Rail Transport Gallery

Heathrow Express JLP01_11_63143_02

HEATHROW AIRPORT, HILLINGDON, HILLINGDON, GREATER LONDON. Passengers alighting from a train at platform 1 of the Heathrow Express rail link.
The Heathrow Express rail link was a £350m investment by the British Airports Authority aiming to raise the proportion of passengers travelling to Heathrow Airport by public transport from 34% to 50%. Built between 1995 and 1998, by 2001 it was carrying 14,000 passengers a day taking an estimated 3,000 cars off the roads to improve traffic congestion. High speed trains leaving every 15min complete the journey from Paddington Station in 15min. Balfour Beatty bored the 11km tunnels and Tarmac laid the track whilst Laing in a joint venture with N G Bailey Design were responsible for the installation of all mechanical and electrical services in the tunnels and the construction of two underground stations, one serving the Central Terminal Area for Terminals 1-3, the other serving Terminal 4

© Historic England Archive

White Gates Level Crossing MOT01_01_19

White Gates Level Crossing, Canning Town, Newham, Greater London. Vans and horse-drawn carts on the White Gates Level Crossing, and traffic queuing on Victoria Dock Road alongside the North Woolwich Railway, 1920s.
The White Gates Level Crossing provided vehicular access from Victoria Dock Road to the Royal Victoria Dock and Silvertown, crossing the North Woolwich Railway. In 1922 the average number of vehicles crossing White Gates in 24 hours was 2,852, an increase from 2,173 in 1904 and 2,496 in 1913. Due to closure of the gates for trains, road traffic was stopped for over 9 hours each day. The level crossing was therefore one of a number of bottle necks on the approach to the docks, which also included the narrow swing bridge at the west entrance of Royal Victoria Dock. It was not until the Royal Victoria and other Dock Approaches (Improvement) Act was passed in 1929 that work began on a new road scheme in the area

© Historic England Archive