PseudoRails, Rails and FutureRails to Heathrow

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Help in refining this list would be appreciated!

Airbus:
from West London Air Terminal, 6.10.1957 to 1979
from Victoria, route A1, 1981 to 1998
from Kings Cross and Marble Arch, route A2, 1981 to 2004

Railair Link:
from Reading, Thames Valley Traction from 1967, route RA1, was X25
from Woking, routes RA2 and 925, was 701
from Luton, route 888
from Feltham, currently 285 and 490
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RailAir

From Picadilly Line:
Hatton Cross, 19.7.1975
Heathrow Central, 16.12.1977
Heathrow Terminal 4, 7.4.1986
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

From Paddington:
Heathrow Junction, 19.1.1998 to 23.6.1998
Heathrow Central, from 23.6.1998
Heathrow Terminal 4, from 23.6.1998
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

Southern link
Heathrow Terminal 5, from cicra 2027/8
https://heathrowrail.com

Western link
Heathrown Terminal 5, from 2028
(link)

HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) link
near Heathrow Terminal 5, project ruled out in 2015
(link)

[stuving]

There's lots more buses than that - Heathrow list about 40 routes, not counting TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s!

[eightonedee]

I think that the RA2 Railair starts at Guildford Station (unless it is a victim of the disruption resulting from preparations for the Guildford Station reconstruction)

[Surrey 455]

I think that the RA2 Railair starts at Guildford Station (unless it is a victim of the disruption resulting from preparations for the Guildford Station reconstruction)

Yes, it started a few years ago (2019?) as Guildford to Heathrow. It now also calls at Woking after National Express suspended their RailAir service in 2020 or 2021. It's still suspended.

National Express

Route temporarily suspended
We are currently operating a reduced network and, unfortunately, are not running services on this route at the moment.

Please use our interactive Route Map to see which stops we are serving and how they connect. We are continuing to review our timetables and will add more routes and stops as travel needs increase.

[stuving]

National Express's information on Railair or "Ralair" buses isn't a lot of help, is it?

They do list Woking to Heathrow under airport services (with the message quoted above), but never say what its number is. If you know it was a 925 you'll find that's not listed at all. Neither is the RA2, but the RA1 is listed as a third-party operated service. But Reading-Heathrow isn't included as an airport service.

Heathrow list both RA1/2 routes as run by First Berkshire, and it is on their website and railair.com. But  the name "Railair" now seems to be used for other airport buses - but to they offer through rail ticketing?

[grahame]

There's lots more buses than that - Heathrow list about 40 routes, not counting TfL^» (Transport for London - about)'s!

Taking me off my original topic - but some very useful diagrams. As these things change over time, I have added copies for the archive to the member's mirror for us to enjoy in future years.  Maps are searchable too!

Heathrow local bus diagram 26 Sep 2021
Heathrow / Home Counties bus and coach map 19 Jul 2021
Heathrow Hotel Hoppa Network 27 Dec 2021
Heathrow Area Map 12 Jul 2021
Heathrow Area Bus Diagram 24 Aug 2021

Edit to add
Status of bus and coach service - Jan 2022

[BandHcommuter]

Help in refining this list would be appreciated!
From Paddington:
Heathrow Junction, 19.1.1988 to 23.6.1988
Heathrow Central, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 4, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

A minor refinement - the services from Paddington started in 1998 rather than 1988. Then Heathrow Connect was launched in 2005 (now operated by TfL^» (Transport for London - about) and hopefully to become fully part of Elizabeth Line some time in 2022)

[grahame]

Help in refining this list would be appreciated!
From Paddington:
Heathrow Junction, 19.1.1988 to 23.6.1988
Heathrow Central, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 4, from 23.6.1988
Heathrow Terminal 5, from 27.3.2008

A minor refinement - the services from Paddington started in 1998 rather than 1988. ...

Minor refinement?   It's a stonking great error to be corrected which I will do in the original post! Thanks for spotting that and letting me know.

[eXPassenger]

The other interesting point is that originally you could check in for BA^» (British Airways - about) (BOAC) flights at the West London Air Terminal, the coaches had luggage trailers.
 You could also check in for a number of airlines at Paddington.

[Surrey 455]

The other interesting point is that originally you could check in for BA^» (British Airways - about) (BOAC) flights at the West London Air Terminal, the coaches had luggage trailers.
 You could also check in for a number of airlines at Paddington.

The West London Air Terminal was for actually for BEA flights, not BOAC. As a young boy I remember standing on a bridge over the M4 spur watching BEA liveried Routemasters with trailers go underneath.

Apparently BOAC used The Empire terminal in Victoria.

My sources
https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/forgotten-buildings-the-west-london-air-terminal/
https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2014/01/08/an-airline-terminal-in-the-city-centre-empire-air-terminal-london-uk/
https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/explore/heritage-and-collection/our-collection/leyland-atlantean-boac-airport-bus

[eXPassenger]

The other interesting point is that originally you could check in for BA^» (British Airways - about) (BOAC) flights at the West London Air Terminal, the coaches had luggage trailers.
 You could also check in for a number of airlines at Paddington.

The West London Air Terminal was for actually for BEA flights, not BOAC. As a young boy I remember standing on a bridge over the M4 spur watching BEA liveried Routemasters with trailers go underneath.

Apparently BOAC used The Empire terminal in Victoria.

My sources
https://rbkclocalstudies.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/forgotten-buildings-the-west-london-air-terminal/
https://thebeautyoftransport.com/2014/01/08/an-airline-terminal-in-the-city-centre-empire-air-terminal-london-uk/
https://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/explore/heritage-and-collection/our-collection/leyland-atlantean-boac-airport-bus

In 1972 I flew to Australia by BOAC and we met and checked in in central London.  Looking at the references it must have been Victoria but I thought it was Kensington.

[grahame]

Update to last year's "On this day"

Elizabeth Line:
- every 30 minutes from terminal 5 and 2/3 to Abbey Wood
- every 30 minutes from terminal 4 and 2/3 to Abbey Wood

Heathrow Express:
- every 15 minutes from terminal 5 and 2/3 to Paddington