Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 04:35 19 Mar 2024
- Potholes leave nations' roads at 'breaking point'
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 tomorrow - WWRUG AGM
23/03/24 - Trains restart - Minehead
02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber

No 'On This Day' events reported for 19th Mar

Train RunningCancelled
06:30 London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa
07:04 Bath Spa to Filton Abbey Wood
07:45 Filton Abbey Wood to Bristol Temple Meads
08:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 25/03 16:00 Easter Escape - to where?
Closed 2024-03-16 Should our rail network go cashless
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 19, 2024, 04:42:09 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[99] Where would you recommend for an Easter Escape?
[99] More travels ... more looking at how others do it ...
[95] M25 motorway issue: a most illuminating Twitter thread.
[80] Briefing on forthcoming changes - from GWR on 14.3.2024
[51] Europeran Rail Timetable
[51] Improvements at three Berkshire stations
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: PseudoRails, Rails and FutureRails to Heathrow  (Read 3534 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40644



View Profile WWW Email
« on: January 18, 2022, 19:02:28 »

Help in refining this list would be appreciated!

Airbus:
from West London Air Terminal, 6.10.1957 to 1979
from Victoria, route A1, 1981 to 1998
from Kings Cross and Marble Arch, route A2, 1981 to 2004

Railair Link:
from Reading, Thames Valley Traction from 1967, route RA1, was X25
from Woking, routes RA2 and 925, was 701
from Luton, route 888
from Feltham, currently 285 and 490
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RailAir

From Picadilly Line:
Hatton Cross, 19.7.1975
Heathrow Central, 16.12.1977
Heathrow Terminal 4, 7.4.1986
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

From Paddington:
Heathrow Junction, 19.1.1998 to 23.6.1998
Heathrow Central, from 23.6.1998
Heathrow Terminal 4, from 23.6.1998
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

Southern link
Heathrow Terminal 5, from cicra 2027/8
https://heathrowrail.com

Western link
Heathrown Terminal 5, from 2028
(link)

HS2 (The next High Speed line(s)) link
near Heathrow Terminal 5, project ruled out in 2015
(link)
« Last Edit: January 19, 2022, 17:37:32 by grahame » Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7148


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2022, 19:27:58 »

There's lots more buses than that - Heathrow list about 40 routes, not counting TfL» (Transport for London - about)'s!
Logged
eightonedee
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 1530



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2022, 21:14:45 »

I think that the RA2 Railair starts at Guildford Station (unless it is a victim of the disruption resulting from preparations for the Guildford Station reconstruction)
Logged
Surrey 455
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1229


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2022, 22:04:25 »

I think that the RA2 Railair starts at Guildford Station (unless it is a victim of the disruption resulting from preparations for the Guildford Station reconstruction)

Yes, it started a few years ago (2019?) as Guildford to Heathrow. It now also calls at Woking after National Express suspended their RailAir service in 2020 or 2021. It's still suspended.

National Express
Quote
Route temporarily suspended
We are currently operating a reduced network and, unfortunately, are not running services on this route at the moment.

Please use our interactive Route Map to see which stops we are serving and how they connect. We are continuing to review our timetables and will add more routes and stops as travel needs increase.
Logged
stuving
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 7148


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2022, 23:12:00 »

National Express's information on Railair or "Ralair" buses isn't a lot of help, is it?

They do list Woking to Heathrow under airport services (with the message quoted above), but never say what its number is. If you know it was a 925 you'll find that's not listed at all. Neither is the RA2, but the RA1 is listed as a third-party operated service. But Reading-Heathrow isn't included as an airport service.

Heathrow list both RA1/2 routes as run by First Berkshire, and it is on their website and railair.com. But  the name "Railair" now seems to be used for other airport buses - but to they offer through rail ticketing?
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40644



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2022, 01:40:08 »

There's lots more buses than that - Heathrow list about 40 routes, not counting TfL» (Transport for London - about)'s!

Taking me off my original topic - but some very useful diagrams. As these things change over time, I have added copies for the archive to the member's mirror for us to enjoy in future years.  Maps are searchable too!

Heathrow local bus diagram 26 Sep 2021
Heathrow / Home Counties bus and coach map 19 Jul 2021
Heathrow Hotel Hoppa Network 27 Dec 2021
Heathrow Area Map 12 Jul 2021
Heathrow Area Bus Diagram 24 Aug 2021

Edit to add
Status of bus and coach service - Jan 2022
« Last Edit: January 19, 2022, 01:58:00 by grahame » Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
BandHcommuter
Sr. Member
****
Posts: 180


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2022, 16:21:23 »

Help in refining this list would be appreciated!
From Paddington:
Heathrow Junction, 19.1.1988 to 23.6.1988
Heathrow Central, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 4, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

A minor refinement - the services from Paddington started in 1998 rather than 1988. Then Heathrow Connect was launched in 2005 (now operated by TfL» (Transport for London - about) and hopefully to become fully part of Elizabeth Line some time in 2022)
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40644



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2022, 17:36:45 »

Help in refining this list would be appreciated!
From Paddington:
Heathrow Junction, 19.1.1988 to 23.6.1988
Heathrow Central, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 4, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

A minor refinement - the services from Paddington started in 1998 rather than 1988. ...

Minor refinement?   It's a stonking great error to be corrected which I will do in the original post! Thanks for spotting that and letting me know.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
eXPassenger
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 546


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2022, 18:16:59 »

The other interesting point is that originally you could check in for BA» (British Airways - about) (BOAC) flights at the West London Air Terminal, the coaches had luggage trailers.
 You could also check in for a number of airlines at Paddington.
Logged
Surrey 455
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 1229


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2022, 19:30:35 »

The other interesting point is that originally you could check in for BA» (British Airways - about) (BOAC) flights at the West London Air Terminal, the coaches had luggage trailers.
 You could also check in for a number of airlines at Paddington.

The West London Air Terminal was for actually for BEA flights, not BOAC. As a young boy I remember standing on a bridge over the M4 spur watching BEA liveried Routemasters with trailers go underneath.

Apparently BOAC used The Empire terminal in Victoria.

My sources
https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/forgotten-buildings-the-west-london-air-terminal/
https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2014/01/08/an-airline-terminal-in-the-city-centre-empire-air-terminal-london-uk/
https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/explore/heritage-and-collection/our-collection/leyland-atlantean-boac-airport-bus


Logged
eXPassenger
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 546


View Profile
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2022, 14:08:42 »

The other interesting point is that originally you could check in for BA» (British Airways - about) (BOAC) flights at the West London Air Terminal, the coaches had luggage trailers.
 You could also check in for a number of airlines at Paddington.

The West London Air Terminal was for actually for BEA flights, not BOAC. As a young boy I remember standing on a bridge over the M4 spur watching BEA liveried Routemasters with trailers go underneath.

Apparently BOAC used The Empire terminal in Victoria.

My sources
https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/forgotten-buildings-the-west-london-air-terminal/
https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2014/01/08/an-airline-terminal-in-the-city-centre-empire-air-terminal-london-uk/
https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/explore/heritage-and-collection/our-collection/leyland-atlantean-boac-airport-bus




In 1972 I flew to Australia by BOAC and we met and checked in in central London.  Looking at the references it must have been Victoria but I thought it was Kensington.
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40644



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2023, 07:47:13 »

Update to last year's "On this day"

Elizabeth Line:
- every 30 minutes from terminal 5 and 2/3 to Abbey Wood
- every 30 minutes from terminal 4 and 2/3 to Abbey Wood

Heathrow Express:
- every 15 minutes from terminal 5 and 2/3 to Paddington
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page