For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Wow, thanks for those pics. It reminds me of Total Recall.

Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this:
http://www.bombardier.com/content/da...b.750.750.jpeg

--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Richard J. wrote:
Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this:
http://www.bombardier.com/content/da...b.750.750.jpeg


Yes, that looks right. From memory, I think the trains have four (or five)
carriages. The much more visible elevated Gatwick inter-terminal shuttle
trains have three carriages.

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two. There's obvious scope for the
line to be extended to a future third satellite or linked to a rebuilt
central terminal.

One thing that may or not be obvious from the pics is that the Transit is
very clean and well maintained; it still looks brand new, despite being
almost a decade old.

In article ,
Richard J. wrote:
Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this: ...

Here's Bombardier's description.

http://www.bombardier.com/en/transpo...le-movers.html

They've installed larger systems with the same equipment at the
Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix airports in the U.S. I've ridden the
Dallas one.

On 2017\03\24 21:40, Richard J. wrote:
Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this:
http://www.bombardier.com/content/da...b.750.750.jpeg

Thanks. I wonder why they have head and tail lights?

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2017\03\24 21:40, Richard J. wrote:
Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this:
http://www.bombardier.com/content/da...b.750.750.jpeg

Thanks. I wonder why they have head and tail lights?

Yes, I wondered that. Perhaps for the benefit of (rare) track workers?

John Levine wrote:
In article ,
Richard J. wrote:
Recliner wrote on 24 Mar 2017 at 13:11 ...
For anyone who's interested, I've uploaded a set of photos I took
recently of the underground railway that links Heathrow T5 and its two
satellite terminals. The rubber-tyred railway isn't visible to anyone
not using the satellites.

The two satellites are mainly used by long-haul, wide-body flights
(most European flights use the main terminal):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/reclin...57679819076761

Thanks for the photos.

I recall that when the transit first opened, Heathrow Airport claimed
that the "very long" escalators from the main termainal were the longest
in London, longer than the longest LU escalators at Angel.

It's slightly frustrating not to have an external view of these
rubber-tyred trains (trams?), but I guess that's not possible for the
public. Apparently they look like this: ...

Here's Bombardier's description.

http://www.bombardier.com/en/transpo...le-movers.html

They've installed larger systems with the same equipment at the
Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix airports in the U.S. I've ridden the
Dallas one.

Yes, the current Heathrow T5 installation is quite modest: relatively
short, all underground, all within one terminal, flat and straight (apart
from the crossovers). But it's likely to grow as T2 expands, and again when
when (if) the third runway with associated terminal is built.

I've ridden the DFW system, but a long time ago, and almost certainly an
older generation of trains. Ditto Phoenix.

In article ,
Recliner wrote:
Thanks. I wonder why they have head and tail lights?

Yes, I wondered that. Perhaps for the benefit of (rare) track workers?

Probably because the same equipment runs outside in other places. The
Dallas-Fort Worth system is elevated, and the one in Phoenix is mostly
elevated other than an underpass under a freight railway.

Here's the DFW one: https://www.dfwairport.com/skylink/

Video of a ride on the PHX one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVLIe0VWouQ

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 22:13:51 on Fri, 24 Mar 2017, Recliner
remarked:

Unlike the Gatwick shuttle, there are points, so trains can switch track,
and the number of trains isnt limited to two.

In both cases like the shuttle at Stansted, or thinking back a long way
the inter-terminal shuttle at DFW back in the 80's. May be still there.
--
Roland Perry