Thread: Heathrow Mainline Rail Terminal

Yes but it's not the same. There should be a stop at Heathrow. Meanwhile BAA doesn't ask for it.

It's true, sadly - LHR isn't centralised like AMS or FRA sadly, so this would always be a limitation. If we had one big station around the new proposed T6, interchanging with a loop from the GWML, passengers for T1-5 (4 and 5 especially) would still need to jump on a train of some sort for the remainder. Crossrail will probably be best for delivering people directly to the terminal they need - it needs to be marketed as a seamless...

Quote: Originally Posted by cle I did see that the GWML western access plans suggest an HSR-like route/loop from T123 to T5 and then sweeping up to the GWML west of West Drayton. This instead of building a western curve at the top of the tunnel, symmetrical to the curve today from Hayes - which I would have thought much easier? T5 could remain a terminus and there would be much less tunnelling. Would this still work if the 3 runway was in...

Quote: Originally Posted by Leeds No.1 Didn't they build extra platforms incase new lines were to connect to Terminal 5? Ie I just assumed they would use those. I think those are planned for Airtrack. I think the plan is Heathrow Express trains will continue beyond T5 to Staines on a mile or so of new track. There will also be trains using the same new line to Heathrow from Reading and Waterloo. The spare T5 platforms are suited to...

i think it would have work with the three runways too __________________ Girona Airport

The 2 replies above are what I was getting at. Those travelling from Europe would be able to get to central England without having a torturous change in London or having to fly. A lot of people would use it instead of driving, either to Heathrow or the North. That takes cars of the roads, especially the M25 where, between the M3 and the M1, it's just people travelling towards the north of the country.

I want to run trains from Paris to Birmingham as well eventually. it just makes a lot more sense to me to go through London. We've got Ebbsfleet - St. Pancras; now build Euston - Heathrow - Birmingham and just link it all up. All these other options require a lot more track to be laid and don't take away the need for a high speed rail link from London to Birmingham, so you might as well use the existing HS1 plus HS2 to get those...

its only 5 mins away.

This has been debated on the main HS rail thread. Even the Conservative/Arup plans would involve passengers transferring for a hub. It wouldn't be within walking distance of the airport. Anyway the former Transport Secretary Brian Mawhinney has been asked to look at the Heathrow connection in more detail. No definitive decision has been made.

As I see it, an on-site station will only be able to serve one of the three terminal areas (ignoring 'terminal 6'), so in order to reach the other two some kind of transfer will be needed. I can't see many people caring whether this transfer is 5 minutes from (say) the central terminal area, or 15 from Old Oak Common, seeing as total journey times will probably be within 5-10 minutes of each other as Heathrow HS2 trains will...