Extending The Elizabeth Line – Connection To Southeastern High Speed One Services
The Two Stratford Stations
In this post, Stratford station is the station handling Greater Anglia and London Overground, Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, with Stratford International station handles High Speed services.
The Elizabeth Line And The Great Western Railway Services
One of the most important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Paddington, where it connects to the London terminus of the Great Western Railway.
I would expect that quite a few passengers going to the West and Wales on the Great Western Railway, will be transported to Paddington by the Elizabeth Line.
The Elizabeth Line And Greater Anglia Services
Another of the important stations on the Elizabeth Line is Liverpool Street, where the station is the London terminus of the Greater Anglia.
I would expect that quite a few passengers going to East Anglia on the Greater Anglia, will be transported to Liverpool Street by the Elizabeth Line.
Southeastern High Speed One Services
Southeastern runs some High Speed services on High Speed One to provide Kent with an improved service to London.
Current services are
- London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Faversham.
- London St Pancras International to Ramsgate via Dover Priory.
- London St Pancras International to Margate via Canterbury West.
Note
- All trains are one train per hour (tph).
- All trains stop at Stratford International and Ebbsfleet International.
- All trains are run by 140 mph Class 395 trains.
There has also been talk of running a fourth service to Hastings and Eastbourne via Stratford International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International.
St. Pancras Station
All of these trains terminate in three platforms; 11 to 13 at St. Pancras International station.
St. Pancras is not the ideal terminal for the Southeastern High Speed services.
- St. Pancras is not on the Elizabeth Line.
- St.Pancras doesn’t have good connections to Heathrow.
- All connections to the Underground are a long walk.
- Eurostar services are a longer walk.
- East Midland services are also a longer route, with stairs and escalators for good measure.
St. Pancras station was designed by a committee, as a museum to Victorian architecture, rather than as a working station.
Ebbsfleet International Station Must Be The Largest Parkway Station In The UK
It holds nearly five thousand cars and it is served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
Thanet Parkway Station Will Open This Year
Thanet Parkway station is under construction.
- It will have nearly three hundred parking spaces.
- It will be served by Southeastern High Speed Services.
- It should open in May 2023.
This station will need a good connection to London.
Could An Interchange Between The Elizabeth Line And Southeastern High Speed Services Be Provided At Stratford?
Such an alternative interchange would be popular with passengers.
- The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves the West End, the Northern section of the City of London, East London, Liverpool Street, Paddington and the West End directly.
- The Elizabeth Line from Stratford currently serves Canary Wharf, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, Heathrow, King’s Cross. Reading, St. Pancras and Victoria with a change at Whitechapel.
- The Central Line, which shares platforms with the Elizabeth Line serves Bank and the West End directly.
- The Overground is easily accessed for travel across North London to Richmond.
- The Jubilee Line is easily accessed for travel to London Bridge, Waterloo and Westminster.
It would be connected to two large parkway stations and lots of parking all over Kent.
I believe that Stratford must be promoted as an alternative terminus for Southeastern High Speed Services.
Today, I walked both ways between two Stratford stations.
These pictures show the route I took between Stratford and Stratford International stations, through the Eastfield Shopping Centre.
Note.
- I went through the Shopping Centre.
- I passed Marks & Spencer’s large food hall, excellent toilets and a Food Court.
- By the Food Court is an exit that leads to an entrance to Stratford International station.
- The walk took about 10 minutes.
- It was vaguely level.
- Lifts by-passed the escalators.
- One thing that makes the journey to London easier, is to travel in the Eastern end of the train, as the lifts and escalators at Stratford International station, are at that end.
It does need some better signage, but they were doing a bit of refurbishment, so that may already be underway.
It could be a very high quality interchange and it is already better than St. Pancras.
Coming back I took the longer route outside the Shopping Centre.
Note.
- I just turned left out of the entrance, walked along the road and turned right past the bus station.
- If the weather had been colder or wetter, I’d have gone back via the Shopping Centre.
- The walk took about 12 minutes.
I think normally, I’d go back through the Shopping Centre, as there’s a Marks and Spencer Food Hall on the route and it’s slightly quicker and often warmer.
Could Stratford Station Be A London Superhub Station?
When you consider the stations connected to Stratford in London, East Anglia and Kent, it has an excellent collection.
- Airports – Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southend and Stansted
- Cities – Cambridge, Canterbury, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and Southend-on-Sea
- London Main and Terminal Stations – Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, Farringdon, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Marylebone, Moorgate, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo
- Major Areas – Canary Wharf, City of London, Hampstead, Olympic Park and West End
- Ports – Dover, Felixstowe, Folkestone and Harwich
You can even get a train to Slough, with a change at Whitechapel.
I would think it already is a London Superhub Station.
An Elegant Way To Cope With Roof Leaks
I took these pictures at St. Pancras station.
Note.
- The full wording is “I catch rain, not rubbish”
- The green grass is something like Astroturf.
- There were three of them!
- They appear to be fitted with castors.
I’m surprised, I’ve not seen this idea used before.
London St Pancras Twins With Bordeaux Saint-Jean To Promote Direct Service
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Channel Tunnel rail link concessionaire HS1 Ltd announced a twinning agreement between its London St Pancras International station and SNCF’s Bordeaux Saint-Jean station on October 18, saying this would help to progress the development of proposals for a through passenger service between the cities.
I tend to think, that all twinning arrangements are mainly about giving directors, mayors and those at the top, junkets and expensive free dinners.
It is much more important that the links go much deeper and hat those lower down meet the important objectives.
In the case of this twinning, will it accelerate the start of a direct London and Bordeaux service, which could be much-needed or a waste of resources.
Let’s get on with trialling the service, rather than wasting time thinking about it and posing for photographs.
Building New City-Centre Lines Instead Of Using Existing Network Inflates HS2 Cost By 15%
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first paragraph.
HS2’s second phase will cost more compared to similar overseas schemes because it relies on new dedicated high-speed lines into city-centre terminal stations at Manchester and Leeds rather than using the existing conventional railway.
As the review of the costs of HS2, that showed this, was done by PwC, I suspect the figures can be believed.
Over the last few years, we’ve redeveloped or extended several busy stations like Derby, Kings Cross, Liverpool Lime |Street, London Bridge, Manchester Victoria, Nottingham, Reading and St. Pancras.
I like Reading and London Bridge the best, as the large concourse crossing either over or under the tracks with lots of escalators and lifts, seems to work well Liverpool Lime Street with a wide concourse at one end, seems to work well for a terminal station.
But St. Pancras is a mess for passengers and staff alike with effectively four stations in one one Victorian building.
It would have been better, if the station had been flattered and a new one built.
This approach is being taken at that 1960s monstrosity; Euston, which is being extended for HS2.
The four Northern stations in Phase 2 of HS2 are being treated differently.
- Leeds is getting a dedicated approach to new platforms at right angles to the existing ones.
- Liverpool Lime Street uses the existing approach and platforms have been extended for the new HS2 trains.
- Manchester Piccadilly is getting a dedicated approach to new platforms alongside the existing ones.
- Sheffield uses the existing approach and platforms will be extended for the new HS2 trains.
Liverpool Lime Street is already HS2-ready and can handle at least two normal expresses and one HS2 train in an hour.
The works were completed in a six-month blockade in the Summer of 2018.
I suspect Sheffield will be made HS2-ready, in a similar way.
Conclusion
Obviously, every station is different.
But Liverpool Lime Street has shown how it is possible to find an affordable, less disruptive approach to some stations.
Should A Mega-Station Be Created At Kings Cross-St. Pancras-Euston?
The three important stations of Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Euston sit like three isolated islands on Euston Road.
Kings Cross Station
Kings Cross station was extended and refurbished in 2012 and is the most modern of the three, with a well-designed square in front of the station.
Kings Cross serves as a terminus for East Coast Main Line and some Cambridge services.
Underground
Kings Cross has connections to the following Underground lines at Kings Cross St. Pancras tube station.
- Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan.
- Northern
- Piccadilly
- Victoria
On the whole, the connections to the Underground are generally good, but crowded.
Buses
If you want to go East connectivity is good, but when taking a bus to the West or South, finding the stop can be difficult.
Taxis
The taxi rank at Kings Cross generally works well, as it was reconfigured when the station was updated.
Summing Up Kings Cross Station
Kings Cross has a lot of space both inside and outside and using the station can be an easy process compared to many.
St. Pancras Station
St. Pancras station was rebuilt and extended for Eurostar and Southeastern Highspeed services in 2007.
I always describe St, Pancras as a Fur-Coat-And-No-Knickers station.
It may look spectacular, but it wasn’t designed for passengers or staff, due to the dreadful connectivity between the various services at the station.
- Continental
- Midland Main Line
- Southeastern Highspeed
- Thameslink
With all these services set to expand, I have a feeling that St. Pancras faces a capacity problem.
Underground
To further complicate matters, it’s a often a long walk to the Underground line you need, as these were designed to serve Kings Cross.
- Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan.
- Northern
- Piccadilly
- Victoria
There is a ticket hall at the front of the station, but it’s often very crowded with large numbers of Eurostar passengers queuing for tickets.
Buses
It’s a walk to Kings Cross in most cases unless you can find a way across the busy Euston Road.
Taxis
I always walk to Kings Cross, as like most passenger facilities at St. Pnncras, the taxi rank wasn’t well-designed.
Summing Up St. Pancras
St. Pancras doesn’t have the space inside or outside that Kings Cross has and often feels cramped with every seat taken.
With the increase in all services expected in the next few years, passengers should think hard about how they can avoid the station,
Euston Station
Euston station is going to be rebuilt in the next few years for HS2.
Currently, it serves as a terminus for West Coast Main Line and a few suburban services.
Underground
The Underground at Euston is a mess with Euston tube station handling the following lines.
- Both branches of the Northern
- Victoria
Round the corner is the cramped Euston Square station which handles the Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines.
Neither station is fully step-free and the Underground connection will need expansion for HS2.
Buses
Euston has a good bus station if you’re going East, but going West means crossing the busy Euston Road.
Taxis
Euston has an underground taxi rank, that seems to work well.
Summing Up Euston Station
Space is at a premium in Euston station and the Underground connections need urgent improvement.
Crossrail 2
Crossrail 2 is being put forward as the project that will sort out the problems of the three stations on the Euston Road.
A mega station is to be built called Euston St. Pancras, which will serve all three stations.
But Euston and St. Pancras need extra capacity in connecting services now, not in the early 2030s!
Existing Lines
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the current Underground Lines at the three stations.
Can these lines be improved to help solve the capacity problems?
Victoria Line
If you want an example of the quality of the engineers working on the London Underground, you only have to look at the Victoria Line.
Fifty years old next year, the line was built on the cheap, but with superb automatic systems and some clever station layouts and now every year, more trains seem to be squeezed down its pair of tunnels. Currently, the frequency of trains is thirty-six trains per hour (tph) along its whole length.
As the Victoria Line calls at all three stations, any improvements to Dear Old Vicky, like step-free access at Euston, will help.
Northern Line
The Northern Line has three major projects underway.
- The extension to Battersea
- The upgrading of Camden Town station.
- The upgrading of Bank station
When these are complete around 2024, it will be possible to split the line into two separate lines each handling 36 tph.
But more trains will be needed.
Piccadilly Line
The major upgrade for the Piccadilly Line will be new trains, which should arrive from 2022, which will bring a double-digit increase in capacity.
It should also be noted that the frequency in the core is only twenty-one tph, so upwards of thorty tph must be an objectve.
Unlike the Northern And Victoria Lines, the Piccadilly Line doesn’t call at Euston station.
Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines
The Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines are being upgraded. This is said on Wikipedia.
Together with the introduction of S Stock trains, the track, electrical supply and signalling systems are being upgraded in a programme planned to increase peak-hour capacity on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines by 65 per cent by the end of 2018. A single control room for the sub-surface railway is to be established in Hammersmith and an automatic train control (ATC) system will replace signalling equipment installed from the 1940s. The cross-London Crossrail line, planned to open in 2018, is expected to reduce crowding between Paddington and Whitechapel.
This should result in a large increase in capacity between Baker Street and Liverpool Street.
Crossrail
Although Crossrail doesn’t fully open until December 2019, and doesn’t even call at Kings Cross, St.Pancras and Euston stations, the new line will have an effect on passengers travelling to the three stations.
- In my quote from Wikipedia, it says that Crossrail is expected to reduce crowding between Paddington and Whitechapel.
- Crossrail is expected to have a link with HS2 at Old Oak Common station.
- Crossrail may be extended up the West Coast Main Line.
The latter two points would allow passengers to bypass Euston.
Thameslink
Thameslink when it is running fully at the design frequency of 24 tph will certainly have effects on passenger traffic.
But it is difficult to say what they will be.
Difficult Interchanges
If you look at the interchanges between the various lines, in my opinion, the following are the more difficult interchanges.
- Euston Square tube station to Euston station.
- Euston station to St. Pancras station.
- Victoria Line to Thameslink at St. Pancras station.
- Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan Lines ro Thameslink at St. Pancras station.
- Euston Square tube station to Northern Line at Euston station.
In addition Euston Square and Euston stations are not step-free.
Transport for London probably know the improvements that would offer the most benefit.
Euston Square Station And Euston Station
The poor connectivity between Euston Square tube station and Euston station, is a major problem.
Sort this bad connectivity, when Euston station is rebuilt for HS2 and world’s oldest underground railway, dating from 1863, will be providing a high-frequency service to the UK’s premier high-speed railway.
Euston Road
Euston Road, which can be very busy, is a major problem for passengers needing to cross to perhaps use buses going to the West.
The experience of using the stations could be improved for a proportion of travellers, if crossing the road was easier.
Should A Mega-Station Be Created At Kings Cross-St. Pancras-Euston?
I’ll return to the original question I asked.
- If Crossrail 2 is built, there will obviously be a mega station at Euston St. Pancras.
- But I believe that all the other improvements that will happen before HS2 opens may well be enough to cope with the extra capacity needed for a few years.
Obviously though, any improvements must not compromise the building of Crossrail 2’s mega-station.
Conclusion
I believe it is possible to improve connectivity to the three major stations of King Cross, St. Pancras and Euston, by doing the following.
- Improving the frequency and capacity on the various Underground lines serving the three stations.
- Splitting the Northern Line into two separate lines.
- Improving the links between the existing Nation Rail and Underground Lines.
- Integrating Euston Square station into Euston station, when Euston is rebuilt for HS2.
- Improving the crossing of Euston Road on foot.
In some ways the last-but-one point is the most important, as it cures the worst interchange.
Could Thameslink Connect To Heathrow?
This may seem an outrageous idea.
But I think it could be possible.
Can Class 345 Trains And Class 700 Trains Use The Same Tracks And Platforms?
Crossrail may use Class 345 trains and Thameslink may use Class 700 trains, but can the two trains use the same tracks and platforms?
Recently, Cambridge North station has opened and it will certainly be compatible with Class 700 trains and Greater Anglia’s Class 720 trains, which are closely related to the Crossrail trains.
Heathrow’s platforms do not have platform-edge doors.
Both trains are designed to work at high frequencies using ERTMS.
So I think the answer to my question is a solid yes!
How Would Thameslink Trains Get To Heathrow?
The original plan for Heathrow Express envisaged using both Paddington and St. Pancras as terminals in Central London.
It would have used the Dudding Hill Line as a connection between the Great Western Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
This Google Map shows the tracks to the East of Acton Main Line station.
Note.
- The four tracks of the Great Western Main Line run through Acton Main Line station.
- The most Southerly pair of tracks are the fast lines, whilst the next pair are the slow lines as used by Crossrail.
- The tracks shown in orange are the North London Line.
- The two extra lines to the North of Acton Main Line station are the Goods Lines, connect at Acton Wells Junction to the North London Line, so freight trains can go across London between the Great Western Main Line and Stratford.
After crossing over the Central Line, the route splits with the North London Line going East to Stratford and the Dudding Hill Line going North through Acton Canal Wharf Junction.
To get to and from Heathrow, the services would take the same route as Crossrail to the West of Acton Main Line station.
The services would use the existing Cricklewood Curve Junction to connect with the Thameslink route to the North of Cricklewood station.
What New Infrastructure Would Be Required?
The infrastructure needed would not be of the sort of scale needed for Crossrail or Thameslink.
- The Dudding Hill Line is would need to be electrified.
- The Dudding Hill Line is double-track throughout.
- The 30 mph speed limit of the Dudding Hill Line would need to be increased.
- Would Harlesden and Dudding Hill stations be reopened or other new ones built?
- The stations at Heathrow could probably handle Class 700 trains without too much difficulty.
- There might be a need for a flyover to sort out the tangle of lines between Cricklewood and St. Pancras.
But nothing is too complicated or difficult.
What Frequency Of Thameslink Trains Would Serve Heathrow?
Currently, the following services are provided
- Heathrow Express has four tph to Terminal 5 via Heathrow Central
- There is a shuttle between Heathrow Central and Terminal 4, run by Heathrow Express.
- Heathrow Connect run two tph to Heathrow Central.
When Crossrail opens in December 2019, the service to Heathrow will be four trains per hour (tph) to Terminal 5 and two tph to Terminal 4.
Crossrail will also provide the shuttle between Heathrow Central and Terminal 4.
It is certainly not a system designed by any individual or committee with any sense of good design.
At least, both Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 stations have two terminal platforms, so the two stations should each be able to handle up to eight tph.
If they did this would mean up to sixteen tph on the Heathrow spur, which would be well within the capability of the route and trains running using ERTMS, which will handle up to 24 tph on both Crossrail and Thameslink in the few years.
Under current plans, it appears that when Crossrail opens, the stations will get the following services.
- Heathrow Central – 10 tph
- Heathrow Terminal 4 – 2 tph plus shuttles
- Heathrow Terminal 5 – 8 tph
I’m assuming that Heathrow Connect will quietly fade away.
With a bit of reorganisation of the services, it should be possible to squeeze another six tph into the airport, without building any new terminal platforms.
So I feel that say four tph Thameslink trains to Heathrow would be possible.
Could Crossrail Handle The Extra Trains?
The Thameslink trains would have to run on the Crossrail tracks between Acton Main Line station and Heathrow Airport Junction.
Currently Crossrail are proposing running 12 tph on this section, so as ERTMS can handle double this, I suspect there shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Could Thameslink Handle The Extra Trains?
This article on Rail Engineer, which is entitled Thameslink Signalling Update, says this about possible Thameslink frequencies.
To meet the specification of 24 tph through the Thameslink core section, it is necessary to deploy Automatic Train Operation (ATO). This will provide a peak theoretical capacity of 30 tph, thereby creating a reliable 24 tph service with acceptable recovery margins.
So an extra six tph could be possible.
Would A Service Between Heathrow and Gatwick Airports Be Possible?
In my view it would be the logical service.
It would certainly be possible!
And it could also be a journey without any change of train!
Would There Be Any Other Useful Connections?
These are a few thoughts and ideas.
Same Platform Interchanges
Cross-city lines like Crossrail, Merseyrail’s Northern Line and Thameslink, have the advantage, that if you are going in the right direction, but are on a train to the wrong destination, you can just get off the train and wait for the correct train.
So if you leave Heathrow on a Gatwick train and you need to go to Maidstone East, you would get off at any of the stations in the central core and wait until the next Maidstone East train arrives.
Everybody will have their own favourite interchanges. Mine would probably be Blackfriars station, as it is above the Thames, has lots of seats and there is a large coffee shop on both platforms.
The ability to do this will mean that all stations South of West Hampstead Thameslink station will have a very easy link to and from Heathrow.
Reversing Stations
Crossrail has several stations where you can reverse your direction of travel by just walking across the platform. Whitechapel station will allow passengers to go between Abbey Wood and Shenfield stations without going up or down any steps or escalators.
Thameslink only has one reversing station at London Bridge station, although St. Pancras Thamslink has escalators and lifts to allow passengers to change direction in a short time.
West Hampstead Interchange
If plans for a West Hampstead Interchange materialise, this will link the following lines.
- Chiltern Railways
- Jubilee Line
- Metropolitan Line
- Midland Main L:ine
- North London Line
Note.
- This could be a very good interchange to be connected to Heathrow.
- West Hampstead Interchange would be a good alternative until Old Oak Common station is built.
- Passengers going between Heathrow and stations on the Midland Main Line to the North could change here.
Those like me living along the North London Line would find it a convenient way to get to and from Heathrow.
Kings Cross And St. Pancras Stations
The massive complex at Kings Cross and St. Pancras stations currently links the following lines.
- Eurostar
- Midland Main Line
- East Coast Main Line
- Southeastern Highspeed services
- Circle Line
- Hammersmith and City Line
- Metropolitan Line
- Northern Line
- Piccadilly Line
- Victoria Line
But the only way to get directly to Heathrow is a nearly hour long journey on the Piccadilly Line. Thameslink could be just over half that time, in a less cramped train.
Blackfriars Station
I use Blackfriars station a lot, as it is my the Tate Modern.
But others will use it as a same platform interchage for reasons I outlined erlier.
London Bridge Station
London Bridge station is another important interchange, with links to the following lines.
- Southeastern services to Kent
- Southern services to Surrey and Sussex.
- Jubilee Line
- Northern Line
Note.
- This new station is well-equipped and interchange is totally step-free.
- It is also a short walk to the city across London Bridge.
- This station will be a very good same platform interchange.
- The station allows passengers to reverse direction by just walking across the platform.
As with West Hampstead, this could be a very good interchange to be connected to Heathrow.
East Croydon, Orpington and Wimbledon Stations
East Croydon, Orpington and Wimbledon stations, which are important local hubs, would all be well-connected to Heathrow.
Collateral Benefits
Crossrail 2
Crossrail 2 is planning to have a Euston St. Pancras station, which is described like this in Wikipedia.
It would be a “mega station” serving the existing Euston, King’s Cross and St. Pancras main line stations. If funded and completed, it will be one of two such stations on the Crossrail 2 route (the other being Dalston).
If this station is designed properly, I am sure it will have the following.
- A step-free and convenient link to both Thameslink and Eurostar.
- Some form of high-capacity hi-tech people-mover, stretching under Euston Road, linking Kings Cross, St. Pancras and Euston stations.
I believe a station design is possible that makes the connection between HS1 and HS2 a no-hassle transfer for all passengers in less than ten minutes.
The people-mover should be in place when HS2 opens in December 2026, so that a credible HS1 to HS2 link opens at the same time.
Gatwick, Heathrow, HS1 And HS2 Will Be On One Rail Line
This could be of tremendous benefit to Londoners, travellers, tourists, rail companies and airlines, but Heathrow might not like it, as it could undermine their dominant position.
If Crossrail 2 opens around 2030, this will bring Stansted into the hub.
The Most Important Railway Station In The World
Eventually, Euston St. Pancras station will become the busiest and most important railway station in the world.
How Will Terminal Development At Heathrow Affect Crossrail And Thameslink?
Heathrow are disclosing a master-plan, for rebuilding a lot of the airport to make it more efficient and up with the best.
- There will be two main terminals; Heathrow West and Heathrow East with satellites in between handling the actual planes.
- These two terminals and the satellites will be between the two existing runways, with a passenger and baggage transport system beneath.
- Terminal Five will become Heathrow West.
- An extended Terminal Two will become Heathrow East.
- Crossrail, Heathrow Express and the Underground will serve both main terminals.
I believe that this rebuilding could start in the next few years.
Heathrow will make sure they future-proof rail access, so we could see.
- More terminal platforms at both Heathrow East and Heathrow West
- Through platforms at Heathrow West to allow trains to go West from both terminals.
- Freight shuttles bringing in provisions for the airport, the airlines and the aircraft.
This will allow Crossrail, Thameslink, Heathrow Express and other operators to have as many services as is thought necessary.
The biggest constraint will be the capacity of the Great Western Railway and the two tracks used by Crossrail.
Will Other Operastors Be Allowed Use Heathrow?
This probably depends more on politics than anything else, but technically these facts apply.
Bombardier Aventras
Bombardier have hinted that the design of an Aventra can provide commuter trains like Crossrail’s Class 345 trains and 125 mph expresses.
So it would be likely that a 125 mph Aventra of appropriate length would be able to serve Heathrow, if that were thought necessary!
All Trains Would Be Electric
I suspect that regulations would mean all trains would be electric, as you don’t want diesel or hydrogen fuels in the tunnels under Heathrow.
ERTMS
I also suspect that all trains using the eathrow stations would need to be equipped with ERTMS.
Possible Routes
Who knows what routes will become possible, but as the list of trains grows that are acceptable to Heathrow, various possibilities will arise.
- Great Western Railway to Bristol
- Great Western Railway to Cardiff
- London Overground to Clapham Junction station
- London Overground to Stratford
- South Western Railway to Southampton
- East Midlands Trains to Bedford/Kettering/Corby
- West Midlands Trains to Watford/Milton Keynes/Birmingham
After Heathrow terminals are updated to East and West, there would be scope for cross country routes going vaguely South-West to North-East calling at both terminals in Heathrow.
Will Thameslink And Crossrail Strangle Heathrow Express?
I wonder if a ink to Thameslink will be more valuable to Heathrow, than Heathrow Express.
- Abandoning Heathrow Express would release valuable platform space at Heathrow and Paddington.
- Crossrail and Thameslink together would have connections all over London, rather than just Paddington.
- Crossrail to and from Paddington would only take about five or six minutes longer.
- Heathrow Express will have to update their trains with ERTMS and to compete with Crossrail.
- Heathrow Express usually means a taxi to your hotel to and from Paddington.
- Crossrail will connect the West End, The City and Canary Wharf to Heathrow.
Convenience and cost will eventually strangle Heathrow Express.
Conclusion
The following statements would appear to be true.
- Class 345 and Class 700 trains can use the same infrastructure.
- Crossrail and Thameslink both use ERTMS.
- The stations at Heathrow,the Western section of Crossrail and the Thameslink core have spare capacity.
This means it should be possible to extend Thameslink services to Heathrow with a frequency of at least four tph, using an electrified Dudding Hill Line.
Some new infrastructure would be required, but nothing as comprehensive, as that for Crossrail and Thameslink.
The Anonymous Widower 