Paul Scott wrote on 05 May 2009
16:56:45 ...

I'm one of those that doesn't think Reading will be that useful a Crossrail
terminus IF all the proposed Crossrail services remain as all station
stoppers. However, if there is a way of having a Crossrail fast service -
perhaps as far as Ealing for instance it could be a useful way of freeing up
capacity on longer distance services.

However there is a similar debate about whether or not it should be Heathrow
Express or Connect that runs through onto Crossrail - it seems to hinge on
the lack of capacity and conflicting moves required on the crossovers from
main to relief running lines?

Is there such a debate? Crossrail have been saying for years that
Crossrail would replace Connect and that HEx would continue to run.
They've planned the changes to Airport Junction to achieve this.
However, it wouldn't surprise me if a debate had been re-opened.

The Crossrail maps show every station on the line except at Heathrow,
where it just shows "Heathrow Airport". If it replaces Connect, that
will mean Crossrail running to T123 and T4, and not serving the main BA
terminal at T5, which never looked like a plan that would survive unscathed.

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

Richard J. wrote:
Paul Scott wrote on 05 May 2009
16:56:45 ...

However there is a similar debate about whether or not it should be
Heathrow Express or Connect that runs through onto Crossrail - it
seems to hinge on the lack of capacity and conflicting moves
required on the crossovers from main to relief running lines?

Is there such a debate? Crossrail have been saying for years that
Crossrail would replace Connect and that HEx would continue to run.
They've planned the changes to Airport Junction to achieve this.
However, it wouldn't surprise me if a debate had been re-opened.


Not an official debate. But a remarkable number of contributors here are
convinced that HEx cannot continue as is with Crossrail. However my own
understanding is the same as yours, ie I've read the Crossrail rationale...

Paul S

On Tue, 5 May 2009 19:25:19 +0100, "Paul Scott"
wrote:

Not an official debate. But a remarkable number of contributors here are
convinced that HEx cannot continue as is with Crossrail.

Because nobody will use it when they can have a direct train to
somewhere less inconvenient than Paddington.

However my own
understanding is the same as yours, ie I've read the Crossrail rationale...

The rationale can be what it likes, but a through service from
Heathrow to various points in London will (so long as it's not as slow
as the Picc) prove a lot more popular than a fast train to somewhere
people don't want to go. Thus, HEx would likely quickly prove
uneconomic as-is.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.