Western Rail Link - any updates?

[Acton1991]

Hi all - now the excitement of Crossrail opening is over (!), I wondered if anyone had any updates on the status of the Western Rail Link that links up the GWML with Heathrow?

 

[swt_passenger]

I believe from the previous thread, all active work was “paused indefinitely” by NR in Jan 21.

I suspect it’s kicked so far into the long grass it’ll never be seen again..

 

[Backroom_boy]

I believe from the previous thread, all active work was “paused indefinitely” by NR in Jan 21.

I suspect it’s kicked so far into the long grass it’ll never be seen again..

Coming from the west, where would be the best place to double back to Heathrow by the EL? Ealing?

 

[swt_passenger]

Coming from the west, where would be the best place to double back to Heathrow by the EL? Ealing?

If on the EL it will be Hayes and Harlington, in the Offpeak there are also some GW stopper calls there as well.

 

[Oxfordblues]

When the West London mega-hub at Old Oak Common opens it will be the obvious interchange from Wales and The West to Heathrow, diluting the usefulness of any Western Link.

 

[zwk500]

When the West London mega-hub at Old Oak Common opens it will be the obvious interchange from Wales and The West to Heathrow, diluting the usefulness of any Western Link.

Agreed, it would be better to put any western link onto the Staines/Windsor lines, but that requires a solution to the level crossing problems to be found (among other problems).

 

[cle]

Agreed, it would be better to put any western link onto the Staines/Windsor lines, but that requires a solution to the level crossing problems to be found (among other problems).

Yep I agree. Hayes for locals and OOC for long distance (GWML and HS2 north) will be plenty.

Whereas a Southern link - crucially if it could hit Clapham Junction - would open up a huge new rail catchment for Heathrow and save a lot of car/cab journeys. As to whether it goes just to Waterloo (and avoid the Egham thing) - maybe 4tph is possible, 2 via Richmond and 2 Hounslow - or there also is an onward service to either Reading, or Woking-Guildford/Basingstoke via Addlestone as various plans have had - totally depends on the level crossing stuff which I suspect will never change materially.

 

[Sonik]

Whereas a Southern link - crucially if it could hit Clapham Junction - would open up a huge new rail catchment for Heathrow and save a lot of car/cab journeys. As to whether it goes just to Waterloo (and avoid the Egham thing) - maybe 4tph is possible, 2 via Richmond and 2 Hounslow - or there also is an onward service to either Reading, or Woking-Guildford/Basingstoke via Addlestone as various plans have had - totally depends on the level crossing stuff which I suspect will never change materially.

Crossrail 2 achieves more or less the same for the South West London catchment, via interchange with EL at Tottenham Court Road.

I do also suspect that it's become unofficial government policy not to encourage further growth of Heathrow; albeit they would never say so publicly.

For domestic flights, those passing OOC on their way to Heathrow would be tempted to take HS2 instead, others perhaps to use Eurostar via Thameslink.

 

[Stompehh]

Coming from the west, where would be the best place to double back to Heathrow by the EL? Ealing?

I travelled from Bristol Temple Meads to Heathrow T5 and back this week, and the journey that was both quickest and cheapest was changing at Reading and then Hayes & Harlington. The changes were short and reliable in both directions.

 

[FenMan]

I travelled from Bristol Temple Meads to Heathrow T5 and back this week, and the journey that was both quickest and cheapest was changing at Reading and then Hayes & Harlington. The changes were short and reliable in both directions.

One issue that has not been addressed is the minimum interchange time at Hayes & Harlington, which is still 3 minutes. Hence National Rail Enquiries shows "valid" itineraries where Heathrow passengers loaded with luggage would have to be heroically fit to cross the station in time to catch the connecting service.

I reckon 6 minutes would be a more appropriate minimum interchange time for airport passengers.

 

[Sonik]

One issue that has not been addressed is the minimum interchange time at Hayes & Harlington, which is still 3 minutes. Hence National Rail Enquiries shows "valid" itineraries where Heathrow passengers loaded with luggage would have to be heroically fit to cross the station in time to catch the connecting service.

I reckon 6 minutes would be a more appropriate minimum interchange time for airport passengers.

Despite that, even from nearby Reading or Slough it's still quicker than driving, and all EL stations have lifts. OOC will make the transfer from further west even easier.

Given this, it's difficult to see how a Heathrow western link could have a business case anymore, unless perhaps it was used to enhance through capacity on GWML, via Heathrow.

 

[Bill57p9]

Whereas a Southern link - crucially if it could hit Clapham Junction - would open up a huge new rail catchment for Heathrow and save a lot of car/cab journeys. As to whether it goes just to Waterloo (and avoid the Egham thing) - maybe 4tph is possible, 2 via Richmond and 2 Hounslow - or there also is an onward service to either Reading, or Woking-Guildford/Basingstoke via Addlestone as various plans have had - totally depends on the level crossing stuff which I suspect will never change materially.

Heathrow to Clapham Junction (and on to Gatwick) could be theoretically served via Acton Bank, West London Junction and Mitre Bridge Junction. I don't believe the journey time would be too shabby either, but suspect that demand might be lacking. Plus of course there is a small gap in electrification.

 

[Bald Rick]

Plus of course there is a small gap in electrification.

Two small gaps!

 

[tomuk]

Despite that, even from nearby Reading or Slough it's still quicker than driving, and all EL stations have lifts. OOC will make the transfer from further west even easier.

Given this, it's difficult to see how a Heathrow western link could have a business case anymore, unless perhaps it was used to enhance through capacity on GWML, via Heathrow.

Would it not allow an increase in services to Heathrow with services running through rather than terminating and reversing causing congestion.

 

[fandroid]

A simple shuttle link to Staines
would pick up a lot of car users from the southern side of Heathrow. Getting car traffic down around that part of the M25 must be some sort of priority, even if policy now requires no expansion at Heathrow. It is, after all, the local airport for a lot of people in Southern England and tweaking the SWR services to give better access to Staines from points beyond just Surrey and Berkshire would improve access for a lot of us.

As I write I'm planning a journey to Heathrow from Basingstoke for Monday, and the best option includes a trip around the M25 ( in a bus, to be sure, but that's just another vehicle clogging Britain's busiest motorway, and I'd guess there'll be no more than a dozen people on board)

 

[Bald Rick]

Would it not allow an increase in services to Heathrow with services running through rather than terminating and reversing causing congestion.

No, because there isn’t space on the GWML for more services to Heathrow.

 

[zwk500]

A simple shuttle link to Staines
would pick up a lot of car users from the southern side of Heathrow. Getting car traffic down around that part of the M25 must be some sort of priority, even if policy now requires no expansion at Heathrow. It is, after all, the local airport for a lot of people in Southern England and tweaking the SWR services to give better access to Staines from points beyond just Surrey and Berkshire would improve access for a lot of us.

As I write I'm planning a journey to Heathrow from Basingstoke for Monday, and the best option includes a trip around the M25 ( in a bus, to be sure, but that's just another vehicle clogging Britain's busiest motorway, and I'd guess there'll be no more than a dozen people on board)

Unfortunately there's nothing simple about getting the shuttle into Staines. The route is very constricted and Staines only has 2 platforms.

 

[JonathanH]

Crossrail 2 achieves more or less the same for the South West London catchment, via interchange with EL at Tottenham Court Road.

Maybe, but that is also in the long grass.

A simple shuttle link to Staines
would pick up a lot of car users from the southern side of Heathrow.

Staines is not always the easiest place to get to. There is a bus link to Heathrow at Feltham. Probably as good as it is going to get for a long time.

I assume that extra terminals and runways at Heathrow are also now completely off the agenda as well. Coach solutions and putting up the drop off charge is probably the way to encourage modal shift rather than new railways.

 

[Bald Rick]

I assume that extra terminals and runways at Heathrow are also now completely off the agenda as well.

Temporarily off the agenda. They’ll be back before long.

 

[Acton1991]

Given this, it's difficult to see how a Heathrow western link could have a business case anymore, unless perhaps it was used to enhance through capacity on GWML, via Heathrow.

A way of increasing Crossrail capacity by flowing services through Heathrow and onto Reading?

 

[geoffk]

Despite that, even from nearby Reading or Slough it's still quicker than driving, and all EL stations have lifts. OOC will make the transfer from further west even easier.

Given this, it's difficult to see how a Heathrow western link could have a business case anymore, unless perhaps it was used to enhance through capacity on GWML, via Heathrow.

It would allow XC to extend its Reading terminators, once they have bi-mode trains, unless the plan is to extend them back to Bournemouth. But I guess there would need to be more than a train every two hours! The coach takes a lot of Heathrow traffic from the west and is probably the way I would get there from Exeter.

 

[Zamalek]

I travelled from Bristol Temple Meads to Heathrow T5 and back this week, and the journey that was both quickest and cheapest was changing at Reading and then Hayes & Harlington. The changes were short and reliable in both directions.

But by far the easiest and quickest means of getting from Bristol to Heathrow is the hourly direct coach from Bristol Bus Station ....

 

[CardiffKid]

One issue that has not been addressed is the minimum interchange time at Hayes & Harlington, which is still 3 minutes. Hence National Rail Enquiries shows "valid" itineraries where Heathrow passengers loaded with luggage would have to be heroically fit to cross the station in time to catch the connecting service.

I reckon 6 minutes would be a more appropriate minimum interchange time for airport passengers.

Are people 'booked' on a specific Elizabeth Line Service? With 6(?) trains an hour missing an onwards EL connection is hardly a problem.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I travelled from Bristol Temple Meads to Heathrow T5 and back this week, and the journey that was both quickest and cheapest was changing at Reading and then Hayes & Harlington. The changes were short and reliable in both directions.

If travelling by train from Temple Meads to Reading, changing to the railair coach at Reading will save you far more time

 

[zwk500]

Are people 'booked' on a specific Elizabeth Line Service? With 6(?) trains an hour missing an onwards EL connection is hardly a problem.

If you were attempting to make an hourly train from Liverpool Street missing a change at Hayes could easily turn a comfortable connection into quite a tight one. I will concede that there are very few journeys for which this is likely to be a serious problem.

 

[BrianW]

Temporarily off the agenda. They’ll be back before long.

Wondering where the current MPs for Hayes & Harlington (John McDonnell) and Uxbridge & South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), or their successors are standing re Heathrow Expansion?

 

[Stompehh]

If travelling by train from Temple Meads to Reading, changing to the railair coach at Reading will save you far more time

Looking at a typical evening itinerary, next week around 4pm, Bristol Temple Meads to Heathrow T5:

Via Elizabeth line: 2h10min, £44.30
Via Railair: 2h16min, £51.20

Plus I've had variable experience with Railair journey times in peak time traffic. I'd trust the rail connections to be more reliable than the road journey.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Nov 2022 ==

But by far the easiest and quickest means of getting from Bristol to Heathrow is the hourly direct coach from Bristol Bus Station ....

I do go that way sometimes, particularly on person travel rather than business, but it is a bit slower (2h25 vs 2h10 now via Reading & Hayes) and I live much closer to Temple Meads than the bus station.

 

[Acton1991]

Are people 'booked' on a specific Elizabeth Line Service? With 6(?) trains an hour missing an onwards EL connection is hardly a problem.

4 trains per hour at the mo