Heathrow Southern Link

[AlastairFraser]

The economic case for infrastructure changes which save people money is often awkward to make.

It's an alternative to paying TfL to extend/buy more EL trains, or TfL just refusing to stop some services there....

 

[Bald Rick]

Of course they could buy a wider travel card, but a free transfer to an established railway station will help distribute passengers away from the EL/GWR towards central London, which will soon become overcrowded, and you could also use the opportunity to integrate at least Willesden Jcn into a station group with OOC for onward travel fares and itineraries.

You‘re missing the point. Anyone going to Willesden Jn (or North Acton) for onward travel will have to pay a fare for that onward travel. That will almost always mean a travelcard. And therefore the bus is free anyway. Or it could be arranged that anyone with an onward itinerary beteeen OOC and Willesden Jn could have a free trip on the existing bus.

There is absolutely no point in putting on a seperate service.

 

[cle]

I’m not sure residents in these areas would benefit much from this, considering that they are (bar Clapham) well connected with the London Underground which journey times are going to be just as long.

On another note, I’ve been reading through Farnborough Airport’s proposal to increase the number of flights in the future - namely in the pursuit of the business aviation sector, as flights would direct business travellers to Heathrow from Farnborough. If that’s not an argument to justify the Heathrow Southern link towards Basingstoke, so as to create modal shift among these business travellers to the railways, I don’t know what is.

Ok so I mentioned those main nodes because they are hubs/have feed. Not just residents. I didn't mention Feltham or Twickenham either in my previous post, also busy local hubs. Putney too, if it called. The train would be completely full.

Seccondly, the tube from those places to Heathrow is not amazing. Vauxhall misses the Elizabeth Line, so you're going Piccadilly via Hammersmith or Green Park. Waterloo gets to TCR - might be comparable. Richmond is a no-brainer, big outer centre, feed from NLL/District, especially poignant if OOC NLL doesn't happen... plus also feed on the line itself from Putney, Wandsworth, Feltham (would have calls) - etc. It doesn't compete with EL at all, it's wildly complementary.

And as for Clapham Junction, that alone might fill the train. Look how many use it for Gatwick. A clue - nearly as many as Victoria and way more than LB. The Southern network (and LO ELL) would feed that service too. Much faster than going up to Farringdon (for BML people).

And it's amusing you can decry this, but then think a few more private jets from Farnborough either justify a rail link there, or would cannibalize LHR! Not even apples to any type of fruit...

 

[AlastairFraser]

Or it could be arranged that anyone with an onward itinerary beteeen OOC and Willesden Jn could have a free trip on the existing bus.

There is absolutely no point in putting on a seperate service.

That's more of an alternative. Expecting someone to pay more to reach the better connections that should be provided at OOC in light of the Euston postponement should be unacceptable.
Something similar to the Heathrow Free Travel Zone for ticketholders?