On Mon, 1 Jun 2015 11:07:28 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message
-septemb
er.org, at 09:26:52 on Mon, 1 Jun 2015, Recliner
remarked:

The plan was outlined by Network Rail in its London and the
South East route utilisation study late last year.
Network Rail believes this would also remove the need for many
passengers travelling between Heathrow and central London to
change trains at Paddington.

BAA had previously campaigned against calls to dovetail Heathrow
Express with Crossrail. It objected to the legislation that
authorised the line, fearing that the Department for Transport
could take over the Express service.

However, Matthews told a Westminster Energy, Environment &
Transport Forum event last week that BAA now backs the idea.

"The opportunity of Heathrow Express going forward with
Crossrail, to make sure you can get from Heathrow not just to
Paddington but to other destinations in London, is going to be
great," he said.

I see that was over four years ago, and even then, it was no more than an
idea.

A RUS is a bit more than "an idea", usually.

I wonder if it's progressed at all since then? Obviously, HAL
requires to be compensated for access to its tunnels, but beyond that, I
wonder if it's that bothered whether it maintains a separate premium
service or co-sponsors an all-Crossrail service, which would be a lot less
confusing for pax.

The only people who'd lose out would be the ones who specifically wanted to
get from Paddington to T5 as quickly as possible, preferably in First.

The trains would still stop at Paddington.

Yes, but wouldn't then run non-stop to Heathrow, as they would be
stopping Crossrail trains on the relief lines, so a slower, less
premium service. As I keep saying, there isn't a grade-separated route
from the Crossrail tunnels to the fast GW main lines, and an unwelcome
flat crossing will lose capacity.


Most other passengers would get a better service, with fewer changes
and possibly lower fares to Heathrow.

Crossrail is only 4tph, and I'm not sure where your "more changes" comes
from.

Passengers from central London to Heathrow T2 and T3 would get eight
direct trains per hour to Heathrow instead of four. Obviously T4 and
T5 will remain as 4tph.