Work has begun on the Stockley Interchange in west London which will allow Crossrail services to operate to and from Heathrow.
Network Rail, on behalf of Crossrail, will build a new single track viaduct for all trains from Heathrow towards London. Work is due to complete in 2017. Existing train services to Heathrow will continue to run throughout.
The current junction at Stockley is used by Heathrow Connect in both directions and Heathrow Express in the London direction. The viaduct will start on the western side of the existing airport lines and cross over all of the tracks in the railway corridor, turning eastwards and continuing on the northern side of the railway tracks.
The viaduct will then widen and a junction for Crossrail and Heathrow Express services will be installed. This junction will allow Heathrow Express services to cross above the slow lines and descend to main line track as at present.
Crossrail services will remain on the northern side, descend on a second ramp and run on a dedicated track which will then connect with the existing up slow line via a new junction constructed just before Hayes & Harlington station.
Network Rail’s London & Southeast Rail Utilisation Study (RUS) in July 2011 proposed the HEx service to/from Paddington should be stopped and Platforms 6&7 along with the fast line slots re-allocated to new intercity trains serving the population centres to the West of Reading.
In place of HEx, Network Rail proposed that 10tph Crossrail trains using the slow lines on a skip / stop basis, should proceed to Heathrow Central Terminal Area from where they could fan out to T4, T5 / Staines and T5 / Slough / Maidenhead / Reading.
With BAA’s 25 year contract for HEx to use the fast lines due to expire before the Western extension of Crossrail becomes operational in 2019, surely someone should be asking whether the new Stockley Interchange junction design is compatible with Network Rail’s new proposals ??