FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Direction of the Heathrow underground loop
Old Jul 1, 2011 | 2:44 am
  #27  
WHBM
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
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Is the man who designed the current arrangements of the Piccadilly Line at Heathrow feeling better yet ?

I really have to say the arrangements of the Piccadilly Line at Heathrow since T5 opened are one of the most bizarre of any city transport system I can think of. They are also near-impossible to describe to strangers visiting (which is surely a key aspect of an International airport).

Not generally known is the long loop from T4 going on round to T123 does swing right round westwards and underneath T5 (it passes under the taxiway between T5B and T5C). Furthermore, when built in 1984, a straight section was provided for a possible future platform, just in case a T5 was built here .....

But instead the ludicrous current arrangement was devised. It is said that when BAA first showed the design to London Underground, there was open laughter from the senior staff present. But BAA persisted, and wanted to control as much as they could (for example, the staff on the Underground station at T5, who you might think were Underground employees, are actually Heathrow Express/BAA employees, who generally show a minimal understanding of Underground questions, but can of course always recommend the Express).
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