HS2 TBM Progress

[swt_passenger]

Why they never planned a spur for the already present and unused, extra station platforms at Heathrow baffles me.
It’s literally been future proofed to provide extra train capacity, it seems daft to deny passengers from Birmingham and beyond a more simple journey to Heathrow. No one wants to lug bags over a rail network with so many changes… classic oversight I think!

Although they did originally have a plan for a spur to Heathrow, and you can still see on the relevant online drawings the intended position of the two junctions, they’re effectively at either end of the Colne Valley viaduct:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a815f3340f0b62305b8e982/C222-ATK-CV-DPP-020-000001-FPD.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.g...7f59fcecd0/C221-MMD-CV-DPP-010-203700-FPD.pdf

IIRC it wouldn‘t have ever gone via T5 spare platforms though, they were already reserved for other routes such as western and southern links. Probably off-topic for a discussion of tunnelling progress, as it’s the tunnel that will never be built now…

 

[PLY2AYS]

Although they did originally have a plan for a spur to Heathrow, and you can still see on the relevant online drawings the intended position of the two junctions, they’re effectively at either end of the Colne Valley viaduct:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a815f3340f0b62305b8e982/C222-ATK-CV-DPP-020-000001-FPD.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.g...7f59fcecd0/C221-MMD-CV-DPP-010-203700-FPD.pdf

IIRC it wouldn‘t have ever gone via T5 spare platforms though, they were already reserved for other routes such as western and southern links. Probably off-topic for a discussion of tunnelling progress, as it’s the tunnel that will never be built now…

Thanks for the information! I’ll have a gander.
Hadn’t realised that about Colne Valley junctions.

Apologies for going off track.