Hayes & Harlington bay platform: what now?!

[AviationFR]

the upcoming may 2022 timetable change is signalling the end for TfL Rail services terminating at Hayes and Harlington, as services that did do this route are now going to terminate at Heathrow T2 and 3 (which in my opinion makes much more sense). However, what will happen now to H&H’s bay platform? I’ve never seen it not be operated to, with the GWR 387 service to H&H taking place before TfL also terminating at Plat 5.
Would be interesting if anyone knew or had an opinion

 

[londontransit]

TfL Hayes & Harlington terminators in fact ended on 12th March 2022. A new timetable was issued from 13th March 2022 with former Hayes & H workings shown as continuing to Heathrow daily and that has been the case ever since.

I don't know what will happen to the bay platform now, expect it'll be used when there are operating difficulties on either GWR or TfL - or trains can't reach Heathrow for some reason.

 

[AviationFR]

TfL Hayes & Harlington terminators in fact ended on 12th March 2022. A new timetable was issued from 13th March 2022 with former Hayes & H workings shown as continuing to Heathrow daily and that has been the case ever since.

I don't know what will happen to the bay platform now, expect it'll be used when there are operating difficulties on either GWR or TfL - or trains can't reach Heathrow for some reason.

Did they?? I had no clue. I’m fairly sure I saw a H&H terminator just today though which is why I’m unsure. But thanks

 

[londontransit]

Okay, I looked through RTT but it doesn't seem there was any Hayes platform 5 workings today.

 

[AviationFR]

Okay, I looked through RTT but it doesn't seem there was any Hayes platform 5 workings today.

Fascinating. I will say that I saw the train in question whilst at Acton Main Line. The PIS did say Hayes and Harlington so I can only assume either they messed up, RTT messed up, or TfL Rail decided to go for a super fast turnaround at Platform 3 instead

 

[londontransit]

LOL it wouldn't be the first time!

A couple of weeks ago I saw the PIS showing the next trains as evening services (eg 18.31, 18.37, 18.46, etc to Paddington) yet the time was actually mid afternoon (eg 14.55!!)

 

[davetheguard]

The bay at Hayes & Harlington provides a potentially useful bolthole if there's some sort of problem at a Heathrow station such as a security alert. There's plenty of red London buses to the airport from outside Hayes station.

Hopefully, it will be kept with perhaps a token service of one or two trains a day to keep the infrastructure in use.

 

[yorkie]

If anyone wishes go speculate on potential changes to the platform and/or service provision, you are very welcome to create a new thread in the Speculative Discussion area

edit: there is now a thread at https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...s-harlington-bay-platform-be-utilised.231105/

 

[JN114]

It’ll remain as a contingency asset - it’s had ££££ spent on it as part of the Crossrail project.

Several of the inner Thames Valley standard disruption plans call for its use.

 

[swt_passenger]

The same point could be made about West Drayton’s additional platform. Built for a long abandoned timetable that had 2 tph reversing there most of the day.

 

[AviationFR]

The same point could be made about West Drayton’s additional platform. Built for a long abandoned timetable that had 2 tph reversing there most of the day.

I have heard that TfL might operate some services to terminate at West Drayton in the peak once the full line is open

 

[matt_world2004]

I have heard that TfL might operate some services to terminate at West Drayton in the peak once the full line is open

That's not the plan anymore the peak extras are now all day terminal 5 services

 

[su31]

I'm pretty sure Hayes & Harlington's bay has been used by the Greenford shuttle (but a long time ago) when there was disruption in the Ealing Broadway area. I know those trains now terminate at West Ealing anyway, but it was worth a mention all the same!

 

[JN114]

I'm pretty sure Hayes & Harlington's bay has been used by the Greenford shuttle (but a long time ago) when there was disruption in the Ealing Broadway area. I know those trains now terminate at West Ealing anyway, but it was worth a mention all the same!

GWR (and predecessor) drivers haven’t had route knowledge for the Hanwell West Loop for a good 15+ years now. So a Hayes - Greenford shuttle is very unlikely - Possibly way back in Thames days as they had the route knowledge back then but almost certainly not after Heathrow Connect started.

I recall once upon a time when the Greenfords still went through to London, and the “standard” Inner Thames Valley disruption plans called for the Greenford to be suspended; we diverted a Padd - Greenford into Hayes bay to stable during the disruption as the 2nd unit was still up at Greenford and heading back to / remaining at Paddington was impractical - but that was definitely from the time when a train in Hayes bay was incredibly rare; you wouldn’t get in there from 2017 onward. And it went (in service) from Hayes to Padd after the disruption, not Greenford.

 

[30907]

The same point could be made about West Drayton’s additional platform. Built for a long abandoned timetable that had 2 tph reversing there most of the day.

Pedantically, built for the Staines and Uxbridge branches and rebuilt much more recently - the Hayes bay also dates back around a century.

 

[cle]

Might have been a good place to turn 2tph to Waterloo. Kind of the opposite of the Staines scenario. Don't see either happening though!

 

[YSTrains]

From the new timetable, just before midnight, there is a service that terminates at the bay platform. It's just like how Battersea Park has one platform used for LO parliamentary services.

 

[AviationFR]

From the new timetable, just before midnight, there is a service that terminates at the bay platform. It's just like how Battersea Park has one platform used for LO parliamentary services.

Ah yes, is that the 2317 service from Paddington, that arrives in at 2348? I wonder what it does. I cant see a service starting there in the morning?!

 

[Horizon22]

As others have said, it is a contingency in case there's disruption / engineering works for Heathrow. The same is planned for West Drayton Platform 5. A bit of contingency and capacity doesn't hurt.