U.K. and Ireland - Reading -> LHR rail link given go ahead.

Surprised no one has posted this yet....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18817874

No major panic as it's at least 9 years away from completion, but would on paper be a welcome option for me...

Maybe I haven't been following the updates, but aren't both Heathrow and Reading going to be on the new CrossRail service? Or is this new line part of that? Either way, it makes good sense since it will open up much easier access by public transport to the West Country, Oxford, etc, etc, from Heathrow.

Maybe I haven't been following the updates, but aren't both Heathrow and Reading going to be on the new CrossRail service? Or is this new line part of that? Either way, it makes good sense since it will open up much easier access by public transport to the West Country, Oxford, etc, etc, from Heathrow.

Crossrail is being cut at Maidenhead for now and is protected to Reading I believe. The connection to LHR will be from Slough.

AIUI, the bulk of the work is in electrifying the line to Reading, and increasing the number of platforms there, which is part of another project. The add-on for Heathrow is a junction to the west from the Heathrow branch.

So they're just going to build a second curve off the existing HEX line, as opposed to tunnel into Heathrow (presumably T5) from the West?

Crossrail is being cut at Maidenhead for now and is protected to Reading I believe. The connection to LHR will be from Slough.

Crossrail will have 4 trains per hour to Heathrow, which will use the existing Heathrow branch via a new flyover. It will replace the Heathrow Connect service.

This new announcement is separate to Crossrail. It's a new section of track between the west side of Heathrow (i.e. Terminal 5) and Slough, enabling a much faster connection to Reading and the west.

It's not clear whether they plan to extend Crossrail (or Heathrow Express) service to Reading via this new track, or whether it'll be a separate shuttle service that terminates at T5. The rail station at T5 does have additional, unused platforms that were intended for the cancelled Heathrow Airtrack project.

Are they going to install a ticket machine at Heathrow so you can collect pre-booked tickets?

Don't know. The track and stations are still owned by BAA, so it's currently up to them.

So they're just going to build a second curve off the existing HEX line, as opposed to tunnel into Heathrow (presumably T5) from the West?

According to this: http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/news/slough/articles/2012/07/12/60970-government-pledges-500m-for-heathrow-link/

Network Rail, in a study last year, concluded "the most likely route would include a 3.72 mile railway line and tunnel linking platforms at Heathrow Terminal Five with the Great Western Mainline east of Langley Station"

The Heathrow spur is going to cost £500 million - the same as for electrifying the whole route from Sheffield to Bedford.

I also see that part of the spend includes Crossrail and Thameslink

Together with the electrification of the cross country Southampton - Reading link this makes me a happy man .. Too bad I'll probably live in another country yet again by the time this has been completed!