In message .com, at
09:10:59 on Thu, 28 Sep 2006, Earl Purple
remarked:

It's actually quite difficult to get from the A40/M40 to Reading (I used
to live quite close to the M40, north of Reading). The road is diverging
to the north quite significantly. I suppose you could try going via High
Wycombe and Maidenhead Thicket (as long as the M4 was OK west of there).
But it's an awful long way round.

M40, A404 and then A4 or A4155 according to your pick. Given the
circumstances, A4155 may be better option.

The 4155 is a non-starter even without people diverting off the M40.
Marlow is a nightmare bottleneck in the late afternoon, and you have to
get through Henley as well. If you want to keep off the M4/A4, carry on
to Lewknor and south via Nettlebed. An even bigger diversion (in miles)
though.

--
Roland Perry

"AstraVanMan" writes:

Having said that though - what is desperately needed is fast services from
Reading to Hayes + Harlington, as the only services that stop at H+H from
Reading are the slow "stop everywhere" services, which is madness
considering what a crucial link it is. I say add H+H to all services that
just call at Twyford and/or Slough and/or Maidenhead, with possibly a few
services just going ReadingH+HPaddington. That, and just get rid of the
RailAir coaches altogether. With the roads around there, the trains are by
far the best way to go.

Or even put in a chord, if there is not one already, to allow trains
from the West to access Heathrow directly.

In article ,
Peter Masson wrote:

"AstraVanMan" wrote

Having said that though - what is desperately needed is fast services
from Reading to Hayes + Harlington, as the only services that stop at
H+H from Reading are the slow "stop everywhere" services, which is
madness considering what a crucial link it is.

Reading to Hayes & Harlington is 4tph in 35-36 minutes, which would be
quite good for 25 miles, if it weren't for the trains on the Main Lines
which do it in under 15 minutes pass to stop. With a few exceptions the
Relief Line service is not all stations, trains normally calling at 5 or
6 of the 8 intermediate stations, and the intermediate stations do need
trains to Hayes & H, and to Ealing Broadway and Paddington. There isn't
track capacity to superimpose a fast service, nor for Main Line trains
to call at Hayes & H.

I recall that the original Virgin XC Operation Princess plan had an hourly
Birmingham-Reading-Brighton Voyager service which called at Hayes and
Harlington, Kensington Olympia and Gatwick Airport. I am sure it would
have been well patronised, but it fell by the wayside because of lack of
capacity on the GW fast lines. It was later replaced by the ill-fated
service through Guildford.

David

"Graham Murray" wrote

Or even put in a chord, if there is not one already, to allow trains
from the West to access Heathrow directly.

There isn't. There are proposals, as part of Airtrack, for a line westward
from T5, turning south on to the route of the Staines West branch, then
joining the Windsor Riverside line to a new station at Staines High Street
and a new spur towards Ascot. This would allow through trains from T5 to
Reading. Less definite are ideas for a line from T5 to turn north along the
Staines West branch, then to join the GWML by a westward-facing spur west of
West Drayton.

Peter

In message , at 12:02:07 on Fri,
29 Sep 2006, Graham Murray remarked:
Or even put in a chord, if there is not one already, to allow trains
from the West to access Heathrow directly.

aiui the tunnels and stations at Heathrow belong to BAA (and were
constructed at their expense). They don't have any trains that could use
a new chord such as you describe, so there would have to be some extra
co-operation between BAA, NR, and whoever will run these new trains.

I wonder if diesels are permitted, in any event. If not the project will
be moot until there's electrification towards the west, as far as
wherever these trains will come from.
--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland
Perry) on Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:30:09 +0100 wrote:

A bus, plus an all stations stopper, doesn't sound more comfortable
than the airport coaches! And would take much longer than the coach is
scheduled to.
--
Roland Perry


Hi Roland,

Just looked at your website(s) and they seem a little out of date. Also
no mention of your time at CIX.

--
Richard
( email - (reverse the obvious) )
( www.virbius - more is hidden than viewable! British site! )