OT - Impact of Crossrail on Heathrow Express
Jul 22, 2013, 8:51 am
#61
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It does seem to have gone very quiet. Wandsworth, my council, was very supportive of it. Googling doesn't seem to bring up anything very recent at all unfortunately. Being a Putney resident, it would be very convenient if it were to happen as the schlepp from Feltham on the 285 is a pain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathrow_Airtrack
the the Airtrack project was abandoned by BAA in April 2011.
I'm not even sure if Airtrack Lite was anything but a publicity stunt by Wandsworth Council
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/site/sc...p?newsID=10776
I can see no references to it on official websites such as those for South West Trains or Network Rail.
Jul 22, 2013, 9:50 am
#62
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I've found this from May 2012:
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/ar...row_rail_route
and this:
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloa...e_rail_service
and this:
http://london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=38590
So yes, it does seem to be a figment of Wandsworth council's imagination.
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/ar...row_rail_route
and this:
http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloa...e_rail_service
and this:
http://london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=38590
So yes, it does seem to be a figment of Wandsworth council's imagination.
Jul 22, 2013, 10:03 am
#63
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http://london.gov.uk/mqt/public/question.do?id=38590
So yes, it does seem to be a figment of Wandsworth council's imagination.
Jul 22, 2013, 2:36 pm
#64
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I thought the local residents poured cold water on the proposal claiming the level crossing barriers would be down too often...unless I'm mistaking it for another rail proposal?
Jul 22, 2013, 2:55 pm
#65
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The route through Canary Wharf, the City and the West End will open in late 2018, with the full route running in 2019. and, although ticket prices are yet to be announced, for all those City/Canary Wharf workers heading over to Heathrow, jumping on a train at Liverpool Street, Moorgate or Canary Wharf and travelling straight to Heathrow with a reduced journey time must appeal (Whitechapel to Heathrow will be 39 minutes versus 49 minutes now by tube/HEX and 68 minutes tube only).
The Not only will HEx lose many passengers and end up being a white elephant, but the less frequent Crossrail services to the airport will be in danger of excessive overcrowding. It will always be worth waiting for the Crossrail train at Heathrow because to take the HEx first, by the time you have left it at Paddington and walked over to where the Crossrail platforms are going to be, under where the old cab point was in Westbourne Terrace, the subsequent Crossrail train from Heathrow will be there, if not before, and you will have wasted the premium fare for no purpose.
Let's face it, Paddington is in W2, it is not in Central London (there have been challenges through the Advertising Standards Authority about HEx saying it is) and doesn't generate much traffic from its own area. Crossrail will take you through to the West End, The City, Canary Wharf, etc, all in one seamless journey, which was the original idea. It is just ludicrous that the UK's only significant aviation hub managed to exempt itself from all the advantages of the project.
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Let's face it, Paddington is in W2, it is not in Central London (there have been challenges through the Advertising Standards Authority about HEx saying it is) and doesn't generate much traffic from its own area. Crossrail will take you through to the West End, The City, Canary Wharf, etc, all in one seamless journey, which was the original idea. It is just ludicrous that the UK's only significant aviation hub managed to exempt itself from all the advantages of the project.
.
Eventually everything evolves, hopefully for the better.
Jul 22, 2013, 3:51 pm
#66
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Crossrail will stop at the enlarged Bond Street station, right on Oxford Street, just a couple of minutes walk from both these properties and far closer and more convenient than Paddington, which is a cab ride away. It also will stop across London at Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, as well as Paddington. All every 15 minutes to Heathrow.
Jul 22, 2013, 3:52 pm
#67
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It wasn't just the residents - fire brigade, ambulance, etc all said that losing the remaining crossing open time would make their responses untenable.
Jul 22, 2013, 4:05 pm
#68
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But why can't they look at a DLR style 2-3 mile overhead railway (so no level crossings required) linking T5 to Staines railway station. It could be mainly run alongside the Stanwell Moor Road. Or to Ashford station along the B378.
Jul 22, 2013, 4:53 pm
#69
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That's not the part of the route that has the problems with the level crossings.
Jul 22, 2013, 6:19 pm
#70
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Crossrail will stop at the enlarged Bond Street station, right on Oxford Street, just a couple of minutes walk from both these properties and far closer and more convenient than Paddington, which is a cab ride away. It also will stop across London at Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, as well as Paddington. All every 15 minutes to Heathrow.
Regardless, it doesn't bother me to pay GBP20 for this type of service. I'd gladly pay this amount to get similar service in any major city in the USA, but it simply isn't available at any cost. Of course we'd all like it to cost less. But be glad just to have the option. With a few exceptions (NYC) Public transit takes forever here compared with taxi service. Time is money. And HEX sure beats the only option that I had 30 years ago - the glacial Tube. Also beats the GBP 60 taxi ride from Paddington to LHR, which I have been forced to pay when HEX had switching delays.
Jul 23, 2013, 2:56 am
#71
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Does anyone know what provisions will be made for the Airport Traveler in the Crossrail Rolling Stock ?
Will there be first class ?
Will there be extra space for luggage ?
Is the seating going to be 4 across / 5 across or longitudinal (like the tube) ?
As presumably the same trains will be used to carry commuters from Maidenhead and Shenfield etc. any allowance for the luggage of LHR-bound passengers will have to be balanced with the requirements of the rush-hour.
In fact I think that the rolling stock design is close to the heart of the problem. The Canary Wharf / Liverpool St to Heathrow passenger probably needs something that is in between the current very low-density HEX and a crowded high density commuter train.
Given that eventually Network Rail seem to want 8 or more Crossrail trains running to LHR (alternatively to T5 and T4) it is not inconceivable that the Crossrail train will end up as the only train serving LHR after 2023 / 2025.
It would be encouraging to think that there will be some foresight in the train design (to make it flexible perhaps) to take account of this... but I am thinking there probably won't be ?
Will there be first class ?
Will there be extra space for luggage ?
Is the seating going to be 4 across / 5 across or longitudinal (like the tube) ?
As presumably the same trains will be used to carry commuters from Maidenhead and Shenfield etc. any allowance for the luggage of LHR-bound passengers will have to be balanced with the requirements of the rush-hour.
In fact I think that the rolling stock design is close to the heart of the problem. The Canary Wharf / Liverpool St to Heathrow passenger probably needs something that is in between the current very low-density HEX and a crowded high density commuter train.
Given that eventually Network Rail seem to want 8 or more Crossrail trains running to LHR (alternatively to T5 and T4) it is not inconceivable that the Crossrail train will end up as the only train serving LHR after 2023 / 2025.
It would be encouraging to think that there will be some foresight in the train design (to make it flexible perhaps) to take account of this... but I am thinking there probably won't be ?
Jul 23, 2013, 3:33 am
#72
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Does anyone know what provisions will be made for the Airport Traveler in the Crossrail Rolling Stock ?
Will there be first class ?
Will there be extra space for luggage ?
Is the seating going to be 4 across / 5 across or longitudinal (like the tube) ?
As presumably the same trains will be used to carry commuters from Maidenhead and Shenfield etc. any allowance for the luggage of LHR-bound passengers will have to be balanced with the requirements of the rush-hour.
In fact I think that the rolling stock design is close to the heart of the problem. The Canary Wharf / Liverpool St to Heathrow passenger probably needs something that is in between the current very low-density HEX and a crowded high density commuter train.
Given that eventually Network Rail seem to want 8 or more Crossrail trains running to LHR (alternatively to T5 and T4) it is not inconceivable that the Crossrail train will end up as the only train serving LHR after 2023 / 2025.
It would be encouraging to think that there will be some foresight in the train design (to make it flexible perhaps) to take account of this... but I am thinking there probably won't be ?
Will there be first class ?
Will there be extra space for luggage ?
Is the seating going to be 4 across / 5 across or longitudinal (like the tube) ?
As presumably the same trains will be used to carry commuters from Maidenhead and Shenfield etc. any allowance for the luggage of LHR-bound passengers will have to be balanced with the requirements of the rush-hour.
In fact I think that the rolling stock design is close to the heart of the problem. The Canary Wharf / Liverpool St to Heathrow passenger probably needs something that is in between the current very low-density HEX and a crowded high density commuter train.
Given that eventually Network Rail seem to want 8 or more Crossrail trains running to LHR (alternatively to T5 and T4) it is not inconceivable that the Crossrail train will end up as the only train serving LHR after 2023 / 2025.
It would be encouraging to think that there will be some foresight in the train design (to make it flexible perhaps) to take account of this... but I am thinking there probably won't be ?
Jul 23, 2013, 3:44 am
#73
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Does anyone know what provisions will be made for the Airport Traveler in the Crossrail Rolling Stock ?
Will there be first class ?
Will there be extra space for luggage ?
Is the seating going to be 4 across / 5 across or longitudinal (like the tube) ?
As presumably the same trains will be used to carry commuters from Maidenhead and Shenfield etc. any allowance for the luggage of LHR-bound passengers will have to be balanced with the requirements of the rush-hour.
In fact I think that the rolling stock design is close to the heart of the problem. The Canary Wharf / Liverpool St to Heathrow passenger probably needs something that is in between the current very low-density HEX and a crowded high density commuter train.
Given that eventually Network Rail seem to want 8 or more Crossrail trains running to LHR (alternatively to T5 and T4) it is not inconceivable that the Crossrail train will end up as the only train serving LHR after 2023 / 2025.
It would be encouraging to think that there will be some foresight in the train design (to make it flexible perhaps) to take account of this... but I am thinking there probably won't be ?
Will there be first class ?
Will there be extra space for luggage ?
Is the seating going to be 4 across / 5 across or longitudinal (like the tube) ?
As presumably the same trains will be used to carry commuters from Maidenhead and Shenfield etc. any allowance for the luggage of LHR-bound passengers will have to be balanced with the requirements of the rush-hour.
In fact I think that the rolling stock design is close to the heart of the problem. The Canary Wharf / Liverpool St to Heathrow passenger probably needs something that is in between the current very low-density HEX and a crowded high density commuter train.
Given that eventually Network Rail seem to want 8 or more Crossrail trains running to LHR (alternatively to T5 and T4) it is not inconceivable that the Crossrail train will end up as the only train serving LHR after 2023 / 2025.
It would be encouraging to think that there will be some foresight in the train design (to make it flexible perhaps) to take account of this... but I am thinking there probably won't be ?
Remember trains start and terminate at Heathrow. So, arriving at LHR the train will be empty so plenty of space for luggage. On the return, perhaps harder to find spaces for your luggage but you only have commuters from the City to West London to deal with, not those from Maidenhead and Slough as well.
Jul 23, 2013, 12:54 pm
#74
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Some of the detail of the new Crossrail trains is being left up to the suppliers. However, assuming they use the current standard car length of 23m the trains will have 8 cars and thus, from the total number of seats (which is in the spec) there will be 56 seats per car.
This contrasts with the new trains now on the Overground Line, same size, which have 34 seats per car. So an effort is being made to have more seats. It is also exactly the same as the 56 seats in each current Heathrow Express standard class car.
What I can't see is how the total the specification of 450 seats and 1,500 passengers overall (so over 120 standing per car) is achievable, unless some ridiculously low figure of the space taken by each standing passenger is used. I think people would be unable to get in long before that total is reached. There is also no mention of any space for luggage, even just space for it on the floor; it is ridiculous to provide a service to an airport and then be surprised that passengers may take luggage with them.
This contrasts with the new trains now on the Overground Line, same size, which have 34 seats per car. So an effort is being made to have more seats. It is also exactly the same as the 56 seats in each current Heathrow Express standard class car.
What I can't see is how the total the specification of 450 seats and 1,500 passengers overall (so over 120 standing per car) is achievable, unless some ridiculously low figure of the space taken by each standing passenger is used. I think people would be unable to get in long before that total is reached. There is also no mention of any space for luggage, even just space for it on the floor; it is ridiculous to provide a service to an airport and then be surprised that passengers may take luggage with them.
Jul 23, 2013, 3:17 pm
#75
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If you put an overhead DLR style railway from LHR into an existing station to link into existing services there is no change to the current level crossing operation.