Western Rail Access to Heathrow

[whole diary]

[Jason]

I also found this http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2014/02/05/97438-route-unveiled-for-western-rail-access-to-heathrow-wrath-project/

[paul7575]

...and here's the Network Rail source press release:

1. If planning permission is granted, Network Rail would begin initial highways enabling work at the end of 2016, with tunnel enabling work starting in early 2018. The project would be complete in 2021.

2. The proposals would see a new junction created between Langley and Iver stations, linking with a 5km tunnel for trains to access Heathrow Terminal 5.

3. Network Rail will need to secure a Development Consent Order (DCO^▸ (Driver Controlled Operation)) to deliver the Western Rail Access Programme. A steering group of industry leaders, from organisations including Network Rail, Department for Transport, Thames Valley Berkshire LEP^» (Local Enterprise Partnership - about), Slough Borough Council and Heathrow Airport, is working together to progress the proposals.

http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/News-Releases/Direct-rail-link-from-the-west-to-Heathrow-could-be-in-place-by-2021-1fbb.aspx

Paul

[wabbit]

For completeness sake here's a link to WrATH news release as well.

http://thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/NewsDetails/rail-access-to-heathrow-route-announced-4026

[eightf48544]

Having seen it on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South my wife's just asked will the trains stop at Taplow?

Ideally it should be served by the 4 tph Crossrail trains running through to Reading.

May need an extra platform at Heathrow Termainl 3 for the terminal 4 shuttle plus a double junction to eliminate the double slip thta all trains from Terminal 3 to T4 and T5 have to pass over in each direstion.

Would one still need Heathrow Express and Connect?

That would be some integration for the "Bean Counters" in the  Treasury to get their heads around and transfer the money into the right buckets.

[IndustryInsider]

You and your bean counters!     I'd say there would be a good chance of services using Taplow going via Heathrow, yes.  It all depends what sacrifices are deemed sensible journey time wise I guess, as I would expect 3-5 minutes to be added to through journeys that go via Heathrow which might be enough to put some of the players off.  Heathrow Connect will cease to be long before this service starts.  I'd put money on Heathrow Express going the same way eventually, too.

[Electric train]

Having seen it on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South my wife's just asked will the trains stop at Taplow?

Ideally it should be served by the 4 tph Crossrail trains running through to Reading.

May need an extra platform at Heathrow Termainl 3 for the terminal 4 shuttle plus a double junction to eliminate the double slip thta all trains from Terminal 3 to T4 and T5 have to pass over in each direstion.

Would one still need Heathrow Express and Connect?

That would be some integration for the "Bean Counters" in the  Treasury to get their heads around and transfer the money into the right buckets.

The Heathrow Connect ceases when Crossrail commences in 2019, my guess in 2021 there will be 2 tph to Reading via Heathrow, 2 tph to reading via West Drayton to Reading and perhaps a further 2 tph terminating at Maidenhead, the route via Heathrow will not be quick and is likely to be all stops

[paul7575]

Here's Heathrow Express's idea for a service:

Heathrow has announced its ambition to run its Express service to Slough and Reading along a new link from the Great Western Main line, due to be built by 2021.

The Great Western Main Line currently runs from Swansea, through Cardiff, before going on to Reading and London Paddington.

Under plans announced by Network Rail last week, a new rail link will join the main line directly to Heathrow, meaning rail passengers travelling from the west will no longer have to double-back on themselves via Paddington.

Heathrow Express is looking to operate services on the link between Heathrow, Reading and Slough, which would see journey times to the hub airport reduce from 55 minutes to under 30 for passengers journeying from Reading, and from 40 minutes to 10 from Slough.

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/news/2014-02-09-ambition-for-heathrow-reading-express-service-unveiled

[Windsorian]

The 4 tph Crossrail service Paddington to Maidenhead from December 2019 was only an indicative proposal i.e. subject to review.

Crossrail trains are due to take over the Heathrow Connect service when its contract expires in May 2018, though this may initially be from Paddington mainline station before moving later to the new underground Crossrail station.

Network Rail's WRAP (Western Rail Access Programme) is costed at ^500M though we don't yet know what Heathrow's contribution will be ... if any !  Recently Heathrow had it's contribution to Crossrail reduced from a proposed ^230M to just ^70M on the grounds that LHR is almost full and will not be able to accept more passengers.

Heathrow Express is the most expensive rail journey in the world; even more expensive per mile than travelling on the Orient Express. Network Rail in their July 2011 L&SE RUS^▸ (Route Utilisation Strategy) proposed Crossrail takes over the Paddington / Heathrow route when the HEx contract expires in 2023; this would free up platforms 6 & 7 at Paddington and 4 tph fast line slots for additional services to the West of Reading.

There are no plans at present to stop at Taplow. Slough's WRAtH^▸ (Western Rail Access to Heathrow) proposal on which WRAP is based, is proposing a 4 tph service from T5 with 4 tph at Slough, 2 tph at Maidenhead, 2 tph at Twyford and 4 tph at Reading; this is how the projected time of 27 minutes from T5 to Reading has been calculated.

[Umberleigh]

....

[John R]

Looks like HEx are desperate to find a reason to keep their existence post 2023 (or even earlier as I expect their business to plummet post Crossrail.) Why would we want another operator when Crossrail and whoever runs the GW^▸ (Great Western) franchise are running services in the area?

[Windsorian]

@ John R

Fully agree; think it unlikely passengers from East of Paddington will want to change trains to HEx, particularly if the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) skip / stop station proposal is adopted for Crossrail trains West of Paddington.

Already some Gatwick Express trains have been extended to Brighton, the days of half empty airport trains being allowed valuable track space when mainline passengers have to stand - appears to be over. No doubt the competitors for the new GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) franchise will be viewing the 4tph HEx fast slots with envy.

[grahame]

Fully agree; think it unlikely passengers from East of Paddington will want to change trains to HEx, particularly if the NR^» (Network Rail - home page) skip / stop station proposal is adopted for Crossrail trains West of Paddington.

Already some Gatwick Express trains have been extended to Brighton...

Silly question - what about "AIRPORT express" - [Reading], Heathrow, Ealing Broadway, Kensington Olympia, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick, [Brighton]?

[John R]

Sounds like an excellent idea.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Would it be possible for Grahame's suggestion of an AIRPORT express service to run now from Heathrow to Gatwick? I understand that improvements are being done now (or shortly) to improve capacity at Gatwick so that the current hourly Reading/Gatwick service via the North Downs Line can be improved to half-hourly frequency and a through service (hourly) from Oxford to Gatwick would also be attractive with the Reading underpass being brought back into use. At present many Oxford area resident6s use the frequent coach service from Oxford to Heathrow and Gatwick, some simply because they do not like to change at Reading.

[Windsorian]

Silly question - what about "AIRPORT express" - [Reading], Heathrow, Ealing Broadway, Kensington Olympia, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick, [Brighton]?

Looks like a Heathwick type proposal but would have the advantage of not requiring Paddington platforms; the problem is it would miss out Twyford, Maidenhead & Slough which are part of the WRAtH^▸ (Western Rail Access to Heathrow) proposal for linking Reading to Heathrow.

Would it be possible for Grahame's suggestion of an AIRPORT express service to run now from Heathrow to Gatwick?

The Airports Commission have suggested a Heathrow southern route be investigated again, taking over from where the Airtrack proposal left off. One of the Airtrack routes was a semi-fast service from T5 to Guildford; this could be extended over an improved North Downs line to Gatwick.