Western Rail Access To Heathrow (WRATH) - merged topics

[whole diary]

[Electric train]

Crossrail to Staines is unlikely the Crossrail trains are single traction, therefore Airtrack lite which is W'loo - Heathrow will have to be dual traction with an ac / dc interface between Staines and T5.  Although there is a GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects - Network Rail's process for project management of schemes through development and implementation) 2 study into converting some dc lines to ac any conversion is not likely to happen until CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) (i.e. at least 10 years time)

[paul7575]

Forgot that they weren't going to allow OHLE^▸ (Over-Head Line Equipment (electrification via catenary)) across Staines Moor. I had an idea that for Crosrrail perhaps Staines could be the end of the wires, and trains off the SW could change during a Staines call.  But having to use dual voltage on Crossrail is probably a step too far...

Paul

[Electric train]

But having to use dual voltage on Crossrail is probably a step too far...

Paul

Yep to the extent that at Abbey Wood it will be a segregated railway, the only connection between the North Kent Lines and Crossrail is a non-electrified engineers standage line

[stebbo]

I can foresee a situation where Heathrow is just dealing with cross Atlantic & South American traffic, and 'some other place' is taking over most routes to the east.

But doesn't this cause a problem with connecting flights into Europe/the rest of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as you have to duplicate them from "somewhere else"? I recently travelled out from Heathrow from one terminal and returned to another - that's irritating enough.

[Btline]

Brum airport can double its flights - it will become a new terminal for Heathrow, with HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) providing regular 30 minute long services between them.

Gatwick can have a 2nd runway.
There is room for 3 more runways at Stansted (although ancient Woodland would have to be axed to make way)

Of course, what we need to do is build Boris Island with 4 runways so planes can take off and land every minute over water 24 hrs a day without keeping half of London awake. With that capacity you could close Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Standsted, Southend and Kent and still have room for more!

The third runway will affect thousands of people in North West London who's homes will be blighted by constant noise and fumes all day forever! This is unacceptable, even without the homes/schools/churches that will have to be bulldozed to make way.

..."Airtrack lite" this would take up capacity in Heathrow ...

Actually, in a wonderful piece of forward planning, space for two terminal platforms exists at Terminal 5 station for Airtrack. Airtrack Lite must happen, there is no reason for it not to. I can't believe they're doing studies, it's a no brainer!

And for goodness sake, will someone announce the extension of Crossrail to Reading and Gravesend before I scream!!!

[ellendune]

You don't need all these. If you build Boris Island then Heathrow would close - according to the plan - and airtrack would be redundant.

[Btline]

You don't need all these. If you build Boris Island then Heathrow would close - according to the plan - and airtrack would be redundant.

I'm assuming Boris Island isn't going to get built.

Of course, what we need to do is build Boris Island...
With that capacity you could close Heathrow...

[TonyK]

Gatwick already has two runways - look  at the chart. Admittedly, they are too close together to use simultaneously. Heathrow is in the worst possible place, to the west of a major city, with the predominant windflow from the west. Paris has major airports north (Le Bourget and Charles de Gaulle) and south (Orly) of the city, meaning that flights do not overfly the most populated areas. Boris Island makes perfect sense. Build it first, with high-speed rail into London, the use Heathrow for housing or industry, and you might even make a profit. It will never happen.

[IndustryInsider]

Having spent the night in Windsor recently, I was woken to the sound of jets coming in to land with a flight path directly over Windsor and the Castle.  Whilst they more normally come in to land from the west it did strike me as odd that the queen might have to put up with that racket every couple of minutes!

[Btline]

Having spent the night in Windsor recently, I was woken to the sound of jets coming in to land with a flight path directly over Windsor and the Castle.  Whilst they more normally come in to land from the west it did strike me as odd that the queen might have to put up with that racket every couple of minutes!

They say that an American once asked staff why they built Windor Castle in the flightpath.

[Electric train]

Having spent the night in Windsor recently, I was woken to the sound of jets coming in to land with a flight path directly over Windsor and the Castle.  Whilst they more normally come in to land from the west it did strike me as odd that the queen might have to put up with that racket every couple of minutes!

With 3ft plus tick walls i don't think noise is too much of an issue inside the castle

[WSW Frome]

Gatwick Airport only has a single runway and that is a planning condition that was imposed when the "modern" airport was first built. This planning condition has several years to run before any new application could be submitted (I have not checked the dates). The parallel track is the TAXIWAY.

An aircraft did land on the taxiway once and the pilot got something of a surprise and no doubt followed by extensive "retraining" in ?Siberia.

[paul7575]

It's definitely also usable as a runway though, it would be used if the main runway was undergoing maintenance.

Runway Length 26L/08R: 3316m x 46m
Runway Length 26R/08L: 2565m x 45m - this runway used only when 26L/08R is not available.
http://www.ukaccs.info/profiles.htm

The 'no 2nd runway' rule runs until August 2019.

Paul

[Btline]

Good, so a second one can be added there affecting fewer people than at Heathrow!

[Surrey 455]

it did strike me as odd that the queen might have to put up with that racket every couple of minutes!

My understanding is that when the Queen is in residence aircraft are diverted away from Windsor.