Western Access to Heathrow

[cle]

Bournemouth is the other end of the line, so that terminus wouldn't affect you either way. XC will never go to Heathrow until it's all electric. I doubt even bi-mode units would be allowed in the tunnel.

I tihnk we should just expect 4tph to Reading operated by FGW/that franchise - with possible extensions to Oxford/Newbury/Basingstoke, and fingers crossed Swindon and onwards to Bristol.

 

[tbtc]

It depends what sort of journey you are on. If I'm going to a business meeting or a football match, I can cope with changing trains. If I'm going to an airport with my wife and heavy luggage I can't.

I live in Ellesmere Port and often have fly from Heathrow. There is no simple way of getting there by train or bus without multitudinous changes. And even then there is no guarantee of a seat or space to put your suitcases. And often your flight times mean you have to travel in the peak. This leaves us with no choice but to take a taxi to Manchester Airport and catch a domestic flight. And I'm a train enthusiast.

Everything would be so much simpler if there were direct XC trains fo Heathrow from Liverpool, Runcorn or Crewe.

But no - people like your good selves insist that all the XC trains have to go from Manchester to Bournemouth via Stoke, Bournemouth of course being the centre of the known universe.

But there aren't direct Heathrow trains from Manchester (or Bournemouth) either - its not like Liverpool lost its Heathrow services (to give more to Manchester).

And half the XC services from Manchester go to Bristol (with some extensions into Devon etc) - I don't know whether Bristol qualifies as "centre of the known universe" though.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Liverpool and Portsmouth are arguably as important as Manchester and Bournemouth - so why do all the trains have to go to the same places? There are enough XC trains to vary end destinations a bit and still have a regular patterns on the main Stafford - Reading and Sheffield - Bristol spines.

And why do all the XC trains from Manchester have to go via Stoke? Stoke is admittedly larger than Crewe, but Crewe is a much more important interchange station with its connections to North Wales, Liverpool & Manchester Airport.

I fondly remember a glorious through working (not XC) from Barrow to Colchester (which ran in the 1980's when both teams were in the Alliance) but no, I'm not asking for that one back.

Getting back to the Heathrow service, it really is a pity that Reading - Birmingham is not likely to be electrified anytime soon.

 

[gwr4090]

Getting back to the Heathrow service, it really is a pity that Reading - Birmingham is not likely to be electrified anytime soon.

Reading-Birmingham (via Coventry) IS being electrified under the recently anounced programme.

David

 

[swt_passenger]

Reading-Birmingham (via Coventry) IS being electrified under the recently anounced programme.

I suppose it would be more accurate to say that under the recent programme they are wiring Oxford to Coventry, as Reading - Oxford was already budgeted for as part of the GW main works.

It is also intended to run both south coast XC services via Coventry, which must have improved the case for the wiring of the route via Leamington-Coventry and at the same time lessened the need for wiring the Solihull route.

 

[Metrailway]

Found this on another forum:

http://thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/wrath/files/downloads/2012/07/WRAtH-Regional-Growth-Fund-Application-Form.pdf

It shows the preferred alignment of the chord and states that the services provided will be extensions of the Paddington - Heathrow services (presumably Heathrow Express?) and the frequency preferred is 4tph.

 

[LE Greys]

Found this on another forum:

http://thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/wrath/files/downloads/2012/07/WRAtH-Regional-Growth-Fund-Application-Form.pdf

It shows the preferred alignment of the chord and states that the services provided will be extensions of the Paddington - Heathrow services (presumably Heathrow Express?) and the frequency preferred is 4tph.

Looks interesting, and doesn't bisect any golf courses so won't be too expensive. The 'within one change' map on page 7 (Figure 3.1) covers a very large area, and I reckon that underlines the importance of the project more than anything else.

 

[DjU]

Looks interesting, and doesn't bisect any golf courses so won't be too expensive.

?? It quite clearly goes straight through the middle of Golf Course.

 

[WatcherZero]

It appears to be older, 2010/11 application by Slough Council for Regional Growth Fund which it didnt win, could have been picked up by the Dft as a quick 'Heathrow needs favouring' project expanding on Thames Valley Berkshire LEP/Slough Councils proposal though.

 

[oversteer]

?? It quite clearly goes straight through the middle of Golf Course.

Surely if they are tunneling up to the golf course it would be cheaper to extend the tunnel northwards rather than having to purchase/compensate for the land ?