The Anonymous Widower

Heathrow Bid To Duck ‘£40m’ Crossrail Bill

This is the title of a small article in the Business section of today’s Sunday Times

Heathrow is annoyed that the Office of Rail and Road rejected their plan to charge every train that uses the line to the Airport, £597, with a maintenance charge of £138,

So they are going for a judicial review.

This is the last sentence of the article.

It (Heathrow) argues that it is unfair to make air passengers – who may never use Crossrail – subsidise the new line.

Consider.

• If passengers use Crossrail, this will mean they won’t have to pay the high prices on the expensive Heathrow Express, which only takes you to the inaccessible-for-many Paddington.
• Crossrail will be the route of choice of many passengers to and from Heathrow. As an example, three out of four of my closest stations will be a single change via Crossrail to Heathrow.
• When Crossrail opens, I suspect only unknowing and the rich will use Heathrow Express.
• Did Crossrail pay for the new Stockley Viaduct, which will increase capacity on the route to Heathrow?
• Many passengers, who have Freedom Passes (As I do!), won’t put Heathrow on their list of London Airports, unless they get free travel to the Airport on Crossrail. Boris promised it!
• Will passengers be able to use contactless ticketing to Heathrow Airport, as they can to Gatwick?

With the decision on the next South East runway to be made this week, Heathrow seems to be reinforcing the view that many hold of the Airport – It operates in a selfish culture, that is more about profits, than passengers, the Airport’s many neighbours and the environment.

October 23, 2016 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Crossrail, Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Heathrow Express