Following on from the Heathrow Western Access comes to a standstill thread, what would your preferred service pattern be through Heathrow stations if both or one of Heathrow Western Access/Heathrow Southern Railway schemes were built?
AlastairFraser
What additional destinations would be served directly by this service from Reading that aren’t already served by either of the current SWR and TfL Rail services out of Reading? (Other than, of course, Heathrow.)
Nice idea for the services going south, but how would you run Reading to Waterloo via the Western Approach, without a reversal at T5?
No they couldn’t, there’s no electrified route yet between WLL and GWML.
Extending the Crossrail services to T5 out to Newbury would make new connections along the valley, then using 2tph of the HeX paths to send a semi fast from somewhere like Oxford/Worcester through Heathrow would make sense because Oxford/Didcot having direct rail connections to the airport would help congestion on the A34/M4 in the area.
Looks like a decent plan, although you wouldn't be able to run both Heathrow to Reading and Heathrow to Didcot, you'd have to choose the latter, due to lack of path availability on the GWML.
Technically, there is but it's through North Pole depot. But wiring Mitre Bridge Jn - Acton Wells Jn - Acton Main Line has been looked at several times and wouldn't be a bad idea in general.
GWR have supposedly found a path for a 3rd stopper using a 769 to run Oxford to Basingstoke alongside Oxford to Gatwick down the North Downs. But, yes, I don't think you'll find any more room for Basingstoke by Crossrail via the Western Access. Didcot Parkway can be done via the Western Access easily by getting rid of the Didcot Parkway GWR services from Paddington. Same for Newbury.
The second suggestion is sadly unfeasible due to the number of level crossings from Waterloo to Staines and beyond, it is what derailed the BA Airtrack scheme for Waterloo to Heathrow services, which finally was killed off in 2008.
I don’t think there’s a direct route via North Pole depot though, it’s only possible with reversals. Not exactly passenger friendly…
As it happens it'd need 2 - one in the Depot itself and then one at (or just outside) Paddington. Agree it isn't going to happen for regular passenger service. I wouldn't put it past the track bashers to organise a top/tail Class 92 hauled tour for it though!
Goes without saying really!
Where is that in the public domain?
I heard it mentioned as a possibility using the Reading dive under, can't find a source. Oxford to Gatwick/Basingstoke would be a good use of track capacity because it would reinstate direct Reading to Oxford stoppers, give Oxford/Abingdon/Didcot and many nearby stops a direct train to Gatwick with none/one change and it would take strain off XC services between Oxford and Basingstoke if there was a direct train to Basingstoke for connection with eastbound SWML /West of England line services.
Oxford to Basingstoke wouldn't help anybody going to Gatwick. Oxford stoppers are better run to/from Paddington as restoration of those that currently terminate at Didcot. The reversal at Reading isn't going to be a good use of track capacity. Anywhere with a direct train to Reading is already only 1 change from Gatwick. An Oxford-Basingstoke stopper will do 0 to relieve XC services, unless the tickets are being sold for less than £5.
So only have 2tph on the Western Link? Or do you mean keep 4tph but have them all running to Didcot?
Nah, get rid of the GWR Padd to Newbury/Didcot (Oxford, once electrification is completed) and replace them with Padd to Newbury/Didcot via Heathrow as 4tph Crossrail extensions.
Doubt the residents of Theale, Thatcham and Tilehurst - Cholsey will be happy to have their London service slowed down.
Oh Yes I forgot.. that few penny pinching metres thats just a gap too far.
What services could have made use of the Poplars and South West Lines being wired?
none, because theirs no wires.
Circular logic becomes a self-defeating argument. Plenty of trains use the Poplars. None of them would convert to electric on this section alone. You'd need other sections e.g. Reading-basingstoke or Class 92 immunisation on the southern region. That's why they weren't wired.
Not true. Oxted hasn't been done because of the 3rd rail debate + costs. The services that would go electric are very, very clear.
Possible but completely uncompetitive against Vic-Pad via Circle line, for a relatively small part of the market. Most travellers at either Airport are heading for London, not the other airport. You can only access the WLL via the Slows/Reliefs, so it's either stuck behind the stopper for ages or you've got to cross somewhere. Neither are conducive to paths that attract high-value customers.
From where to where, whilst 92s are largely banned from the 3rd rail network, and Reading-Basingstoke & Kew remain unwired?
It's a bloody steep set of lines, which need neutral sections in the middle to allow isolations between the various junctions. It's a bit more than just a few loose ends and some left over piles. I agree it's a missed opportunity, but I fear had they been wired they'd have seen the same amount of electric traffic, because of the other gaps in the network.
I’m pretty sure the last new build 100% diesel has been built and delivered in this country. Pressure is going to grow, for instance,
All the Thames/Kennet valley stations west of Reading could easily change at Reading for the turn up and go frequency fast GWR services into Paddington. And they lack any direct service to the airport, even RailAir/ National Express only stop in Reading Town Centre/Mereoak Park and Ride at M4 J11 and they take an absolute year to get to Heathrow. Not to mention the volumes commuting to Slough and Maidenhead from those station, both of which have significant town centre business district and Slough Trading Estate, a regional draw, is reasonably close to Burnham.
A very long time, there is no business case for conversion of Basingstoke to Southampton once the bean counters were forced to use realistic AC electrification cost estimates.
