jimbo
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Post by jimbo on Sept 1, 2024 8:34:17 GMT
Just back from my brief trip to London. I wonder, was Heathrow T2 & T3 station upgraded to cope with increased passenger flows from direct services to the Elizabeth Line? They seemed to be running bidirectional on both roads when I got there, which appears to me inefficient use of capacity, especially when platform signage is for conventional running!
My worst experience was crush filling of the passage whilst exiting the station at the T-junction that splits to each terminal, meeting crowds entering the station head-on around 4pm! No movement either way until uniformed security officials stepped in to insist on “let them out first, to make room for those entering”. I presume they regularly monitor this point. Surely this needs split passages. A responsibility for the Airport Authority.
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Post by goldenarrow on Sept 1, 2024 15:13:31 GMT
Was this on Friday by any chance?
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jimbo
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Post by jimbo on Sept 1, 2024 18:32:56 GMT
Spot on! Also, I noticed that the far wall of the eastbound platform still compares Heathrow Express with the TfL service to Paddington only! Reminds me of how the Picc T4 far wall showed connection to Jubilee Line for Charing Cross long into this century!
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Post by goldenarrow on Sept 1, 2024 22:26:17 GMT
On Friday, from about 09:30 until the close of service, trains were indeed running "wrong" line in Airport Tunnels, the reason for which I cannot find. The use of bi-directional running here has reduced massively in recent years, reflecting the more frequent service today. From 2008 until the introduction of the 345s on Heathrow services, there was a 2tph T4 - Central shuttle, which reversed off P1 and was double crewed for short turnarounds. Nowadays, the only time bi-directional working on public services happens outside of disruption is on Christmas day for the Central - T4/T5 shuttles which run with a train locked in on each line.
To compound matters on Friday, both road tunnels (Tunnel Road) were closed from about 14:15 for 2 hours for an unspecified reason, which then put additional pressure on the Rail station, which I understand had to close at one point due to overcrowding. Having worked here, airport passengers tend to have quite rigid travel options for a variety of reasons. So when disruption occurs, a much greater proportion stay put rather than seek out alternative routes, which then, of course, rapidly becomes a crowd control issue. That rail station has also lost its second ticket hall since the closure of Terminal 1 which bunches everyone up at one end. It's due to be brought back into use once Terminal 2 has been expanded but that is some way away yet.
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