,000 have been ged to cater for extra deduring the Motor Show. rs arriving at the NEC g Motor Show week will be ed to the nearest available lig space.
rra car parking in fields and sused but completed seethe M42 will be available uired during Motor Show itors will be able to use a shuttle coach service to from their car parking : to the exhibition halls
e car parking fee during rveek is expected to be Cl ?Aide. Special traffic conlethods using helicopters 3 brought into operation if ed to keep traffic conges} a minimum during Motor week. By Bus and Coach
For people staying in the West Midlands PTE area special fares to the NEC during Motor Show week are being considered. WMPTE buses numbers 58, 159 and 199 all serve the NEC.
Five coach operators have also combined in co-operation with the NEC to provide a service known as Destination NEC.
Destination NEC can provide coach transfers between hotels in the area and the NEC to meet any expected demands.
The service, which is operated jointly by Forward Coaches, Guide Friday of Stratford, Midland Red, National Travel (West) and the West Midlands PTE can be booked in advance via the NEC Information Centre or at the hotel.
Hotels in Birmingham. Coventry, Leicester, Warwick, Worcester, Droitwich and Stratford are all covered by the Destination NEC services.
Forward Coaches of Birmingham also operate an express coach service to London Heath row Airport to and from the NEC, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham Airport, New Street Station and nine major Birmingham hotels. The service uses Plaxton Viewmaster-bodied Leyland Leopard coaches which have vast luggage capacities and therefore there are no luggage limits.
For people whO live away from the normal travel corridors and who want to travel in groups, the private hire coach or the local coach operator who has had the foresight to get a road service licence to the NEC is the obvious answer.
Coaches can provide the most convenient and comfortable means of travel and are amply catered for during the Motor Show week.
For vehicle and accessory manufacturers bringing parties of prospective buyers to the NEC, what better way to travel than the executive coach? With a high standard of comfort including refreshments, bar facilities and, in many cases, toilet facilities, the executive coach can offer complete privacy, fast journey times and safety at an economic price.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has, with this in mind, ensured that ample coach parking space will be available during the Motor Show week.
In addition to the normal 200-coach park, a new coach park for 1,000 coaches will be opened near Birmingham International Station. This coach park will have its own separate access away from the NEC main entrance at the new Clock Lane interchange on the A45. A new temporary pedestrian footbridge across the railway is to be built to give coach passengers easy access to the exhibition. Pre-ticketing arrangements will also be available for coach parties to ease congestion at the turnstiles.
• The coach parking fee will remain at £2 for the Motor Show period.
Coach drivers have not been forgotten either — Leyland Vehicles is donating a lounge and rest facility for the use of coach drivers at the NEC.
– The National Exhibition Centre has much to offer for the visitor who wants to combine a Motor Show visit with a visit to the heart of England.
Britain's canal system is the In the Birmingham area, canal transport can be hired from Associated Carriers at Walsall who can be contracted on Walsall 23742, Brummagem Boats on 021-643 8397 and Planet Fleet Cruises on 021-328 2131. Boats can be hired in London through British Waterways on 01-262 6711.
A trip to England a n d the International Motor Show can therefore be more than a mere business trip. It can provide the chance to enjoy England by car, by coach, by train, by air and, for the nostalgic, by canal boat.